He’s “America’s Best Preacher,” according to TIME magazine; one of Ebony’s Power 100; and a movie and television presence, not to mention the winner of countless awards, according to his biography. But the man T.D. Jakes is today is not the man he was in his mid-20s.

The Gatlinburg Convention Center in downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee, was the site for the 2016 Smoky Mountain Jubilee Senior Adult Retreat, held April 26-28, 2016. A registered 1,324 persons age 50 and older, gathered for two nights and a day and a half of fun, fellowship, music, and worship.

The 2016 Jubilee began with a Tuesday night concert featuring comedian/ singer/ songwriter Aaron Wilburn and the renowned Southern Gospel trio, Greater Vision. Bishop James E. Cossey, executive administrator of USA Missions who served as the director of the retreat, opened the Tuesday night session and set the tone for the venue by singing the title song from his new CD, Don’t Hang Your Head and Cry! Cossey challenged the delegates with the words of Solomon, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4), saying that “this is a time for laughter and celebration!”

This open letter to worship pastors/leaders is on behalf of the 350,000 preachers out there who serve alongside you every weekend. In case you didn’t read last week’s letter to Discipleship/Ed pastors, these are staff letters of appreciation, not rebuke:

In a groundbreaking new book, Amazon top-selling author David Jeffers is honored to announce the release of “Overcoming Grief: Comforting Others with the Comfort We Have Received.”

Thousands of atheists attending the Reason Rally 2016 at Washington Mall on June 4 will be greeted with a Subway gift card and a free book. The gifts are courtesy of best-selling author and cohost of the award-winning “The Way of the Master” TV show, Ray Comfort.

Along with her husband, Bishop Raymond Hall, Pastor Arlene O. Hall founded the Deliverance Temple Worship Center in 1999. Built on the pillars of consistent prayer and Spirit-filled worship, Pastor Hall has innovated new ministry strategies that keep the church on the cutting edge. Her church leaders are well-versed in logic models and measurement tools for ministry. “Outcomes,” she says, “are simply the fruit of the ministry. It’s not a “corporate” thing; it is what Jesus requires. Every ministry should know whether it is producing fruit for the Kingdom. If it is not, we know what area we have to address.”

The ongoing and unprecedented #BoycottTarget pledge from the American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) has reached a staggering one million signatures, just a week after AFA first alerted consumers of Target’s controversial bathroom policy.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam recently signed Senate Bill 1556, which prevents counselors and therapists from being forced to counsel in a manner that conflicts with their orthodox religious beliefs provided they refer to another counselor or therapist.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) is calling on the world to pray for those experiencing a drought, aggravated by rising temperatures. More than 300 million are affected.