ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Facing A Massive Tour He Was Ill-Prepared For, A Desperate Michael Jackson Reached Out To Gospel Superstar Andrae Crouch And His Minister Sister For Solace In His Last Days
By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.
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Michael Jackson |
The story said, “But news of the meeting spiraled out of control as a series of blogs and emails raced around the world proclaiming that Jackson had converted to Christianity at the end of one of their meetings, raising hopes, especially among Jackson’s African-American fans that Jackson, a onetime member of the Jehovah’s Witness sect, who had reportedly converted to Islam in 2008, had become a Christian.”
The Bully! Pulpit story went on to say that the news was first widely circulated on her website by Erica Campbell, a member of the Grammy-award winning duo Mary-Mary who, under the banner headline “Good News-RIP Michael Jackson,” wrote: “Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andrae spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andrae to play, ‘It Won't Be Long And We'll Be Leaving Here.’ Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”
But according to Sandra Crouch, Evangelist McFaddin-Solomon, may have gotten the story only half right. On a posting on her Facebook page Crouch wrote: “Not sure where that came from. We loved and respected Michael and will continue to pray for his family. All the extra is not from us.”
For his part, through a spokesman, Andrae Crouch attempted to further clarify the story:
“Andrae and Sandra did in fact visit with Michael Jackson two times, once at the recording studio, and once at his home in the last two months, as recently as three weeks ago, asking for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual,’” noted Crouch’s Facebook administrator.
“So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus. He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself,’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves and wanted then to sing to him, so they...joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘it was beautiful.’ He first heard it in New York, and loved it and wanted it on tape. He had the engineer tape the song sang to him by Andrae and Sandra. He definitely had an encounter with them.”
As to whether or not the legendary singer had prayed to receive Christ, through his spokesman Crouch responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer.”
“He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed,” continued Andrae Crouch’s spokesman. “There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, ‘Michael, we consider you as our son,’ and he said, “yes, yes, yes” and gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, ‘Andrae I trust you with this,’ and gave him CD’s of 2 songs....unpublished, beautiful music.”
In the story, the Crouch’s reported one peculiarity about Jackson’s rented home: forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith which precludes such celebration, Jackson was still celebrating Christmas in June: “He still had his Christmas decorations up at home,” noted Crouch’s spokesman.
After Sunday services at the church they co-pastor, New Christ Memorial Church in San Fernando, CA, both Crouches spoke exclusively to Bully! Pulpit News, confirming the story.
The web site for Bully! Pulpit News is http://www.bullypulpit.com/
| Dan Wooding, 68, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma of 45 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS); and US Bureau Chief for the Missionaries News Service (www.missionariesnews.tv) and Safe Worlds IPTV’s Faith, Hope and Charity channel. He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC., and now hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on KWVE in Southern California and which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on UCB UK and Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com. |  |
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