On Building Bridges

What a great conference it has been… and there is still more to come.

We at LifeWay Research are pleased to host this conference. Be sure to go to www.lifeway.com/insidelifeway site to download the podcasts. I have also put a few of the written presentations on my site at www.edstetzer.com.

Can I share something briefly? And, I have talked to Danny and Tom about this before I share it with you.

I hope you will hear my heart. I don’t have time to do a talk, but I do have a moment to share a thought.

We have heard a lot about being fair and honest, often about caricatures needing clarification, and about how discussing theology is a good thing. We have talked about Building Bridges, and I think that is so important right now.

We have heard from Calvinists and those who are less so. And, we have talked a lot about building bridges of understanding even when we differ—sometimes over things that are vitally important to us. We have talked about rallying around the gospel, evangelism, and missions.

Let me encourage you that while we are working hard to building bridges here that we do not unintentionally burn bridges elsewhere. We need to be careful about caricatures and I have defended many churches here against such caricatures.

In other words, while we are concerned that others accurately portray our beliefs and not broad brush us, let’s be careful that in the hallways, in our conversations, and on the stage we do not caricature others. Not here. Not this week. Not at Building Bridges.

As such, let me say that I thank God for many biblically faithful Purpose Driven churches, biblically faithful emerging churches, and yes, biblically faithful traditional churches. I hope you will join me in that. Are there things where many of us might differ with one another? Yes. And, do I believe that scripture must be the foundation of methodology? Yes.

But, while we are talking about Building Bridges here, let’s not just do it in this room, let’s do it in this denomination… by welcoming all kinds of biblically sound churches, discussing and learning from one another, but treating each other as we want to be treated.

We are at a denominational crossroads. That crossroads will require us, as Dr. Dockery and others have so aptly reminded us, to regain a focus on the gospel and to then work with others so that the same gospel might be proclaimed to men and women of every tongue tribe and nation. In order to do that together, as a denominational family, it will require that we be careful in our speech and circumspect in our words.

Thanks for being here… thanks for you passion for the gospel and Biblical theology. And, thanks for making sure we treat our friends in Christ as we want to be treated.

That will build bridges that bring God glory… and His name and fame will be more widely known in all kinds of biblically sound churches.