Some assert that almost all the founders were evangelical Christians, while others insist that virtually all of them were deists. Some contend that the founders wanted to establish a distinctively Christian nation, and others counter that they strove to create a secular republic. Opponents especially debate the founders’ views on church-state separation. A recent article... Continue Reading

Editor’s Note: As one who sat in the balcony of Ryman Auditorium many Saturday nights in the early 60’s ($1.00 admission; perfect for a cash-poor Vandy scholarship student) I started this article because of my love for country music. I ended learning a valuable lesson in ecclesiology. Stick with it to the end! How long... Continue Reading

Why pro-life Protestants don’t say much about the Annunciation—or the unborn Jesus. In three days, Christians worldwide—Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox—will celebrate Palm Sunday. Because of differences in the calendars used by eastern and western churches, such a joint celebration is rare (and will be increasingly so). But most evangelical Protestants are today sitting out as... Continue Reading

Who is Brian McLaren, and what has he done to make these people so angry? March 29 marks the beginning of the holiest week for Christians — when believers reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. This year, there’s something of a dust-up among evangelicals over core beliefs about who Jesus was and whether... Continue Reading

WormTape on Facebook #1 The following conversation took place on a lovely spring day outside of the offices of a certain church board. These comments were later posted on various Facebook pages. Hard to believe? Just wait. Lisa: “Wow! I’ve been here 18 years and never seen the security like this. ‘Code Red’ is now... Continue Reading

Given that Israel is America’s closest and only reliable ally in the Middle East, an administration seemingly speaking from distinctly different directions on this particular incident raises a number of troubling questions. On Thursday, March 11, during Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel to herald the re-initiation of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Israel’s Interior Ministry announced... Continue Reading

“Care Net also anticipates that if abortions increase because they’re free and federally-subsidized in healthcare plans, there will be a huge increase in the demand for post-abortion recovery programs.” Care Net, a network of 1,190 pregnancy centers in North America, issued the following statement by Care Net President Melinda Delahoyde in response to the final... Continue Reading

“Intimidated, unsure, defensive, distracted, fearful of what opponents are up to next … these symptoms are all too descriptive of pastors, elders, and even entire congregations that have been repeatedly blindsided by conflict.” The recent hit movie, The Blind Side, provides a surprisingly vivid illustration of how a well-trained shepherd can serve as a “left... Continue Reading

“Servant,” and not “pastor” is the most important and prominent, biblical term for any Christian believer in church leadership! Surprising? It was to me. Like most church people I had accepted the common belief that a lead elder in the local church is properly called “pastor” because the idea of pastor (or shepherd) is the... Continue Reading

Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son in the Muslim world, and fulfill through him the prayer of Abraham thy friend, “O, that Ishmael might live before thee.” The great historian of Christian mission, Kenneth Scott Latourette, once said that no man deserved the title “The Apostle to Islam” more than Samuel Zwemer. (from... Continue Reading