Q&A with Dr. Jim Grassi
Founder of Men’s Ministry Catalyst
Q: Your latest book is called “The Watchman: A Clarion Call for Men to Stand in the Gap.” Talk about the biblical meaning of “watchman.”
A: In Ezekiel 3:17, the Lord said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.” Ezekiel was to warn the people of Israel about their sin and its consequences. The Lord’s desire was for them to repent, turn to Him, and put their faith in Him. In a similar way, the Lord has called us men as watchmen. He has tasked us with making disciples of all nations. As men who know and follow Jesus, we have a responsibility and calling to represent Christ well to those around us. We are to warn them of the consequences of their sins and God’s judgment to come. We are to share the good news of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and urge them to forsake their sins and follow the Lord. But this holy calling to be a watchman and to make disciples must begin in our homes. Perhaps this is where we as men have failed the greatest. For unless we are guarding our families from evil and leading them closer to the Lord through our words and examples, then we have no business telling strangers how Jesus Christ can change their lives.
Q: Is “standing in the gap” simply a passive, spiritual command?
A: Absolutely not! About the same time that Ezekiel prophesied, Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the city wall. But because of opposition from their enemies, Nehemiah put all the men on alert. In fact, we read, “Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens carried with one hand doing the work, and the other keeping hold of a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword strapped to his waist as he built, while [a]the trumpeter stood near me.” (Nehemiah 4:17-18) In this context, the watchman’s duty was one of vigilance, looking to defend the city, but it was by no means passive. These men were not only standing in the gap, but they were closing the gaps in the wall to prevent future enemy attacks. They held their weapons in one hand and their tools in the other. This serves as a great image for us as well.
Q: Where did manhood first take a wrong turn?
A: It really started in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. During the dialog with Satan, where was Adam? He was standing right there and watching. He didn’t defend, he didn’t lead, he didn’t protect, he didn’t communicate truth with his mate. No, he stood and watched. And with no input from her man, Eve became deceived and ate the forbidden fruit. God called out to Adam: “Where are you?” Adam recognized their disobedience, but instead of admitting his failure, he first blamed his wife and then God for his failure! He had failed a second time to protect his wife from harm. He lacked the courage and foresight to stand against Satan, or to humble himself before God and admit his own wrongdoing. There are too many men standing and watching as Satan perverts our families with mixed messages and confusion about gender, roles, duty, and a host of other devious issues. Many fathers have abandoned their families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 41% of children in America live absent their biological father. Post-abortive women report that 51% of abortions were “forced” on them by a man. Men sexually exploit women in the most degrading ways through pornography. One in three young girls and one in five young boys are sexually abused before they reach 17, usually by a man. In her lifetime, one in six women in America are victims of rape or attempted rape by a man. It is time for men to reverse course and take their God-given place in society again.
A: In Ezekiel 3:17, the Lord said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.” Ezekiel was to warn the people of Israel about their sin and its consequences. The Lord’s desire was for them to repent, turn to Him, and put their faith in Him. In a similar way, the Lord has called us men as watchmen. He has tasked us with making disciples of all nations. As men who know and follow Jesus, we have a responsibility and calling to represent Christ well to those around us. We are to warn them of the consequences of their sins and God’s judgment to come. We are to share the good news of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ and urge them to forsake their sins and follow the Lord. But this holy calling to be a watchman and to make disciples must begin in our homes. Perhaps this is where we as men have failed the greatest. For unless we are guarding our families from evil and leading them closer to the Lord through our words and examples, then we have no business telling strangers how Jesus Christ can change their lives.
Q: Is “standing in the gap” simply a passive, spiritual command?
A: Absolutely not! About the same time that Ezekiel prophesied, Nehemiah had returned to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the city wall. But because of opposition from their enemies, Nehemiah put all the men on alert. In fact, we read, “Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens carried with one hand doing the work, and the other keeping hold of a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword strapped to his waist as he built, while [a]the trumpeter stood near me.” (Nehemiah 4:17-18) In this context, the watchman’s duty was one of vigilance, looking to defend the city, but it was by no means passive. These men were not only standing in the gap, but they were closing the gaps in the wall to prevent future enemy attacks. They held their weapons in one hand and their tools in the other. This serves as a great image for us as well.
Q: Where did manhood first take a wrong turn?
A: It really started in the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. During the dialog with Satan, where was Adam? He was standing right there and watching. He didn’t defend, he didn’t lead, he didn’t protect, he didn’t communicate truth with his mate. No, he stood and watched. And with no input from her man, Eve became deceived and ate the forbidden fruit. God called out to Adam: “Where are you?” Adam recognized their disobedience, but instead of admitting his failure, he first blamed his wife and then God for his failure! He had failed a second time to protect his wife from harm. He lacked the courage and foresight to stand against Satan, or to humble himself before God and admit his own wrongdoing. There are too many men standing and watching as Satan perverts our families with mixed messages and confusion about gender, roles, duty, and a host of other devious issues. Many fathers have abandoned their families. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 41% of children in America live absent their biological father. Post-abortive women report that 51% of abortions were “forced” on them by a man. Men sexually exploit women in the most degrading ways through pornography. One in three young girls and one in five young boys are sexually abused before they reach 17, usually by a man. In her lifetime, one in six women in America are victims of rape or attempted rape by a man. It is time for men to reverse course and take their God-given place in society again.
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Q: I guess you’re not a fan of feminism?
A: If you believe I’m a disenchanted male chauvinist, you are wrong! I was at the forefront of supporting women within the institutions I was associated with in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I encouraged women to become involved in leadership roles within these organizations. I firmly believe in the equality of opportunity and pay for women. I have no problem with godly men or women in politics and leading major corporations. And I even married the woman who beat me in a high school election for president of the student body. But the fact remains, 21st Century manhood needs to root itself back into the biblical values that create a stable culture. God is calling us to love our wives sacrificially and to honor, respect, and protect women in general. God is calling us to father and mentor our children by living under the same roof, to treat them gently, leading them and modeling for them what it means to follow Jesus.
Q: You also wrote a book called “Act Like Men.” Do modern men even know what that means?
A: “Act like men” was an expression Paul used in his writings. He was not trying to be chauvinistic, but to simply express that God designed men to be the protectors and providers for their families. While there are many very capable and strong women, Paul suggests a contrast to being childish or immature in one’s mindset. The Greek language implies that both maturity and courage are important to spiritual responsibility and manhood. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians. 16:13-14 ESV)
Q: Our society seems unable to even define what a woman is or what a man these days. So how do we know?
A: Part of the confusion over gender these days stems from the unhealthy and egotistical focus on individualism. God designed man and woman to complement one another—not to compete with one another. “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” (Genesis 2:18) And, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) For the genders to function properly as God designed us, each gender must fulfill his/her roles and responsibilities. I believe that we can summarize all these distinctive male characteristics and roles with two primary responsibilities: protector and provider. We see these two male responsibilities in Scripture, and whether we acknowledge it or not, they are innate. As men, we know deep down that we are to protect and provide for those whom God has placed in our care.
Q: Men’s Ministry Catalyst has been working with churches to develop men’s ministries for over 40 years. What is your methodology?
A: We conduct Men’s Leadership Workshops to provide pastors and lay-leaders as well as work directly with churches. We utilize a six-step development process to guide churches through the stages of how to launch or re-launch and grow ministries to men. This process is proven to eliminate many of the failure points churches tend to make when developing their ministry to men. We work with and support churches of any size. We have found that most large churches want to be self-sufficient when it comes to ministry to men, however we also know that 80% of Christian churches in the U.S. have 250 or fewer members. This size church often partners with other organizations to assist them and help guide their efforts as they move forward. We offer several free resources to help ministries grow and men to grow in their faith, focusing on unique discipleship models and presentations that resonate with men. The biblically based materials address contemporary problems impacting men, such as stress, depression, suicide, pornography, loneliness, feelings of insignificance, and family issues.
A: If you believe I’m a disenchanted male chauvinist, you are wrong! I was at the forefront of supporting women within the institutions I was associated with in the 1970’s and 1980’s. I encouraged women to become involved in leadership roles within these organizations. I firmly believe in the equality of opportunity and pay for women. I have no problem with godly men or women in politics and leading major corporations. And I even married the woman who beat me in a high school election for president of the student body. But the fact remains, 21st Century manhood needs to root itself back into the biblical values that create a stable culture. God is calling us to love our wives sacrificially and to honor, respect, and protect women in general. God is calling us to father and mentor our children by living under the same roof, to treat them gently, leading them and modeling for them what it means to follow Jesus.
Q: You also wrote a book called “Act Like Men.” Do modern men even know what that means?
A: “Act like men” was an expression Paul used in his writings. He was not trying to be chauvinistic, but to simply express that God designed men to be the protectors and providers for their families. While there are many very capable and strong women, Paul suggests a contrast to being childish or immature in one’s mindset. The Greek language implies that both maturity and courage are important to spiritual responsibility and manhood. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” (1 Corinthians. 16:13-14 ESV)
Q: Our society seems unable to even define what a woman is or what a man these days. So how do we know?
A: Part of the confusion over gender these days stems from the unhealthy and egotistical focus on individualism. God designed man and woman to complement one another—not to compete with one another. “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” (Genesis 2:18) And, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) For the genders to function properly as God designed us, each gender must fulfill his/her roles and responsibilities. I believe that we can summarize all these distinctive male characteristics and roles with two primary responsibilities: protector and provider. We see these two male responsibilities in Scripture, and whether we acknowledge it or not, they are innate. As men, we know deep down that we are to protect and provide for those whom God has placed in our care.
Q: Men’s Ministry Catalyst has been working with churches to develop men’s ministries for over 40 years. What is your methodology?
A: We conduct Men’s Leadership Workshops to provide pastors and lay-leaders as well as work directly with churches. We utilize a six-step development process to guide churches through the stages of how to launch or re-launch and grow ministries to men. This process is proven to eliminate many of the failure points churches tend to make when developing their ministry to men. We work with and support churches of any size. We have found that most large churches want to be self-sufficient when it comes to ministry to men, however we also know that 80% of Christian churches in the U.S. have 250 or fewer members. This size church often partners with other organizations to assist them and help guide their efforts as they move forward. We offer several free resources to help ministries grow and men to grow in their faith, focusing on unique discipleship models and presentations that resonate with men. The biblically based materials address contemporary problems impacting men, such as stress, depression, suicide, pornography, loneliness, feelings of insignificance, and family issues.
About Dr. Jim Grassi:
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Dr. James (Jim) Grassi is the Founder and President of Men’s Ministry Catalyst and Let’s Go Fishing Productions Foundation. As an award-winning author, former business leader, public administrator, college professor, and outdoor sport personality, he has been on the frontlines of ministry to men since 1981. He was given the Ministry of the Year award by the National Coalition of Ministries to Men and garnered the Faith and Freedom award from the Religious Heritage of America Foundation. Two of his 21 books received the Silver Angel Award and one of his books received the coveted Hallmark branding. Dr. Grassi has served in the capacity of chaplain for two NFL teams (Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49er’s) as well as the Post Falls Idaho Police Department and Kootentai County Fire and Rescue. He was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, is a member of the Safari Club, and is a Record Book Big Game Archer. Dr. Grassi was born and reared in the San Francisco Bay Area and received his B.S. in Recreation/Park Administration, an M.P.A. from California State University-Hayward, and a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Evangelical Seminary. He and his wife, Louise, make their home in Post Falls, Idaho. They have two grown sons in full-time ministry, Dan and Tom. For more information visit https://mensministrycatalyst.org.
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