In 2020, Rick Burgess of "The Rick & Bubba Show" fame launched The Man Church to fill what he saw as a void in Christian ministry.
According to Burgess, men have a "headship" in the traditional familiar role, but in recent years it has been undermined in the culture.
During an interview with "1819 News The Podcast" host and 1819 Media president Bryan Dawson, Burgess explained how he was attempting to counter those trends by promoting his Man Church ministry aimed at discipling men.
"Notice what's happening in Alabama and all throughout our country – is that at one time, all of us pretty much were taught that men and women were equal, but they were not the same," Burgess said. "And that mom had a very powerful role in the family, extremely powerful, but dad had a headship, nothing about inequality – a headship, which is biblical, just like Jesus is equal to the Father, but the Father has a headship in the Trinity. So it doesn't mean inequality, and none of us think Jesus is inferior to the Father, right? Or the Holy Spirit is inferior to the Son. But there is a headship. It brings order.
"Well, look what's happening – anything you watch, anything you hear, it is an attack that they have taken what was once understood – that the answer to the problems usually will fall on the men of our society. They're the answer. Let's bring them in. Let's bring their wisdom in, their leadership in, their strength in. But now, society says, 'Oh no, no – men are not the answer. They are the problem. And this patriarchal society that we've set up is evil. It's oppressive. It's misogynist. And if we can get rid of men, especially the white ones, we would have a much better society if it was just women raising their own children without the hassle of these men. And to remove men – men are violent. Men make trouble. Men make war.' And if you look, that is coming from the pits of Hell, is where that's coming from. And we're falling for it."
Burgess recounted how Father's Day sermons often highlighted the importance of the father's role in leading the household to be followers of Christ throughout his lifetime of church attendance. However, he also noted how men's ministry was "treated last" in the local church, which according to Burgess, contradicted those calls for an emphasis on fatherhood.
"I can't even wrap my mind around that," he said. "So wait a minute – do we believe what we say every Father's Day? 'Of course, we do.' Well, what are we doing about it? Well, I'll tell you what we're doing about it – we're funding, and we're treating men's ministry dead last.
"What we provide is curriculum that actually speaks to men of how God made a man. You cannot reach and disciple men if you keep talking to us like we're women and children. We are not women and children."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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