Evangelicals and Catholics Together at 30
Jesus himself prayed for the unity of his disciples (John 17). After thirty years, ECT continues to bear witness to the truth of the gospel and works unflaggingly to fulfill Christ’s will.
From the beginning, Neuhaus and Colson hoped that, by establishing a serious theological dialogue between the two largest Christian groups in North America, ECT would advance unity and fraternity among fellow believers. Both men were concerned that religion in general, and Christianity in particular, was being increasingly relegated to the margins of public life in... Continue Reading
The PCA Eras Tour…Where Are We Now?
Conditions are favorable for the growth of grassroots presbyterianism in the PCA. And, as always, there’s a chance of storms.
The 2018 Revoice conference shook the PCA. It was hosted by a PCA church, whose ministries seemed to show just how far a contextual-missional emphasis could go. It did not help that the host church’s pastor became a sort of “mascot in an ascot” for the movement after publishing a controversial book on the subject. Though the... Continue Reading
Learning Not to Know
Making Friends with Our Questions
Our ignorance matters, especially in the questions where we haven’t freed ourselves to question. Our knowledge of God is limited, and acknowledging this is required in order to push further into God and the faith. This can sound like valorising doubt, as though it’s ‘stunning and brave’ to doubt key truths of Christianity. It isn’t, and... Continue Reading
51st General Assembly Reflections
As we conclude the 51st General Assembly, we know there is still yet work to do.
I pray that the PCA would continue to grow, and be fruitful in her ministry. I want to see the PCA live into the fullest expression of historic, reformed presbyterianism. After the past several General Assemblies, my spirit is encouraged. I am thankful and hopeful for the PCA. While one overture I had supported failed(Overture... Continue Reading
Southern Baptists Take a Stand
The SBC removes an historic church and passes an historic statement on IVF.
The historic First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Va., was removed from the “friendly cooperation” status after the congregation had expressed its support for women serving as pastors. The SBC’s confession of faith states that “the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,” and messengers showed their unity on this question. The... Continue Reading
What Does the Failure of the Law Amendment Mean?
We still have the same problem that we had before our meeting in Indianapolis.
The Law Amendment was our chance to put an end to this debate and to give clarity about which direction the SBC is going. The failure of the Law Amendment means that we are likely to see more credentials challenges brought directly to the floor at future meetings. In other words, the failure of Law... Continue Reading
Assembly Demographics Matter in the PCA
The RE/TE balance is improving…or returning to “normal.”
The founders of the PCA viewed ruling elders as a reliable, commonsense bulwark against doctrinal and denominational decline. The founders were not insensible to the fact that teaching elder professors and influential large-church pastors had presided over the liberalization of the old Southern mainline church from whence the PCA came. The late increase in ruling... Continue Reading
You Need a Qualified Pastor—Not Just a Charismatic One
We might have character, capability, confidence, and conviction. But if we lack compassion we are little more than clanging cymbals.
I can’t help but wonder if we are so drawn to charismatic preachers because of their obvious confidence. Perhaps what we call “charisma” is actually just confidence. I remember the first dozen or so times I watched John Piper preach. He certainly helped me see things in Scripture that I hadn’t seen before. But in hindsight,... Continue Reading
A Simple Three-Pronged Approach to Youth Curriculum
Theology, apologetics and behavior. These were the three areas I repeatedly addressed as a youth pastor.
Ideas have consequences. In the end, what we believe ought to be apparent in the way we live and behave. I’ll be honest with you; most parents couldn’t care less what you teach their kids as long as you address the behavior issues. But if you make behavior your focus, you’ll likely fail in an... Continue Reading
Is It the End of the Line for Mainlines?
Choosing culture over Christ, Mainline Protestantism is in its last days.
A few days ago, over a million West African Methodists voted to leave the denomination. Jerry Kulah, a delegate from Liberia, spoke for many Methodists on the continent when he called the UMC’s decision to redefine sexuality “a serious drift away from the truth.” He added: “The church is now buying into culture. The Bible has not changed, but... Continue Reading
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