We who are in the church, especially pastors and denominational executives, have a vested interest in maintaining the church as it currently exists. Of course we’d like our church and/or denomination to grow, but what we mean is that we would like more of what it already is, more of the same kind of people, more resources, etc. What we really want is a better status quo, churches like the ones we have, but bigger. But is that what God wants or what God is doing at this time in history? It doesn’t seem to be. The church plural is in crisis. I don’t have a magic solution for this problem, but it is worth discussing, worth facing up to some harsh realities, and taking stock. Which is better: harsh realities or false hope? …
Tag: Congregationalism
Triumphalism
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. —Ephesians 4:17 The perspective, known as postmillennialism or triumphalism, has fallen on hard times for…
Some Early American History
(from In Christ–the Church at Ephesus, forthcoming.) Christianity has not followed Paul’s leadership and instructions to not “walk as the Gentiles do” (Ephesians 4: 17) as well as it should have. Many Greek, Gentile and worldly ideas and practices have…
Tossed To And Fro
(from In Christ—The Church At Ephesus, forthcoming) Paul looked forward to the day when Christians would not be “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4: 14). Again, this phrase suggests…
Church Failure
Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell wrote an article, Walking away from church, for the LA Times (10/17/2010) summarizing their recent book, American Grace. It seems that churches might want to hear what their research has uncovered. “As recently…
C.I. Scofield
The name of C.I. Scofield is not usually associated with liberalism, yet Scofield’s roots lie at the heart of the post 1865 Congregationalism where Charles Finney made his home. Finney’s Congregationalism promoted a doctrine of polar opposites, as previously indicated…
Reforming Synod of 1679-80
The Reforming Synod of 1679-80 attempted to address the spiritual downgrade that occurred in the churches following the Half-Way Covenant debacle. Pastors and people began to believe that they were undergoing divine judgment as a result of the increasing faithlessness…
Practice
The Practice of Christianity in the Local Church The practice of Christianity apart from a proper theological foundation, firmly rooted in the Word of God written, builds on uncertain ground. The success of Christ’s Church depends upon the clear, explicit…
Orthodoxy
Below is a graphic depiction of how various models of church leadership are related and how they can err.
Nonconformity
The restoration of the English King, Charles II, in 1660 brought back into power all those spiritual influences which the Puritans had stood against prior to the English Civil War. Episcopacy (rule of the church by the clergy), compulsory liturgy,…