(Disclaimer- This article is a bit ridiculous, but it was a lot of fun to write. I hope you make it to the surprise ending!)
Michael Jackson is the King of Pop.
This is indisputable.
He is one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century and his Thriller album is the #1 best-selling album of all time. I was in 1st grade when it officially dropped on November of 1982. Six months earlier, I was sitting in front of the television, watching another MJ hit the game-winning shot for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
I’ll let you debate which MJ you think was the greatest.
Not coincidentally, the most popular name for boys in the 1980s was Michael.
These two MJs influenced me greatly. I’ve written extensively on Michael Jordan, but Michael Jackson was no less influential, especially now.
Believe it or not, he was the first to dream up the idea of a Pioneer Training Center and now Groundswell has picked up the mantle.
Let me explain.
The first time I watched the King of Pop perform at the Grammy’s, he revealed his signature move, the moonwalk, and it left me completely dumbfounded.
Was it real? Was it a trick camera? A moving walkway? What just happened?
His style was unlike any other and as a little kid, I tried my best to copy his every move. (By the way, if you want to see the evolution of the moonwalk, this is a great video.)
When I was in 4th grade, a friend of mine bought a version of Michael’s iconic red jacket complete with multiple zippers, and I remember stealing it from his hall locker so I could wear it home and take my picture in the mirror.
I wore out my Walkman listening to Thriller.
Which brings me to the heart of this post.
An Enigmatic Figure
MJ was always an enigmatic figure.
He was mysterious and difficult to understand but also a musical genius. His lyrics had layered meanings, and hidden in his Thriller album was a code. The title track was my favorite song on the album, but three of my top four songs were on Side B.
“Beat it”
“Billie Jean”
“PYT”
PYT was a cipher for something he dreamed would one day become a reality. A new word was formed when combined with the acrostic TLC repeated in the chorus.
Ridiculous? I’m not so sure. So much of his life was a mystery.
He claimed to have slept in an oxygen chamber to defy aging. He had a pet chimpanzee named “Bubbles.” He bleached his skin. He changed his hair over and over and over again. He founded “The Neverland Ranch”.
Was Michael such a creative genius that he also embedded the answer to his deepest desire in this often-overlooked song?
When the letters PYT and TLC are combined, they form a new acrostic…PTC.
But what could this new acrostic mean?
Parent Teacher Conferences? Was Michael reliving his childhood, trying to overcome the pain of an abusive father?
Pain Treatment Center? Was PTC a prophecy pointing to his infamous 1984 Pepsi commercial and eventual addiction to painkillers?
Protect the Children? We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start living.
Pressure and Temperature Control? Did this refer to the hyperbolic oxygen chamber he used to defy aging?
Please Take Care?
Production Tax Credit?
Porcelain Tile Cutter?
Parents Television Council?
No, it turns out that PTC stands for something else. It is a vision for the future. The letters PTC stand for Pioneer Training Center, an initiative to help hundreds of thousands of pioneer leaders fulfill their God-given calling.
Written in 1982, it would take nearly forty years for Mobilize the Church to pick up his dream and make it a reality.
The King of Pop would be proud.
Pioneer Training Center
What in the world am I talking about?
The only thing definitively true in this article is that the Pioneer Training Center is up and running. The rest is shrouded in mystery. Maybe the acrostic was embedded in my mind as an impressionable Elementary student and only now has come to the surface.
Either way, Mobilize has trained nearly one hundred pioneers over the past 18 months, and beginning in 2024, we are scaling this opportunity for churches, districts, and networks across the country.
It’s time to mobilize more pioneer leaders- “Everyday missionaries called to engage and reach a specific group of people.”
There are hundreds of thousands of them sitting in churches across the country. They don’t necessarily want to be licensed or ordained. They aren’t looking for higher education opportunities.
They simply want to reach a specific group of people with the gospel. Athletes, artists, teachers, neighbors, Muslims, nerds, business leaders, barbers, baristas, and many more groups of people all need Jesus!
It starts with Pioneer Basic Training, a 13-session foundational training for pioneers that includes three personal coaching sessions and virtual workshops.
Want to learn more about the Pioneer Training Center? CLICK HERE with your questions. Want to apply for Pioneer Basic Training? CLICK HERE to learn more and receive an application.