There’s a fascinating piece in the Jan. 23, 2005, edition of the New York Times Magazine about Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Bakker of PTL Club fame. Now 29, Jay was 11 when the family’s empire crumbled amid revelations that his father had had sex with a staff member named Jessica Hahn.
Bakker heads up Revolution Ministries that meets in an Atlanta rock club. During Jay’s growing up years he was a teenage alcoholic, a skate punk, a high-school dropout and a Gap employee. Bakker’s arms are completely tattooed. One wrist reads "Broken." The other "outcast."
The skateboarders, the punk rockers, and the tattoo-clad are all welcome at Revolution, where they have worship services and Bible studies. At Revolution, you won’t have to worry too much being judge for your appearance. In the New York Times Magazine piece, Bakker says much of his ministry is "just hanging out with people."
Jay tells his own story of hanging out in his 2001 autobiography called Son of a Preacher: My Search for Grace in the Shadows. (HarperCollins, 2002)
Hanging out with people is what Ryan Dobson, son of James Dobson of Focus on the Family fame, has done for many years, both before and since getting serious about his faith. Heavily tattooed like Jay Bakker, Ryan is making big inroads in sharing the Gospel to thousands of teen-agers around the United States.
Now in his early 30s, Dobson has a ministry to the youth culture that is very different ministry from that of his father. Interestingly, both father and son are equally opinionated and outspoken about absolute truth.
Read more about Ryan in this online piece in a Biola University magazine, or check out his ministry site at Ryandobson.com
Well, these young men may not have grown up exactly like their fathers had anticipated, but they are certainly walking with the Lord now, leading very dynamic ministries.
I put these kinds of stories under the theme: "Don’t judge your kids too soon!"
donfollis.com 