“We very much hope that they, like everyone else, feel encouraged to serve on PCCs, or as churchwardens and worship leaders, for instance, and are supported in exploring vocations to licensed lay and ordained ministries,” the guidance says. “Nobody should be told that their sexual or gender identity in itself makes them an unsuitable candidate... Continue Reading

Home church models seem to take what was birthed out of necessity in the New Testament and present it as normative. Paul was persistently persecuted. At various points in his ministry, he was pressed out of multiple cities shortly after winning converts in those cities (Acts 17: 1–10). In other words, his short tenures in... Continue Reading

The First Step Act overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week with not only bipartisan support from lawmakers, but also the support of a number of prominent evangelical Christians and institutions. And while the bill’s fate in the Senate is uncertain, the support it’s gotten from both sides of the aisle is already being counted... Continue Reading

Ridicule, or to use Friedrich Nietzsche’s term, ressentiment, played a crucial role in the demise of the Watch and Ward Society. In his landmark study, To Change the World (2010), sociologist James Davison Hunter argues that ressentiment is the defining characteristic of American political life today. Ressentiment is grounded in a narrative of injury, or perceived injury, in which people have been... Continue Reading

Schools across the United States have gradually transitioned from college to university as a way to indicate graduate offerings and compete for clout in the packed higher education landscape—particularly with the influx of international students. Calvin is the latest in a string of evangelical colleges to make the move.   Almost 900 students graduated this past weekend from Calvin... Continue Reading

The first place to look is in the name of the church since most churches have names that reflect their ethos. Words like “victory,” “abundant,” or “conquerors” provide what may be key information. Beyond the name, look at the language used either in the church’s material or in its services. In different ways these churches... Continue Reading

There are positions we have on issues that we should hold lightly, without letting them become points of contention. Pastors and congregations grow and mature over time. “Complete patience and teaching” are a part of the pastoral charge (2 Timothy 4:2).   I have pastored two churches. I have also been a candidate for two pastoral vacancies... Continue Reading

A wedding was taking place. Love was being celebrated. But the sub-text was the struggle for the soul of a Church and how people would hear about God. And if they did hear about Him, what kind of God they would hear about.   Michael Curry is a superb preacher and a delightful man. And... Continue Reading

The Reformed response to Dispsensationalism has been to remind us all that Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1:36; Rev 5:6; 7:17; 14:10; 15:3; 19:9; 22:1–3). He is the temple (John 2:19). He is our only high priest (Heb 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:11–17). His sacrifice on the... Continue Reading

The preacher who finds an illustration and uses it repeatedly must surely find it to be the best wrapping for truth. The theologian who popularizes a pithy saying does so in order to package the essence of some biblical doctrine. The novelist who reintroduces a theme throughout his or her writing is convinced that it... Continue Reading