The (Still) Important Issue of Pornography

In the last 10-15 years it seems as though pornography went from being an ultra-taboo topic in the church (no one talked about it), to being a regular taboo topic (some people have started talking about it). The reality is, the business and consumption of pornography is still a massive issue in the world – including men and women in the Church. Joining us this week to help re-inform us on the staggering stats of porn use as well as the affects it has on the brain is Chris McKenna – the Educational Resource Manager for Covenant Eyes and the creator of Protect Young Eyes.

 

Who’s Our Guest?

Chris McKenna is the Educational Resource Manger at Covenant Eyes. He has a BA in Accountancy and Spanish from Western Michigan University. After 12 years in business advising with Ernst & Young, God led Chris to a full-time student ministry role. He started protectyoungeyes.com in 2015 as a ministry to equip and educate parents and teens on the latest gadgets, apps, and how to use the Internet well, which led him to Covenant Eyes.

Episode Links

Chris is the Educational Resource Manager for Covenant Eyes, a Christian-based organization that provides Internet accountability and filtering.

Chris is also the creator of Protect Young Eyes. This organization trains parents and students on smart/safe tech use.

Read It

*Below is an edited transcription of the audio conversation.

With me today is Chris McKenna. Chris is the Educational Resource Manager for Covenant Eyes. He’s also the creator of Protect Young Eyes. It’s great to be with you today Chris.

Isaac, it’s my pleasure. Looking forward to it.

Why don’t you first tell us a little bit about who you are, where you’re from. Also, how you met Christ. That’d be awesome.

Sure. So, I’m in Grand Rapids, Michigan – if your audience is familiar with where that’s at. I’ve been in Michigan my entire life. I grew up in a very religious home, but it wasn’t until I went to college, at a university there in Michigan, through a very powerful experience that the Lord truly grabbed my heart. And in a moment that I can only partially describe, because there aren’t words for it, I heard the words “You are mine,” and from that point forward, albeit very imperfectly, felt very much that I had be claimed.

In fact, you would see on my right wrist the tattoo of 1 Corinthians 6:20, that I am bought for a price. That I was paid for with His life. So I’m wanting to be reminded of that often, of His awesome sacrifice. So that was back in my early twenties.

Now, twenty years later, still feel that I have much to discover, and there’s just a constant desire for more. It’s as quickly as I can summarize 43 years.

The two roles that I have today, at both Covenant Eyes and Protect Young Eyes, when I look at my professional career, are two that I have not been doing for too long, because they are neither of them being things that I ever expected to be spending time on as a double major in accountancy and Spanish. Which are, of course not related to either of the roles that I have today. But, that is a whole separate conversation, that, maybe we’ll organically uncover as we continue to talk here.

You mentioned Covenant Eyes and Protect Young Eyes. So, I mean, I’m pretty sure people would be, if they were familiar with one of the two, they’d be familiar with Covenant eyes – it’s been around for quite a while.