When he announced to Bethlehem Baptist Church that he would be leaving for a period of time, he explained that he was seeing “several species of pride” within himself and that his soul needed a reality check from the Holy Spirit.

Well-known evangelical theologian and pastor John Piper is scheduled to return to the pulpit in January. Kenny Stokes, interim pastor for preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, made the announcement this past weekend.

“His first weekend back, God willing, in the Bethlehem pulpit will be January 8 and 9,” Stokes said.

Piper has been on an eight-month leave of absence. Since May, he has stepped back from virtually all public commitments to deal with his “character flaws” and focus on his marriage.

It was his first-ever leave of absence in his 30-year ministry career.

With the exception of a few speaking engagements – including a conference in the Dominican Republic and the Third Lausanne Congress in South Africa – the respected pastor withdrew from all other preaching, writing and blogging…

“I’ll say it now, and no doubt will say it again, I’m sorry. Since I don’t have just one deed to point to, I simply ask for a spirit of forgiveness; and I give you as much assurance as I can that I am not making peace, but war, with my own sins,” he said in a letter to the congregation in March.

Read More: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20101213/john-piper-to-return-to-pulpit-in-january/