The ministry has to help the congregation understand difficult and hard things in Scripture. But without learning this will not be possible. Unless ministers themselves have studied these “difficult” and “hard” things they will not be able to help their congregation understand the scriptures and so grow in grace.   In our first and second... Continue Reading

“At the heart of the biblical answer is the fact that baptism is primarily God’s sign and seal of his covenant of grace rather than an action we perform when we believe.   If a person is baptized in the name of the Triune God, according to the command of Christ, it’s an objective sign that... Continue Reading

“When child abuse happens in a church, it has a significant impact on everyone involved and can tarnish the reputation of a church body. Imagine the impact a reported case could have on your church; the loss of trust among members, the damaged reputation in the community and the impact on the victim.”   Stories... Continue Reading

Benedictions have become one of my favorite pastoral privileges. I can’t imagine ending a worship service with, “See you next week,” or “You’re dismissed,” when I can offer a congregation God’s blessing instead.   I like to ask people new to our congregation about their first impressions of Village Church. Mary’s answer surprised me. “I’ve... Continue Reading

“Founded in 1812, Princeton Theological Seminary is affiliated with Presbyterian Church (USA), a Mainline Protestant denomination that has gained headlines and suffered membership losses for its increasing acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage.”   Princeton Theological Seminary hosted a controversial conference last week to explore so called “gender fluidity” and how people are “forging new... Continue Reading

“Our Book of Church Order is the fruit of the wisdom of generations of Presbyterian reflection and experience. The PCA’s BCO traces its ancestry to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (1789), which is indebted to earlier Scottish Presbyterian reflection on the church’s government.”   To most people, saying that... Continue Reading

The true divide that separated the POJ representatives and the Crestwood session was therefore not single issues such revised ordination standards, redefining marriage, or the role and authority of scripture.  These were merely symptoms of the deeper divide between the constrained and unconstrained visions, which goes right to the heart of our understanding of Creation... Continue Reading

Given this manipulation of the Anglican system by special interest groups “some of us have been forced to the conclusion that the best way to make our voices heard is by absence rather than presence. We have no wish to interfere in the juridical authority of other provinces, but we do have a responsibility to... Continue Reading

The source said that the church could not get assurances from the presbytery that: If the church went through the presbytery’s discernment process, it would not be challenged by others in the presbytery. If the church went through the process, the church’s property would not be at risk. While the court case is being heard,... Continue Reading

Kirill added that the West has gone through “radical changes” in the past few years, with the acceptance of gay marriage and the growing rejection of religion in society. But he praised American Evangelicals for standing up for conservative principles. “This gives us a sign of hope: there are people among Western Christians akin to... Continue Reading