| Featured speaker and author Michael Durham holds a passion for the Gospel. Michael, who had been preaching for over a decade, was not converted until God showed him that he was nothing more than a modern day Pharisee and that his trust was not in Christ but in a prayer he had prayed when he as five. After being rescued by God from believing in a pseudo-truth that was comprised of man-made tradition sprinkled with scripture, his heart yearned to take the full truth of Christ to others who were deceived and shatter the notions of an Americanized Christianity that only masked the true Gospel. God further rescued Michael from aspirations of ministry that were built on human effort and not the work of Holy Spirit. Toward the end of a time of pruning in his life, God was working in the lives of two other men whom Michael had never met.
In 2007, these two hit the streets of Paducah, Kentucky to share the Gospel. What they found was a population of people who mostly all believed themselves to be born-again; but the majority did not profess Christianity as proclaimed in scripture and throughout Church history.
Men and women, claiming to be Christians, streamed into nightclubs where these two evangelists talked to them before they entered. Most freely admitted to their rebellion against God through their current drunkenness, revelries, and fornication, yet there was also no conviction. They believed themselves to be right with God because they did what a preacher told them to do when they were little children. In their eyes, they were OK because God is forgiving, and all they have to do is ask Him to let their lifestyles slide. But 1 John 2:15 says that if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Clearly there was a disconnect between what these people believed to be true and the truth.
God led the two men to Oak Grove Baptist Church where Michael pastored. Immediately, the passion of the Gospel intertwined these brothers’ hearts. A short time later, one of the brothers was so impressed in his heart to proclaim the Gospel by hosting a conference. The name of that conference was Real Truth Matters. Michael preached on the problem of the Americanized Christianity, true and false conversion, and then hammered home the true Gospel. Following the conference, a few resources were created such as a website and some videos. The next year, the conference was repeated.
During the time of the second conference, J.T. Crawford and Joseph Durham, who had both been active in Real Truth Matters, felt the call to go full time with the ministry in spite of the fact that there were no visible means of support. The two, along with Michael and the rest of the volunteer staff, entered into a season of prayer, seeking God’s guidance in the matter. After sixty days, it was agreed that J.T. and Joseph should go full time with RTM. God began to miraculously provide the resources needed, and on May 17, 2010, RTM officially became a full time ministry. |
