What surprised me the most was that churches entered bankruptcy saying they owned a building that was worth significantly more than they owed on it: an “equity cushion.” Most businesses that enter Chapter 11 are hopelessly insolvent; they have debts three times what they own. Churches look a lot different. I was surprised to find... Continue Reading

“I said for years that when we look at the interpretation of Scripture, there’s not one single group that can claim to have the corner on the market on the correct interpretation,” he said. “But I always said I had to draw a line in the sand when it came to the lordship of Christ.... Continue Reading

Westminster Presbytery has endured a considerable amount of criticism because of our stance.  Certainly, in regard to Creationism or Cessationism, we do not represent mainline Presbyterianism in the PCA or other Reformed denominations (such as the OPC).  We have been labeled as Old School, Strict Subscriptionists, and even as Mountain TRs.  We have been called... Continue Reading

At its stated meeting on November 12, 2013, Evangel Presbytery voted unanimously to deny TE Peter Leithart’s request to labor out of bounds with Trinity House and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. Trinity Presbyterian Church is a member church within the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). Evangel Presbytery is a member of the... Continue Reading

Take a roller-coaster ride through basic church life: buildings, budgets, crises, staff conflict, growing pains, disgruntled members, besetting sins and providing care, sermons, meetings…meetings…..meetings….and more meetings….fatigue, excitement about lives changed, another sermon to preach….more meetings…personal struggles, various ministries and programs to staff and events to plan, desperate need of volunteers, difficult people! Life in a... Continue Reading

These servants of the Word see the multi-ethnic promise of God to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  They see the implications of Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are... Continue Reading

While it was a foregone conclusion that the Conscience Clauses (which permitted complementarians to serve in the RCA without fear of persecution of any kind) would be removed from the BCO it still merits a mention.  We now enter a time when complementarians are fully dependent upon the grace of the seminaries and the MFCA... Continue Reading

We’re not leaving the Presbyterian Church. We’re moving from one part of the Presbyterian family to another part,” he said. “We’re being faithful to God’s call.”   More than three years have passed since First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood started its journey to a new denominational home. At long last, the trek out of the... Continue Reading

1. Has worship attendance declined in at least seven of the past ten years? 2. Has budget giving declined in at least seven of the past ten years? 3. Does my church look more like the community or less like the community than ten years ago? 4. Are church conflicts significantly more frequent today than... Continue Reading

The Christian Church Disciples of Christ — a small mainline Protestant denomination — has experienced a steep drop in membership in recent decades. Beer & Hymns is one attempt to attract new people, in this hip, beer-loving city, while keeping a safe distance away from stained-glass windows. Rodney Page is optimistic. The 78-year-old is a... Continue Reading