Half-Asked Questions, Half Assessed Answers Classical Congregationalism had barely been hatched when its demise began. Expectations for church membership had always been strict among Congregational churches, in keeping with Christ’s demands upon the faithful. The high-water mark had been set…
Tag Archive for church
Church Growth
by Phillip Ross •
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. — John 17:22 The phrase “Give glory to God” (Jos 7:19, Jer 13:16) is a Hebrew idiom meaning, “Confess…
Church Growth 2
by Phillip Ross •
“Church Growth” has become the byword for evangelism everywhere today. The Church Growth model is almost universally applied, regardless of theology or denomination. All church activity is measured in Church Growth categories. The Church Growth model for evangelism involves the…
Charles Finney
by Phillip Ross •
Friend of Foe? The most successful advocate of Arminianism in America was not Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609), but Charles Finney (1792-1875). Because The Works of Arminius (Baker Book House, reprinted 1996) are highly intellectual and academic — bordering on the arcane,…
Feminine Mystique
by Phillip Ross •
I grew up and was educated during the blossom of the feminine spirit. My years in seminary witnessed a vicious attack on everything masculine — including pronouns! Ordinary sentence structure was convoluted beyond common sense and the basic rules of…
Congregationalism
by Phillip Ross •
A Brief History of Congregationalism ©1998 Phillip A. Ross Renewal is often the rekindling of a former glory, and the former success of Congregationalism was indeed great. Yet, history does not travel backwards. The majority of contemporary Congregational church members…
What Is A Church
by Phillip Ross •
The church is not a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The IRS does not define a church, God does. The church is the people of God. The church exists in and through Jesus Christ, and so is a distinctive New Testament reality.…
What Is A Christian?
by Phillip Ross •
What makes a person Christian? It sounds like a simple question, but it has been complicated by sin and history. Jesus’ first sermon set the standard — “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Clearly, Christians…
What Is A Christian – Part 2
by Phillip Ross •
Part 2 If you have not read Part 1, please do so first. It sounds like a simple question, but it has been complicated by sin and history. The first and most inclusive definition of a Christian is a person…
Christianity in China
by Phillip Ross •
Official Chinese surveys now show that nearly one in three Chinese describe themselves as religious, an astonishing figure for an officially atheist country, where religion was banned until three decades ago.