One Million Men, a ministry started by megachurch pastor Jay Dennis, announced the launch of their Join One Million Men in the War Against Pornography campaign at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Texas in June. Now the ministry is expanding its outreach beyond the SBC and seeking to garner support nationwide from pastors and parachurch organizations.
“Pornography is such a pervasive issue,” states Dennis, pastor of Lakeland Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla., and author of Our Hardcore Battle Plan. After writing his book, Dennis recalls, “I began to notice a stream of people contacting me or my staff regarding issues of pornography or husbands admitting they have an issue, and I knew I had to address it.”
The new campaign includes a DVD series; a smartphone app; The Wall, a place where men can sign their names to a commitment to live a porn-free lifestyle (with a goal of attaining more than 1 million men’s signatures); and two new books just published by New Hope Publishers.
“We believe Jay Dennis is not alone in this battle,” states Andrea Mullins, CEO of New Hope Publishers. “According to statistics, I am confident that every pastor, not just in the SBC, has men and women in their congregation dealing with this issue. The challenge is how to address it.”
Dennis’ Our Hardcore Battle Plan is a six-week study resource for church-based men’s ministries. Written in an honest, practical, direct and conversational format, the book explores the scriptural basis for winning the battle against pornography. The format provides the basis for honest, transparent and accountable sharing in a small-group setting and encourages a passionate, daily commitment to porn-free living.
A second book, Our Hardcore Battle Plan for Women, by Dennis and Cathy Dyer, is written from a woman’s perspective on how to deal with recovery from the pain of pornography. Both books were just released and join the DVD series as core resources for men to live a porn-free lifestyle.
Former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee readily encourages others to join the movement and states, “This is a powerful strategy for breaking free.”
Author Randy Alcorn is also happy to recommend the series.
“Pornography is an epidemic that has paralyzed many men from moving forward in a walk with God and from serving as church leaders,” Alcorn says. “This aggressive project should raise the bar for countless men who have been caught in the web of pornography. By God’s grace, it will help them find a Christ-centered repentance and transformation that will liberate and empower them, their families and churches.”
Rob Schwarzwalder, senior vice president of the Family Research Council, adds, “Pornography is a cancer, destroying lives and ruining families. Jay Dennis is a wise and careful surgeon, using the fine scalpel of God’s Word to help men gain victory over this moral disease. It’s my hope that fully 1 million men and even more will find hope and healing through this outstanding resource.”
Tim Goeglein, vice president of external relations for Focus on the Family, says, “My friend Jay Dennis has a great and tender heart for ministry at its elemental and most human levels. May God bless his important and abiding work. May the healing and help Jay is offering be providentially restorative.”
While it may appear the movement is geared only toward men, Shari Rendall, director of legislation and public policy at Concerned Women for America, writes, “[Dennis’] call for One Million Women Praying to see the church porn-free is one that we gainfully support.”
Dennis says the ministry invites “every pastor, church leader, and wife or mother who is concerned about the influence pornography has on our culture to Join One Million Men in the War Against Pornography campaign and learn more about this movement.
“This campaign is about more than asking people to sign a commitment card. It is a lifestyle. It is time to open this door of conversation, and it is going to take pastors, leadership, wives and concerned citizens to do it.”
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