Who Are the 5 Pastors in the Houston Sermon Subpoena Scandal? Here are their names and background

Christian Post ^ | 10/23/2014 | Samuel Smith

[SeekAndFind]

Although much has been reported regarding the ethics and legality behind the city of Houston's subpoena of five Houston-area pastors that had asked them to turn over all of their sermons that address homosexuality, gender identity, and the city's first openly-lesbian mayor, little attention has been given to who those five pastors actually are and the ministries they operate.

Although those five pastors, Steve Riggle, David Welch, Hernan Castaño, Khanh Huynh and Magda Hermida, were not technically parties of the lawsuit against the city's new equal rights ordinance that sparked the need for the subpoenas, they all participated in the coalition of 400 Houston area churches that stood in disapproval of the ordinance, which allows transgendered individuals to use public restrooms of the opposite gender.

Steve Riggle

Riggle is the founding pastor and currently the senior pastor of a Houston-headquartered megachurch, Grace Community Church, and is an executive member of the Houston Area Pastors Council. Riggle also runs the evangelist organization Grace International.

Riggle's Grace Community Church will host the"I Stand Sunday" event on Nov. 2 that will give opportunity to supporters from all over the country to stand with the five pastors. Grace Community Church carries a significant influence that spans beyond Texas and also provides separate services for English and Spanish speakers. With campuses in Houston and Woodlands, Texas, Grace Church also has a campus in San Diego. While Grace Church Houston's worship center can accommodate up to 10,000 people, Megachurch statistics compiled by Statistic Brain estimates that the average Sunday attendance for Grace Church Houston is about 5500 individuals.

Riggle and his wife, Becky, are the subjects of a motion picture production called "Between the Gates, which highlights how God led them to safety when they were taken hostage after a prison break during a mission trip to the Philippines.

Riggle has been one of the more outspoken of the five pastors about the subpoena from city lawyers.

"As one of the 'Houston Five' whose sermons and any comment ever made about Mayor [Annise] Parker have been subpoenaed, I call for her actions and those of the city attorney to be thoroughly investigated," Riggle told Charisma News. "Those we elect to lead our government are charged with stewarding the public trust. When elected officials abuse the power of their office by denying the people the basic right to vote, we must stand against that action whatever the cost."

Hernan Castaño

Castaño has many roles. He is currently the director of Hispanic church development for the Houston Area Pastors Council. He is also the Houston director of the Rivers of Oil Bible Institute, and the founding pastor of the Iglesias Rios De Aceite located in Houston.

Castaño was born in Columbia and migrated with his parents to America when he was five months old. Castaño has translated for well-established evangelists such as Benny Hinn, R.W. Schambach, T.L. Lowery, T.L. Osborne and others. Castaño has also extended his ministry to prisoners nationwide. Through his prison ministry, he was able to reach up to 10,000 prisoners a month.

Castaño believes that governments being allowed to subpoena pastors sermons goes against what America stands for.

"For a city government to step into churches and ask pastors to turn in sermons, it's gone too far. This is not what America, the nation is about," Castaño told KTRK-TV.

Khanh Huynh

Khanh is the founding pastor of the Vietnamese Baptist Church in Houston and has served as a pastor there for over two decades. Khanh allegedly gave his life to Christ while fleeing Vietnam into Indonesia. Kanh, along with other Vietnamese refugees, fled Vietnam's communist government on a boat after the fall of Saigon. Six of his boatmates died while on the raft-like boat.

Coming to America looking for the religious and spoken freedoms he could not enjoy in Vietnam, Khanh established the Vietnamese Baptist Church to engage in mission mobilization, host mission conferences and to also send medical and ministry teams to Vietnam and other countries.

"We could not express our freedom of religion and belief," he told WND. "We paid … to come to our country [the U.S.], that recognizes human rights of speech and religion."

David Welch

Welch founded the Houston Area Pastors Council, an affiliate of the U.S. Pastors Council, in January of 2003 and has acted as its president since. Welch also carries other duties as he is the founder and executive director of Christian Coalition of Washington and the national field director for Christian Coalition. Welch was the executive director of Vision America, an effort to mobilize congregations and pastors, from 1999-2001.

Welch has also been outspoken about his subpoena and the role of Mayor Parker.

"This was really initiated by Mayor Annise Parker, who is obviously a noted, kind of poster child for the national gay and lesbian movement, proposing ordinance back in April that was really a massive overreach to begin with to basically add sexual orientation and gender identity and expression to the city's discrimination ordinance and impose those discrimination protections over the private sector in an unprecedented way," Welch told The Christian Post.

Magda Hermida

Hermida was born in Havana Cuba and is the founder of a 20-year Houston-based ministry called Magda Hermida Ministries which operates under the cover of Dr. Doug Stringer, the founder and president of Somebody Cares America and of Turning Point International ministries. Hermida's ministry is also responsible for publishing a Spanish-language magazine that circulates in Houston called "Tiempo De Cambio," which means "Time Of Change." Magda Hermida Ministries also hosts ministry conferences which are attended by thousands of people.

Hermida is also on the NHCLC Board of directors and was the host, for over 15 years, of a weekly Christian radio program called "Mujeres con Poder", which means "Women With Power." She hosted the television version of "Mujeres con Poder" for over 14 years.

Although the the city of Houston responded to the Alliance Defending Freedom's request to quash the subpoenas by narrowing down the categories they are looking for in the sermons, Riggle said the city's narrowing did nothing to solve the religious injustice.

"The city said it would narrow the subpoenas because there has been such outrage in our city, in the state and around the world," Riggle said in a Vimeo video. "According to our attorneys, when [the city] narrowed the subpoenas, they really took out nothing. They are still asking for 17 different categories of information."

[roofgoat]

just for arguments sake, lets say the Pastors go to jail for “hate speak”. What should Christians do?

[Patton@Bastogne]

.

Mrsmel, why were the Jewish Religious Leaders so subservient to Rome ?

Well, one reason is that the "evil" Roman Empire had rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. It was beautiful. Magnificent.

... much like today's modern American Christian Churches with their buildings, coffee kiosks, internet websites, twitter accounts, missionary trips to the moon, free bibles and bottled water for the homeless.

Rome's Caesar PAID for the Jerusalem Temple, and he DEMANDED a great return for his investment.

Caesar demanded "obedience" in exchange for his "gifts" to the Jewish people.



The U.S. Government HELPS PAY/SUBSIDIZE the "material glory" of the modern American Christian Church system (tax deduction credits) ...

and like Caesar, Uncle Sam DEMANDS a fair return on his investment.

Uncle Sam demands "obedience" in exchange for his "gifts" to the modern American Christian Church.

That obedience (as Houston's LGBT Mayor fully understands) is NOT critizing Uncle Sam's policies, especially promotion of Gays, Islam and other "garbage".

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What's the "magic" solution for America's Christian Churches ...

so that Pastors can FREELY preach the "complete truth" without violation of their IRS 501-C3 contract ?

Dump their IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt status.
DIVORCE their IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt status.
Cancel their IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt status.
Jettison their IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt status.


Ever heard of that GREAT Christian Conservative institution: Hillsdale College ?

Rush Limbaugh talks about them all the time, full of praise for their "legal acumen".

Hillsdale College REFUSES to have "any" tax-exempt status.

Why ?

They don't want the government's FREE MONEY that hides the "Chains of Free Speech Slavery".

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Many American Christians wonder “why” our nation is gradually slipping away into spiritual darkness, especially since 1954.

Why has it been over 100 years since America had a (genuinely) great National Revival ?

Sure, Rev. Billy Grahman's Crusades were great; but did they fundamentally change America's "spiritual core" ? NO.

The 700 Club television network, James Dobson's "Focus on the Family", Promise Keepers, were great; but did they fundamentally change America's "spiritual core" ? NO.

Great Christian movies like "The Bible"; "Son of God", "Fireproof", "Facing the Giants" are great; but did they fundamentally change America's "spiritual core" ? NO.

Great Christian athletes and coaches like Jim Tebow and Tony Dungy; but did they fundamentally change America's "spiritual core" ? NO.




Consider the year 1954. It was the beginning of a tidal wave of spiritual darkness that has destroyed a “Christian America”.

What happened in 1954 ?

1) WHY did LBJ's stealth "satanic agenda" in 1954 DIRECTLY CAUSE in 1963 the U.S. Supreme Court banning Christian Prayers in America’s Public schools ?

2) WHY did LBJ's clandestine "satanic agenda" in 1954 DIRECTLY CAUSE in 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court allowing legalized Abortion (56 million murdered children) ?





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Americans and Israelis celebrated in June 2010 when the STUXNET computer virus crippled Iran's nuclear program, reportedly destroying one-fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges (Wikipaedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet).

Clearly, computer viruses and malware can be powerful weapons, silently destroying an from the inside.

The enemy doesn't know what happened until it's too late, when defeat is inevitable.


Satan is the sworn enemy of America's Christians and Churches, attacking from all directions, 24/7/365 days a year.

"What If" Satan could plant a "spiritual malware-virus" into America's Christian Churches ?

Would Satan "play nice" or go for a bloody kill, like he did to Rome's early Christian Church using lions in the Coliseum ?

Satan knows that the "LOVE of money" (not money itself) is a powerful spiritual weapon.





What does this have to do with 1954 ?

What does this have to do with U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson ?



In 1954 U.S. Senator L.B. Johnson "spiritually castrated" America's Christian Churches.

It's a perfectly accurate picture. Bloody, painful, loss (surrender) of "spiritual power".

Is that image too graphic or intense for you ?

Too bad. I'm just the messenger.



Exactly how did LBJ "spiritually castrate" America's Christian Churches in 1954 ???

He offered them MONEY, MONEY and more MONEY ... billions and billions of dollars for "wonderful" church activities and new programs.

MONEY for new church programs to spread Christ's Gospel in Billy Graham Crusades, "Focus on the Family" radio programs, and giving FREE bibles to the Homeless.

MONEY for great Christian Universities.

MONEY for Missionary teams to Haiti and Russia.

MONEY for Moody Bible University and it's network of radio programs.


"FREE" Money ... all in exchange for IRS 501-C3 Church Tax Exempt Status.






Read (later) about the Johnson Amendment of 1954.

The best internet link is: History of the Johnson Amendment of 1954



What's another great information source for how LBJ's 1954 Church Tax-Exempt Status has SPIRITUALLY CASTRATED America's Christian Churches ?

Watch any of the Youtube Videos listed below.

Forward the internet links to your fellow Christian Believers and Church Pastor.



Discover WHY "IRS 501-C3" is LBJ-Satan's spiritual version of the deadly STUXNET computer virus ... designed to DESTROY America's Christian Churches, silently, from within.

Discover why a conservative evangelical Pro-Life Tea-Party Christian is challenging Christian pastors and churches to jettison their IRS 501-C3 tax-exempt status.

Join the growing Christian spiritual awareness that IRS 501-C3 "marriage" between Uncle Sam’s (sometimes EVIL) Federal Government and YOUR CHURCH is a great "Satanic Deception".



CHALLENGE your Pastor to read the complete text of IRS 501-C3 from the Church pulpit.



CHALLENGE your Pastor to tell the Congregation about IRS Pamphlet "P-1828" (downloadable) for the "specific legal details" about your local church's "Marriage" to the IRS / Federal Government.

IRS Pamphlet P1828 Download Link (5.10 M): IRS Marriage Covenant with Your Church

E-Mail IRS Pamphlet P1828 to every Christian Believer and Church Pastor that you know.

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IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

IRS & Church Marriage vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)



Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Pro-Life Victory vs. "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)




Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" ...

Tea Party Christians and "Render Unto Caesar" - (click)




America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ...

.America's Spiritual Revival and Healing - The Obstacle ... - (click)




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Thanks for your time in reading this ...


Patton-at-Bastogne

FreeRepublic member since 1998



.

[odawg]

Where is Dr. Ed Young in all of this? He used to be a target of the homosexual SWAT team.

[Humidston]

Yep. A generic prayer from a very generic preacher.
“Neither hot nor cold.”