She had been sent to the abbey as a baby, she said, to be raised by her aunt, the abbess. When she turned twelve, she was forced to take the veil, in spite of her repeated protests. With time, her wisdom and abilities promoted her to the role of abbess, but her sentiments never changed.... Continue Reading

Harris’ participation in Vancouver’s Pride Parade comes after he announced that he and his wife Shannon are separating, he no longer considers himself a Christian, and he regrets having taught that marriage is a union only between a man and a woman. Years earlier, Harris denounced his 1997 bestseller I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which discouraged... Continue Reading

The labors of Mrs. Hill bore fruit as the Presbytery from 1875 to 1877 paid visits and sent men to preach to the core group that would constitute the initial members. During this period, visiting ministers who preached included John L. Girardeau (December 24, 1876) and William S. Plumer (February 25, 1877). After a petition... Continue Reading

As a player, Harris might be qualified to do the evangelical church one last favor: He can expose the behind-the-scenes shenanigans—the money made by at least some of the leading lights, and the power wielded by an unaccountable few—of Big Evangelicalism. That would seem a more important contribution than emotive talk of personal journeys, gobbledygook... Continue Reading

Just last week, Harris announced that he and his wife of 21 years are separating. (Today he said he’s getting divorced.) “In recent years, some significant changes have taken place in both of us,” Harris wrote in an Instagram post last Friday. “It is with sincere love for one another and understanding of our unique... Continue Reading

It’s so easy to allow our weaknesses to cast doubt on our ministry effectiveness. In the life of David Brainerd, we see God’s power flowing through a man marked by emotional and physical weakness. Though he was often racked with suffering, the young minister kept his hand to the plow. He did not allow his... Continue Reading

Being a church historian wasn’t always good for me, tempting me to be cynical about God’s people. But Ed wasn’t that way, though he knew a lot more about unbelief and scandal than I did. He rejoiced in Jesus and in his people and brought me far along that way. Thank you, Jesus, for him!... Continue Reading

Harris has famously repented of his past legalism, and that makes his departure from the faith particularly poignant. He helped define young people by their sin, and then he left. He separated from his wife, and he rejected Christianity itself. He is like an inadvertent arsonist, who flees the burning house rather than helping fight... Continue Reading

Alcuin’s education of the clergy aimed at equipping preachers. By the end of the eighth century, preaching was almost a lost art. It was left to the bishops, who were few in number, and preached mostly in their cathedral churches on feast days (not even on Sundays). Sunday worship included a simple reading from a... Continue Reading

By the time his third volume was published in 1680, Owen believed the end of his life was imminent, even speaking of his “near approach unto the grave.” For Owen, there was no time to waste on preliminary matters. The tome consists entirely of an exposition on Hebrews 6–10 and contains some of his most... Continue Reading