An Urgent Appeal to Pastors and Ministry Leaders By Pastor Michael Morisi, presented on June 25th, 2025 at Thomas Road Baptist Chruch, Lynchburg, VA.
A Weight We Must Carry
Good morning Brothers and Sister in Christ….
There is a pressing weight on my spirit today—not a burden driven by fear, but by divine urgency. It’s the kind of stirring that comes when the Spirit of God makes it unmistakably clear: we are not in ordinary times, and passive leadership is no longer an option.
This is not emotionalism. This is discernment. The landscape around us is shifting with alarming speed—not just culturally or politically, but spiritually. What we are facing is not merely ideological; it is profoundly theological. The enemy is not cloaked in secrecy—he is parading through our culture with bold defiance, poisoning minds, distorting truth, and weakening the Church from within. And pastors—we feel it, don’t we?
The tension in our homes, the compromise in our pulpits, the confusion among our youth—it’s all connected. We see congregants once firm in faith now hesitant to speak truth. We witness children discipled more by digital media than by godly parents. We navigate a culture that increasingly views biblical conviction as hateful and outdated.
This is a spiritual war.
And make no mistake: it is not fought with carnal weapons. As Paul wrote, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood…”(Eph. 6:12). This is a battle between truth and deception, light and darkness, righteousness and rebellion. And we, as shepherds of God’s flock, cannot stand on the sidelines.
We must not confuse silence with wisdom. Too often, fear of offense becomes a mask for fear of man. But this generation isn’t longing for polished sermons or sanitized truths—they’re starving for the Word of God, delivered with clarity, courage, and conviction.
The Enemy’s Strategy: Deception, Not Detonation
Satan is not always overt. His most effective tactic is subtlety. He whispers through entertainment, infiltrates education, influences legislation, and even occupies pulpits where truth has been traded for applause.
Jesus described him plainly in John 8:44: “He is a liar and the father of it.”
And the Church—if lulled to sleep by comfort or distracted by lesser pursuits—becomes complicit. Not by action, but by inaction. Not by speaking lies, but by refusing to speak truth.
C.S. Lewis warned, “The safest road to hell is the gradual one.” How many in our congregations are quietly walking that road while we hesitate to raise the alarm?
Now Is the Time to Awaken
We’ve been warned in Scripture. We’ve been equipped by the Spirit. But now, pastors, we must be awakened.
This is not a time to soften the message of repentance or blur the lines of righteousness. It is time to preach with holy boldness, shepherd with unwavering clarity, and model a faith that stands when others fall.
The darkness is growing, yes—but so is the opportunity for the light of Christ to shine. The Church must be more than a gathering; it must be a fortress of truth and a lighthouse of hope.
Our Silence Has a Cost
Make no mistake—silence is not neutral. Silence is agreement. In Virginia alone, we see legislation aiming to:
- Enshrine unlimited, taxpayer funded, abortion until the day of delivery, into the state constitution.
- Strip parental rights making abortion legal for any age without consent.
- Redefine gender, marriage, and family so we can never prevent a man from entering your daughter’s private spaces.
- Criminalize biblical counsel that speaks truth by blocking even silent prayer from anywhere close to abortion clinics.
These are not theoretical threats. They are real, active, and accelerating. And if the Church does not respond, the cost will not merely be cultural—it will be eternal.
We Are Ambassadors, Not Entertainers
2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us: “We are ambassadors for Christ.” We are not here to blend in. We are here to stand out—to represent the King in a land that no longer honors Him. To justify wickedness through silence is an abomination. (Prov. 17:15)
This calling will cost us. It may cost us relationships, reputations, and even our freedom. But it is a sacred cost. And there is no greater honor than to suffer for the name of Jesus.
Love Does Not Mean Compromise
We are in a culture that has confused love with affirmation. But true love does not rejoice in iniquity—it rejoices in the truth. (1 Cor. 13:6)
To speak truth is not hate—it is hope. It is not to judge—it is to warn. And it is exactly what Jesus did. He loved with compassion, but never compromised. And if we are to follow Him, we must do the same.
Stewarding Our Influence
God, in His sovereignty, has placed us in a nation where “we the people” carry civic authority. That is not a political accident—it is a Kingdom responsibility. Romans 13 reminds us that all authority comes from God, and we will give an account for how we used ours.
Have we leveraged our voice to protect life, truth, and family? Or have we buried our influence in fear and false humility?
Let us use every platform—pulpit, prayer meeting, podcast, and personal interaction—to proclaim the unchanging truth of God’s Word. To Disciple others to know Jesus not just know of Him.
This Is Personal. This Is Eternal.
This is not just about laws—it’s about lives. Souls are at stake:
- In the womb of a mother unsure if her child has value.
- In the heart of a confused teen bombarded by lies.
- In the mind of a weary pastor tempted to water down the message.
- In the lives of believers who need leaders bold enough to tell the truth.
So, Pastors, Will You Stand?
The call today is not just to ministry—it is to spiritual warfare. It is to courageous leadership. It is to prophetic clarity in a time of profound confusion.
Let us prepare our flocks—not for comfort, but for combat. Let us equip our homes—not with entertainment, but with truth. Let us disciple a generation—not with trends, but with timeless Scripture.
Let us be the watchmen on the wall. Let us be the shepherds who guard, not the hirelings who flee.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden…” (Matt. 5:14)
We were not saved to be silent. We were not called to be cowards. We were commissioned to shine.
So let us rise—united, unwavering, and unashamed.
Closing Exhortation & Prayer
“Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14
You were born for this hour. Called for this season. Positioned by God to lead in days of darkness—not with fear, but with fire.
Let us pray:
Father, awaken Your shepherds. Stir in us a holy fire. Shake us free from fear and compromise. Give us the courage of Daniel, the heart of David, the boldness of Paul, and the compassion of Jesus. Let Your Church rise—not in pride, but in power. Not in apathy, but in holy urgency. And let it begin with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Michael Morisi, Vice President of Church Ambassador Network, The Family Foundation
Mike has a 30 year career in the corporate world and has been in full time ministry since 2015 ordained as a Pastor, Director of a national campus ministry and working in development and leadership for several ministries. As Vice President of the Church Ambassador Network, Mike works to inspire the Church to engage government for the advance of God’s Kingdom, by connecting the shepherds of God’s Church (pastors) to God’s shepherds of government (the “king,” or today’s elected officials).