Forming Evangelical Pastors: Theological Education from the Margins
We have no way of knowing where the cultural tides are pulling us, but it does seem clear that we are inhabiting a vastly different cultural context than the one in which the M.Div. was forged.
Christian nationalism—whether from the right or the left—represents a Faustian bargain. It may offer a quick fix of power, reassurance, or apparent victory, but the devil always comes to collect. In the end, what is surrendered is infinitely more costly. We must not turn our churches into social clubs that simply echo secular culture, to... Continue Reading
Gay Anglicans In The ACNA
Never may the theological and the pastoral be separated.
Please note, I am not encouraging us to ignore the pastoral. Quite the opposite: I am convinced we’re often not pastoral enough. It is not pastoral to use the psychological discourse of our therapeutic culture rather than the biblical language of sin and repentance. It is not pastoral to keep nodding when someone self-identifies as... Continue Reading
They Call It Narcissism
Though not a Christian book, I was helped by her kindness and insight, and she actually rekindled my interest in engaging those who fit the narcissist description.
How do we help self-absorbed people? How do we help their family and remaining friends? And how might we be helped by secular literature? Secular literature is most helpful when its descriptions of difficult-to-understand behaviors are coupled with years of experience and when its practical suggestions come close to the wisdom and love we find... Continue Reading
Risk and Learning or Stagnation
As Christians, once we find what works for us, the temptation will always be to stay in our lane to keep things comfortable.
Our creator has given us certain faculties and attributes that should be in constant use. Like a muscle, if we do not use them, they will begin to atrophy, and so will our wellbeing. Have you ever felt like you are in a rut? It is never a pleasant place to be. One of the... Continue Reading
Criminalising Christianity, Prayer, and the Bible
Yes they ARE coming after us.
Since Christians are often the ones at the forefront of offering genuine help and healing in this area, this is a direct assault on biblical Christianity. Indeed, the Bible is a book about transformation – about how God can set people free and make them into new persons with new desires. So clearly the Bible itself... Continue Reading
SBC Executive Committee Disfellowships Four Churches
The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee disfellowshipped four churches for adverse policies and practices including employing convicted sex offenders and affirming homosexuality within their memberships.
Disfellowshipped for affirming homosexuality were Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Ga., and St. Matthews Baptist Church, Louisville, Ky. Antioch Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tenn., was dropped for employing a pastor who confessed to two counts of statutory rape. West Side Baptist Church in Sharpsville, Pa., was disfellowshipped for employing as its pastor a registered... Continue Reading
Major Evangelical Adoption Agency Will Now Serve Gay Parents Nationwide
Bethany Christian Services, one of the country’s largest adoption and foster care agencies, announced recently that it would begin providing services to LGBTQ parents nationwide.
Bethany, a Michigan-based evangelical organization, announced the change in an email to about 1,500 staff members that was signed by Chris Palusky, the organization’s president and chief executive. “We will now offer services with the love and compassion of Jesus to the many types of families who exist in our world today,” Mr. Palusky wrote.... Continue Reading
Undercover Mentor: Redeeming the Everyday
I’m not suggesting we should be sneaky. There was nothing underhanded about Nelson Knode’s or John Warr’s witness.
God used Nelson Knode to mentor me. At the time, I didn’t see it that way. I was just making loud noises in the church basement. But it has got me thinking—who could I influence in the everyday tasks of life to walk closer with God? Could there be more substance—an eternal aspect—to the relationships... Continue Reading
Public Statement from James Coates, Pastor of GraceLife Church, Edmonton, Alberta
Addressing the broader public on the reasons GraceLife Church has begun gathering as a local church.
This statement from Pastor James Coates is featured on the website of Edmonton’s GraceLife Church. It was updated the day he turned himself into police for violating Alberta’s Health Act. Coates has been in custody since he turned himself into police on Tuesday, because he refuses to agree to the conditions of his release. (Posted:... Continue Reading
Thank God for His Work in Nigeria
Our troubles are real, and our dissatisfaction at the state of our nation is not unwarranted.
But God is working in Nigeria, and that should give us hope and cause us to rejoice. On the first Sunday of February, my church welcomed 15 congregants into membership. And we had two visiting pastors from a thriving church in Lagos officiating the induction service. You may think that 15 isn’t 1500, or that... Continue Reading
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