Tony Rorie: You Are Born A Champion

In this episode, I talk with Tony Rorie, founder and President of the Men and Ladies of Honor. 
Tony talks about the program and how he saw a need in the public school system to help mentor and train young people to understand that they are CHAMPIONS.

Tony is married to his wife Melissa and they have 4 children and one grandson. They live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Tony was involved with youth ministry at the church they were attending over 30 years ago when the youth leader transitioned to the family life pastor and the senior pastor asked him to take over. 

During that time, Tony was a public school principle for a Title One (at risk) in the Dallas area, when he began to see the need to help troubled young men in his school because many didn't have dads in the home. He began being a surrogate dad to many of the students. Then he took 4 of the worst boys in the school and began to start teaching them the basics of manhood, etiquette and chivalry.

From those four young men the group then grew to around 50 boys and at the end of the school year, the county school leaders asked him what he was  doing to see such a dramatic change in these boys grades, attendance and behavior.  He shared the program, since most school boards know that the more kids that attend brings more money to the county, and they began to implement his program in several pilot schools, which ended up having better results that what he had done.

The Men and Ladies of Honor goal is to teach young people to honor God, honor themselves, honor parents and then when honor comes it changes everything. Tony tells that the definition of ministry is seeing a need and meeting it.  The kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. This comes through with affirmation.

Dr. Cole said "When you accept another man's philosophy, you also accept his consequences." And that is what many young people settle for in today's society. 
Jack King told Tony "that the #1 job of a father is to affirm our children to greatness."

 As the young men and women go through the program, they learn and implement to honor themselves and show respect. 
Most young men are looking for affirmation through a parent(mainly their father), a teacher or coach and if you don't get it they will go somewhere that they can find it, which usually is in the gangs. They also want to be recognized for doing the right thing. 

From that original pilot program in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area the program has been used in school districts in East Texas area, Oklahoma, Michigan, South Africa, Swaziland, Honduras and Belize. 

With the program, it starts with them going through three magazines that help them learn to read the Bible, memorize verses and develop a daily reading and prayer time. Once they finish that segment, the young men earn a dagger as a symbol of honor and then advance to the next level, which is to complete six books from the Dr. Edwin Cole Majoring in Men's Curriculum and then earn a full sword for the boys and a shield for the young ladies.

At the beginning of the program, they take they young men and women, separately, to a weekend camp. On Friday night they talk about salvation and pray with those that haven't received Christ, since many that come have never been raised in a Christian environment.  Saturday during the day they teach about leadership and have time for games and adventure; and then that evening they talk about the Father's Bless and pray with those that have never received the affirmation of a father. Finally on Sunday, they talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and pray with those that want to receive it. 

Through all this, they teach these young men and women to not be a sponge and absorb their environment, but be a catalyst and change it.

Resources:
https://www.honorchangeseverything.com/