Examples of this abound. Those who add volumes of Puritan works to their libraries but who never visit the sick or imprisoned (like many of those books would tell them to do). Those busy building their web presence with Calvin quotes but who do not have a presence in their local community. Those who talk... Continue Reading

As Christians, we view all people as possessing inherent dignity and worth. From the womb to the grave, they matter. From the streets of Manilla to the Mansions on Park Avenue, they possess worth. But even more than that. In the body of Christ, we bring together Greek and Jew, barbarian and Scythian, poor and... Continue Reading

Indulgence preachers promised that financial gifts to their ministries would save people from suffering in death. In the same way, prosperity preachers promise that financial gifts to their ministries will save people from suffering in life. Neither are true. God is not cheap; we cannot buy his favour. We cannot afford it. We are redeemed... Continue Reading

“Today, one out of five people who attends Hope is black. Of the 106 staff, 18 are nonwhite—including the senior pastor. The congregation sings hymns, contemporary Christian, and black gospel. Members work in predominantly black, underresourced neighborhoods in north Memphis together through Hope’s community development corporation.”   Craig Strickland planted Hope Church—the largest white Presbyterian congregation... Continue Reading

Some leaders try to stay in competition with those who ought to be seen as partners or complements to Christ’s mission in their communities. They are always pointing out the flaws of other churches, the deficiencies of their leaders, touting their own successes against the others’ failures as a sign of how “we’re doing it... Continue Reading

“We understand that both Washington and Lee lived in times much different than our own, and that each man, in addition to his public persona, was a complicated human being, and like all of us, a child of God,” reads a letter issued by the church board.   The historic Episcopalian Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia,... Continue Reading

Leading the way not just in word, but in song, was Martin Luther. He wrote nearly forty hymns, many of which he composed not only the words but even the music. His most famous, of course, “A Mighty Fortress,” often is called “The Battle Hymn of the Reformation.”   The Reformers didn’t just protest; they... Continue Reading

But a half-millenium ago, the Reformation demonstrated the astonishing transformative power of regular, clear, faithful biblical exposition. It stands as historical evidence that there is nothing inevitable about church decline. The spiritual darkness of our day can be checked and turned back. Five hundred years ago, it was—and by the same Word that has lost... Continue Reading

One of the characteristics of Presbyterianism as such is to understand the biblical terms presbuteros (elder) and episkopos (overseer) as referring to one and the same church office from two different vantage points rather than seeing these as two distinct offices. The rise of monarchical bishops or monepiscopacy in the second century is fascinating in its own right.   The Westminster... Continue Reading

As a “black Christian collective,” The Witness has returned to its original mission to serve black people. The move from “African American” to “black” acknowledges this endeavor is in international scope. The Witness is for the entire African diaspora. We are also a collective in the sense that a variety of black Christians from different... Continue Reading