Credit: CBC YouTube capture
Ed Newton pastors Community Bible Church (CBC) in San Antonio, Texas. It is a mega church with 25,000 people attending the five services scheduled throughout the day at the main church and two satellite churches.
Originally, from a Baptist background, Newton had an encounter with the Holy Spirit about three years ago, that resulted in him being filled with the Holy Spirit and moving in the gifts.
“Lord, I want more of you. I’m not seeking the Spirit for stage giftings because that’s ‘seven sons of Sceva stuff’,” Newton said, describing what happened.
One of Newton’s sermons at the end of April 2024 went viral after a man named Anthony stood up during the middle of the sermon and started shouting and cussing, Church Leaders reports.
Anthony shouted “Bulls**t!” when Newton was speaking about how the religious people in Jesus’ day, like the Pharisees, didn’t believe they were lost.
Newton stopped the service and politely asked Anthony to quit swearing because of the children.
The service then went in a completely different direction as Newton sat on the edge of the church stage, and addressed what had just happened in the service.
He talked about how this was an example of Jesus leaving the 99 sheep and going after the one that was lost (Matthew 18:12-14).
In a recent interview with YouTuber Ruslan KD, Newton shared how he had actually met Anthony for the first time before the start of the service when Newton was in the foyer greeting people as they entered the church.
Anthony came in and using cuss words complimented the pastor’s shoes, prompting Newton to introduce himself to Anthony. When later in the service, Anthony interrupted the sermon, Newton recalled his name.
Anthony had been taken to the service by Michael, who was sitting beside him.
Newton initially invited Michael, who is attending university, to the front to talk about what had happened, and then called up Anthony to join them.
Michael had attended the church’s first service earlier that morning and as he was driving home saw a homeless woman with a sign asking for food. He went to a nearby restaurant and brought her a meal.
However, when he returned with the food, the woman had already left and Michael saw Anthony lying on the ground and gave him the meal instead.
Anthony then asked what Michael was doing. After Michael said he had just come from Church, Anthony said he also wanted to go to church that very morning.
So Michael took him to CBC’s next service.
After the service, Newton, Michael, and others met with Anthony in Newton’s office.
Anthony was so stressed, that he needed a smoke. Newton said their office had cigarettes, vapes, and other items left over from an earlier service where people had turned them in and said it was the first time anyone had smoked in his office.
Since then, the church has continued to work with Anthony by having him attend a three-day mental health evaluation and getting him help to deal with his addictions.
