Charging that the church community and too many pastors have lost their way, a former Major League Baseball player is hoping to transform a Charlotte arena into a large venue for prayer on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in September.
“ ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land,’” said former baseball player David Benham, reciting 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Benham said he didn’t mind spending thousands to rent out the city’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre because he said for too long the faith community has pointed fingers at political leaders instead of taking issues to God.
“The symbol of the Democratic Party is the donkey and we have been beating the donkey over and over again,” he said. “We beat on our President, we beat on the Democrats, we beat on Republicans, we beat on government and you know what, the finger is pointed directly at the church.”
Benham, who played for the Boston Red Sox, now owns a commercial real estate firm with his twin brother Jason, who used to play for the Baltimore Orioles.
In the same way the prophet Balaam beat a donkey until he started to talk in the Old Testament book of numbers, David Benham said people of faith often beat up on political leaders instead of praying for them and this nation.
The Sept. 2 gathering, titled “Charlotte 7:14,” is similar to a religious event that is being planned before the Republican National Convention being held in Tampa a week earlier,. Benham said the Charlotte event will include prayers and messages from local pastors and music from nationally recognized Christian musicians, but no politicians. “The event is non-partisan,” he said.
“We want prostrate ourselves before the throne of God,” Benham said. “The Lord is saying to the church it is you. We are responsible for the moral direction of this nation.”
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