Pastoring in a Spiritual Battleground

Confronting Darkness with the Light of Christ in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts, is a small city of 45,000 people and is known around the world because of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, when 19 people were hanged for being accused of witchcraft. Today, ironically, it is known as a place of pilgrimage for modern-day witches and, more broadly, for anyone who loves Halloween. Over one million visitors flock to this 400-year-old seaside city each October, which generates a large percentage of the city’s annual revenue.
Outside of commercialized Halloween, Salem is home year-round to estimates of as many as 8,000 people involved in modern-day Wicca, Witchcraft, New Age, and Pagan traditions of many kinds. It is also home to the global headquarters of The Satanic Temple.2 It is a city marked by ongoing spiritual intensity, both visible and invisible, and you can feel a tangible weightiness as soon as you enter the city.

• Power Encounters
  "the presence of the living God was shining forth and bringing light into the dark corners of Salem."
• Fearing the Gospel
  "we do not fight back against people, but against darkness itself."
• A Gentle and Patient Posture
  Battleground places need faithful and persevering churches who are committed to ministering at God’s pace and timing.
• The Church We are Becoming
• The Harvest is Plentiful
  ‘The future is as bright as the promises of God!’

For more information go to Pastoring in a Spiritual Battleground on the Lausanne Movement website.
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