Palmer Chinchen is one cool pastor of the 21st Century in call to address suffering
One of the freshest, most engaging clergy I have encountered is Pastor Palmer Chnchen, who leads The Grove Bible Church in Chandler. He’s one of those handsome, articulate, attentive people who reminds you that relevant religion is out there. Much older than he looks, Chincen is one of those ministers of the Word who does what he preaches — leads his people to do hands-on, caring work in the world.
With a wide, natural smile, moussed hair and casual dress, the 46-year-old clergyman draws from his rich global experiences to rally his congregation of about 1,500 to selflessly help some of the most woefully suffering places in Africa. He came from a large missionary family and followed in the footsteps of his parents who gave up ministry in Mississippi in 1970 to go to Liberia.
Recently I read Chinchen’s second book, “True Religion: Taking Pieces of Heaven to Places of Hell on Earth.” It is a guidebook for anyone who wants to gain the world by giving themselves away in service to others. ”I believe God wants us all to live bothered by things around us that are not right ,” he writes. “The world is a broken place, and he has put you and me here to make it whole. Possibly the most important indicator of true religion is the desire to love and care for people who hurt.”
Chinchen presents story after story of people who sacrifice comfort and their resources because of their inner forces and a goading to rectify things. “I believe we know deep inside that we are to respond to people who hurt,” he said. “Why don’t we live that way?” He calls on readers to “develop a Christian response to poverty, injustice and oppression.” He wisely points out that the reason why so many people predisposed to do amazing caring service do not do so because they have not organized, developed or formed the means to act: “The truth is, many people lack a well-thought-out, well-defined, well-processed theology of justice. Many of us just weren’t raised in homes or churches that talked much about these things.
Since taking over what was Canyon Ridge Bible Church seven years ago and renaming in The Grove after building a campus in a 19-acre pecan grove, he has introduced the Southeast Valley church to foreign benevolence. For one of its recent missionary trips to Africa, he abruptly told church members one Sunday to abandon the shoes they were wearing because he was taking them with him. They ended up with 2,000 pairs of shoes. Young people were charged $10 to make the trip, with the funds going to buy mosquito nets. “The challenge is to live differently and make this life less about me and more about meeting the needs of the people who are hurting in the world.
His book, by David C. Cook Publishers, has 208 pages and costs $14.99.
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My name is John Gronberg,
Almost 3 years ago my daughter, a freshman at the time came home from Perry high school and asked if we could change churches to the grove. At first I said no because we ” thought” we belonged at the church we were currently attending, but I said we would try it one Sunday . We liked the sermon and the people there so we returned for just one more Sunday . After seeing the passion Palmer has for others we knew we found a permeant spiritual home. The man practices what he preaches and it is contageous! In 3 years I along with my family have served in Mexico, Haiti after the quake and most recently my wife took her nursing skills to Africa. Palmer along with his associate pastor Paul Gunther are the right beside you leaders all the way
Hi, my name is Maddie Shively, I’m 18 years old, and I too have followed Pastor Palmer to Haiti, as well as Malawi. When I was just 14 years old I asked Palmer if I could go to Africa. At that time I was the youngest person Palmer had allowed to go. I’m so glad he did because being as young as I am sometimes it feels like I have all the potential to do something great but never the opportunity. Palmer gave me that opportunity. The next year I went back again. I couldn’t get enough of helping others. Since then I have been on mexico missions to rebuild houses as well as going to Haiti to asses the needs of the Good Neighbor Orphanage as well as meet the three children my family is trying to adopt. Palmer is truly and inspiration for others to give up a “comfortable” life and start living for others. Since my encounters in Malawi, Haiti, and Mexico I have changed my career choice to a medical missionary. In September I will be starting in on my studies and I owe most of my inspiration to Palmer and The Grove.
Thank you for posting something truly uplifting in today’s society.
I am from Malawi, Africa, and Palmer was my soccer coach when I was in college there. When Palmer was leaving Malawi to come back to the States to do ministry, everyone was so sad because he was literally the nicest American we all knew. Even among missionaries which is saying a lot about his character. He is a catalytic thinker and a very articulate speaker too. He was the first person that made following Jesus compelling to me…
youknow, I was rather shocked to hear him describe countries like Malawi as ‘hell on earth’ and to hear him being unsympathetic to the poverty that exists in the USA (comparing it to whole different cultures, like Malawi, which is ‘much worse’). Constantly he refers to mission trips where it sounds like he as some kind of American saviour comes down to help them poor people.
Maybe if it wasn’t for the US the people wouldn’t be so poor? take Malawi and tobacco for example: How much is tobacco in the US? how much do the people who actually grow it? of three big US companies dominate the market and set the price, a fair price will never be paid.
http://www.nyasatimes.com/business/malawi-government-losing-battle-on-tobacco.html
this is just one example. but to put it bluntly, people like chinchen don’t seem to be interested in the causes of poverty, he only uses it to impress people with horrible stories of countries most Americans have never been to.
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