Councils may and do err because human leaders “stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). Even the apostles made poor decisions (e.g. Mark 10:13–16; Luke 9:49, 50). The conclusions of assemblies “are to be received with reverence and submission” only “if consonant to the Word of God.” There is some tension here. Not every side will... Continue Reading

Parents may attempt to strategize about solutions and action plans based on their limited personal wisdom. If you feel you’re not ready for a small group of other parents, at least consider speaking to a trustworthy church leader who can pray for and with you and offer an outside voice of wisdom. If this is... Continue Reading

The account provided on the Church of England’s website indicates that the discussion was infused with the usual pious jargon. The archbishop of Canterbury captures the sentiment nicely: “I cannot imagine the Church of England without any particular group within it, and without her reaching effectively to anyone outside it through inclusion and justice, lived in... Continue Reading

Word has just emerged that the Nazarene denomination has taken a bold stand against free sex. A Church of the Nazarene court has found Thomas Jay Oord guilty of affirming and advocating for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ members, contrary to the church’s teachings. The church stated in part, “The Church of the Nazarene holds that... Continue Reading

Christ has “ordained..his system of doctrine, government, discipline and worship.” All of these good things (and how to use them) are “either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary inference may be deduced therefrom.” From the means the men learn the method; from the oracles the officers learn the ordinances. The method... Continue Reading

Whatever the motives, the strife of the Mizpah Mood is not a biblical approach to dealing with divisions within the evangelical church. We will now examine scriptural guidance for how believers in the church should deal with those who are also on the Lord’s side (Psalm 124) yet might still be doing harm to the... Continue Reading

She begins her book with the Anderson family. Moving from California back to Georgia and to their seeker sensitive megachurch in “the Bible Belt,” they thought they had left behind churches in which Leftist politics were pushed. They found the hard way that was not so, particularly after James Anderson was asked to join a... Continue Reading

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I get asked all the time, by pastors, denominational leaders and interested observers, about ways to grow a church. I guess people assume that since I spend my days digging through religion data, that I should have been able to uncover the... Continue Reading

Does having a higher degree guarantee, in and of itself, that a person will perform better in ministry than one with a basic required degree? Does a pastor with a Ph.D. give more of himself or is more productive in ministry than one with a M.Div.? Does he have greater influence on the spiritual outcomes... Continue Reading

We don’t come to church to hear a commentary on the latest political issues in America. If we want that, we can turn on CNN or Fox News. We come to church to hear a word from God. We don’t want your opinions. We want to hear a prophetic ministry that prefaces the sermon with... Continue Reading