DOCSLIB.ORG

Baptists Today By, Fred Guldberg

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Baptists Today By, Fred Guldberg Baptists Today By, Fred Guldberg [Colonial South Pastors’ Conference of the North Atlantic District, Grace Lutheran Church, Falls Church, Virginia, October 22, 2003] Forward Baptists value above all else their freedom. In his book The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, Dr. Walter Shurden summaries the Baptist system of beliefs using four freedoms: Bible Freedom, Soul Freedom, Church Freedom, Religious Freedom. I will be referring to these freedoms throughout the paper. To supplement Dr. Shurden’s “freedoms” I sent out a list of questions (Appendix B) to Baptist seminary professors, ministers, and members. The responses of four Baptist ministers are also incorporated in the paper: Dr. Clay Nuttal from Piedmont Baptist College, Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Minor of Beck’s Baptist church in Kernersville, NC; Dr. Mann from Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC; Dr. Newcomer from Twin Cities Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, NC. Their input was incredibly useful. As I cite their answers any added clarifying remarks are found between brackets. Dr. Shurden is also the Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Studies at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The center offers a certification program on Baptist theology for anyone who wants apply. Most of the materials used to complete the certification are available on the Mercer University Web Site. Some of these are also incorporated into the paper. Even though Baptists resist all creeds, this does not mean that they ignore their historical roots. The influence of three church fathers rises to the surface of Baptist theology: John Calvin, Jacob Arminius, and Ulrich Zwingli. Some Baptists hold to teachings that can be traced back to John Calvin. Calvinism can be summed up in TULIP theology: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited grace, Irresistible grace, and Preservation of the saints. Calvin’s dream was to create a Christian city. This dream found a partial reality in Geneva, Switzerland. Jacob Arminius is credited with developing decision theology. In Arminianism, the person who hears the gospel either is given a spark of grace or has a little spark of good in him so that he is able to respond to the gospel and snake his decision for Christ. Ulrich Zwingli is the famous reformer who challenged Luther on his understanding of the sacraments. He taught that the Lord’s Supper and Baptism were only symbols of the Christian faith and not means of grace that God uses to offer the forgiveness of sins. Introduction In 2009, Baptists will celebrate a huge 400th birthday party. Born in 1609 the Baptist faith has grown from just a handful of frustrated Anglican Christians to 43 million people in over 200 countries. What is a Baptist? The simplest answer is a Baptist is a member at a Baptist church. It is not so simple to pin down Baptist doctrine and practice because Baptists do not use creeds. They do make descriptive statements about the Baptist belief system, but even these do not always agree. One such summary, known as the Baptist Distinctives, uses the word “Baptists” as an acronym (Appendix A). The Baptist Faith and Message is the description offered by the Southern Baptist convention. Although this is only a descriptive document of what Baptists believe, it is a description from the largest group of Baptists in America. History There is a story told about two ministers arguing over when Baptists started. One said, “That’s easy, Baptists started with John the Baptist.” The other replied, “Baptists go back much further than that. Abraham 2 and Lot were surveying the land of Canaan. Abraham said to Lot, ‘All right, you go your way and I’ll go mine!’ That’s when Baptists got started.” (Hull, p. 3) It is true that the spirit of Baptists has been around for a long time. In the early 1600’s two men, John Smyth and Thomas Helwys, joined a group of Puritans and separated from the Anglican Church. This group believed that only Scripture, not creeds and traditions, should be the guide in faith and practice. The church should be made up of believers only, not of people born into the church. The church should be governed by members not church bishops (Shurden, Turning Paints, p.2). By 1607 the two men had crossed over to Holland to escape persecution for their separatist beliefs. It was here that the group came into contact with the Anabaptists. There is some debate among Baptists about the influence of the Anabaptists over Smyth’s group, but the circumstantial evidence seems to be more than coincidental. “In 1609 Smyth performed a radical and scandalous act” (Ibid). Smyth poured water over his own head and Baptized himself. He then proceeded to baptize the whole congregation. He rebaptized because he said that infant baptism was performed by a false church on individuals who could not believe, namely infants. He wanted churches made up of people who “sincerely, deliberately, and freely affirmed Christ as Lord of their lives” (Ibid). For Baptists, Baptism was and still is the sign that a Christian has made a choice to follow Christ. Soul Freedom In his book The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms, Dr. Walter Shurden summarizes the Baptist system of beliefs using four freedoms: Bible Freedom -- the centrality of the Bible in the life of a Baptist, Soul Freedom -- every Baptist must deal with God without outside interference, Church Freedom -- the autonomy of a Baptist congregation, and Religions Freedom -- the separation of church and state. After a gathering of Southern Baptists in Charlotte this past summer, this comment was offered, “Our reaction to tension and our respect for each other is what makes us different. We differ on the use of war as a solution to rid the world of terrorism. We differ on how big government should be. We differ on our views concerning homosexuality. Our reaction to these differences is respect. We are humble enough to confess, God has not spoken to us through a burning bush, although he has spoken to us through a passionate Italian [referring to the keynote speaker at the conference], thus our opinion of truth is no more divine than our sisters’ or brothers’ in Christ” (Roy). Another Baptist minister acknowledged, “With freedom, there is risk. Is this dangerous? Not if we are Baptist! A Baptist realizes that Bible freedom will result in various understandings of the Scripture. As individual persons we are not identical, and our experiences of God’s troth will not be uniform. However, I would much rather risk the freedom of turning the Bible loose in the hands of all people, than try to control the process of belief. It is through that freedom that we find the truth” (Hull, 2). There are some Baptists who see their freedoms threatened not from forces without, but forces within their own movement. One Baptist laments some of the dangers to his faith: 1. Baptizing three- and four-year-olds counters believer’s baptism. 2. Creedalizing confession of faith contradicts voluntarism. 3. Stifling dissent violates liberty of conscience. 4. Advancing civil religion negates separation of church and state. 5. Failing to educate new Christians neutralizes a regenerate church membership. 6. Applying excessive Calvinism harms missions and evangelism. 7. Exaggerating pastoral authority downplays the priesthood of all believers. 8. Exalting biblical inerrancy works against the Lordship of Christ. (Deweese, p. l ). 3 This freedom also makes writing a paper on Baptist difficult because there could always be the exceptional Baptist who has a Scriptural understanding of any doctrine. Dr. Nuttal describes the difference, “There is a great difference between the liberal Baptist position and the biblical Baptist position, that is because they use two violently difference hermeneutics.” Original Sin There is almost no understanding of original sin in Baptist theology. A small minority of Baptists holds to Calvinism. These Baptists understand original sin as Total Depravity. But these same Baptists misunderstand the Grace of God. Calvinism teaches that God does not want everyone in heaven. For the rest of the Baptists who are not Calvinists there is no understanding of original sin. A Baptist believes that people still are created in the image of God. “Out of love, God created human beings with a capacity to make choices, including a choice as to whether to live from the vantage point of a relationship with God. Isn’t that what the author of Genesis meant when he had God say, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness’” (Gen. 1:26, NRSV)? God did not make robots, and God does not impose or inject or impute faith. No. God wants each person to respond voluntarily, like a child to a parent or a friend to a friend” (Hinson, p.2). Again on this point it would seem that not all Baptists completely agree. Dr. Nuttal responding to the question, “What does God mean when he says that mankind was created in the image of God?” writes, “It is clear that we were made in the spiritual image of God, with will, personality etc. The question is what did man lose in the fall (-8.” Dr. Nuttal adds as a follow up on original sin, “Sin was introduced into creation by Lucifer, Sin was introduced into the human race by the sin of Adam, when man disobey he fell and began to die physically and spiritually. The image of God he was created in was marred and man was affected by the fall and became totally depraved spiritually, physically, socially, mentally etc. So that he was incapable of providing a remedy for himself. That is why the work of Christ without the work of man is the only hope for eternal life.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism
    Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Edwards, Graham M. Citation Edwards, G. M. (2018). Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Chester, United Kingdom. Publisher University of Chester Rights Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Download date 28/09/2021 05:58:45 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10034/621795 Telling Our Stories: Towards an Understanding of Lived Methodism Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Chester for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies in Practical Theology By Graham Michael Edwards May 2018 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The work is my own, but I am indebted to the encouragement, wisdom and support of others, especially: The Methodist Church of Great Britain who contributed funding towards my research. The members of my group interviews for generously giving their time and energy to engage in conversation about the life of their churches. My supervisors, Professor Elaine Graham and Dr Dawn Llewellyn, for their endless patience, advice and support. The community of the Dprof programme, who challenged, critiqued, and questioned me along the way. Most of all, my family and friends, Sue, Helen, Simon, and Richard who listened to me over the years, read my work, and encouraged me to complete it. Thank you. 2 CONTENTS Abstract 5 Summary of Portfolio 6 Chapter One. Introduction: Methodism, a New Narrative? 7 1.1 Experiencing Methodism 7 1.2 Narrative and Identity 10 1.3 A Local Focus 16 1.4 Overview of Thesis 17 Chapter Two.
    [Show full text]
  • Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 2-1-2001 Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama Wallace Becker Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Becker, Wallace, "Enriching Families in the Parish Through the Use of Musical Drama" (2001). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 109. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/109 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI ENRICHING FAMILIES IN THE PARISH THROUGH THE USE OF MUSICAL DRAMA A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. WALLACE M. BECKER SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI FEBRUARY, 2001 To Alvina, my wife, To Jeremy and Andy, my sons. Our family has been a blessing from God. The musical dramas that we have shared have been wonderful family experiences. They have given me great joy. CONTENTS ABSTRACT x INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE: FAMILY CENTERED MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH 4 Introduction 4 The Family is God's Design 8 The Church Was Established By God 22 The Church Is the Family of God 24 Church and Family Working Together 28 The Attitude of the Leaders 32 Church Programs 34 Church Programs That Oppose the Family 40 Adding Family-Friendly Programs 41 Christian Family, The Church in That Place 45 TWO: MUSICAL DRAMA IN THE CHURCH 48 Introduction 48 The Roots of Musical Drama in the Early Christian Church .
    [Show full text]
  • Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals Into Confessional Lutheran Thought
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project Concordia Seminary Scholarship 9-23-2013 Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought Matthew Richard Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin Part of the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Richard, Matthew, "Becoming Lutheran: Exploring the Journey of American Evangelicals into Confessional Lutheran Thought" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project. 138. https://scholar.csl.edu/dmin/138 This Major Applied Project is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CONCORDIA SEMINARY SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT A MAJOR APPLIED PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY STUDIES IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI BECOMING LUTHERAN: EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN EVANGELICALS INTO CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN THOUGHT REV. MATTHEW R. RICHARD SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 Concordia Seminary Saint Louis, Missouri Advisor DR. ROBERT
    [Show full text]
  • A Theology of Creation Lived out in Christian Hymnody
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Concordia Seminary Scholarship 5-1-2014 A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody Beth Hoeltke Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/phd Part of the Christianity Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Hoeltke, Beth, "A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody" (2014). Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation. 58. https://scholar.csl.edu/phd/58 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A THEOLOGY OF CREATION LIVED OUT IN CHRISTIAN HYMNODY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Doctrinal Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Beth June Hoeltke May 2014 Approved by Dr. Charles Arand Advisor Dr. Kent Burreson Reader Dr. Erik Herrmann Reader © 2014 by Beth June Hoeltke. All rights reserved. Dedicated in loving memory of my parents William and June Hoeltke Life is Precious. Give it over to God, our Creator, and trust in Him alone. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    [Show full text]
  • Defending the Gospel in Legal Style Legal in Gospel the Defending John Warwick Montgomery Warwick John
    Defending the Gospel in Legal Style Montgomery John Warwick Traditional apologetics is either focused on obscure, quasi-Thomist philosophi- cal arguments for God’s existence or on 18th-century-style answers to alleged biblical contradictions. But a new approach has recently entered the picture: the juridical defence of historic Christian faith, with its particular concern for demons- trating Jesus’s deity and saving work for mankind. The undisputed leader of this movement is John Warwick Montgomery, emeritus professor of law and humani- ties, University of Bedfordshire, England, and director, International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights, Strasbourg, France. His latest book (of more than sixty published during his career) shows the strength of legal apo- logetics: its arguments, drawn from secular legal reasoning, can be rejected only at the cost of jettisoning the legal system itself, on which every civilised society depends for its very existence. The present work also includes theological essays on vital topics of the day, characterised by the author’s well-known humour and skill for lucid communication. John Warwick Montgomery is the leading advoca- te of a legal apologetic for historic Christian faith. He is trained as a historian (Ph.D., University of Chicago), an English barrister, French avocat, and American lawyer (LL.D., Cardiff University, Wales, U.K.), and theologian (D.Théol., Faculty of Protes- tant Theology, University of Strasbourg, France). He has debated major representatives of secula- rism (atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, death-of-God advocate Thomas Altizer, liberal theologian Bishop James Pike, atheistic cosmologist Sean M. Carroll, et al.). He is the author or editor of more than 60 books and 150 journal articles, and has appeared on innumerable international television and radio broadcasts.
    [Show full text]
  • Core Like a Rock: Luther’S Theological Center
    OCTOBER 2, 2017 CORE LIKE A ROCK: LUTHER’S THEOLOGICAL CENTER Kenneth A. Cherney, Jr., PhD WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY CORE LIKE A ROCK: LUTHER’S THEOLOGICAL CENTER You have asked me in this essay to “review the central core of Luther’s confession of divine revelation.” That is interestingly put. Lots of things have cores, and they function in different ways. Apples have cores that you throw away. When I was growing up, Milwaukee had its “inner core,” defined in 1960 by a special mayoral commission as the area between Juneau Avenue on the south, 20th Street on the west, Holton Street on the east, and Keefe Avenue on the north—a blighted part of town, so they said, where people from my tribe didn’t go.1 The earth’s “core” is a glob of molten nickel/iron wrapped around a solid iron ball, and those who claim to know these things say our core generated the heat that caused Florida to break off from Africa and remain stuck on Georgia and Alabama,2 for which many persons are grateful. The “core” of a nuclear reactor is like that; it’s where the fissionable material is found and where the reaction happens that is the whole point. So is the cylinder of “core” muscles around your abdomen, without which you can have biceps the size of Dwayne Johnson’s and when the bad guys show up you’re still basically George McFly, only in a tighter shirt. That is how I understand my assignment. You want to hear about Luther’s spiritual fulcrum, the point around which everything turned.
    [Show full text]
  • The First Great Awakening
    1730-1755, both in Protestant Europe and the American colonies Powerful, dynamic preachers Focuses on personal, spiritual conviction and redemption, and a commitment to a new standard of morality. Downplayed ritual, ceremony, doctrine, sacraments, and church hierarchy. Reshaped denominations: Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist. Spawned a movement known as “revivalism.” 18th and 19th Century American Protestant movement Charles Finney In short, Christian life begins with the personal decision to accept Jesus We can increase the number of conversions to Christ if we learn how to intentionally manipulate unsuspecting religious consumers. Harness human motivations to drive individuals to commit themselves to Jesus Once they do, the process of discipleship will fix these false motivations. We just have to get them there. This led to the “new measures:” catchier music, more entertaining, practical, and dynamic preaching Emphasis on the blessings received from the Christian life. “The object is to get up an excitement, and bring the people out…I do not mean to say that [these] measures are pious, or right, but only that they are wise, in the sense that they are the…means to the end…The object of our measures is to gain attention, and you must have something new [to do that].” “Religion is the work of man. It is something for man to do. [But] there are so many things to lead their minds off from religion…that it is necessary to raise an excitement among them.” Charles Grandison Finney, Lectures on Revivals of Religion, 1835 “I could not but regard and treat this whole question of imputation as a theological fiction, somewhat related to our legal fiction of John Doe and Richard Roe.” Charles Grandison Finney, Memoirs of Charles Grandison Finney, published post-humously 1876 “But according to the actual history books, the Second Great Awakening was no real awakening at all.
    [Show full text]
  • Church Growth Movement: a Lutheran Analysis
    THE CHURCH GROWTH MOVEMENT: A LUTHERAN ANALYSIS by: Steve O. Scheiderer, M-Div. A Research Report Submitted in Partial Fulfill~ent of the Requirements £or the Sacred Theology Master Degree RES 799, Research Hours Professor Kurt Marquart, Advisor 11{}150 Concordia Theological, Seminary Fort Wayne, Indiana January, 1985 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY . LIBRARY FORT WAYNE, INDIANA DEDICATION This paper is dedicated to Lynn, my "thesis widow," and to The Rev. Paul O. Rosnau and Mr. Robert E. Smith Jr. who gave much of their time in helping to improve several key aspects of the paper. COPYRIGHT 1985 STEVE O. SCHEIDERER TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS • • . • • . • • • • • p. viii. INTRODUCTION ••••• • • • • p. 1 PART I: THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS CHAPTER ONE: CHURCH GROWTH'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONVERSION OF MAN Discussion Points p. 17 The Doctrine 0£ Man ••••• p. 17 The Harvest Principle •••. p. 18 The Great Commission ••. p. 20 The "Means" and "End" Distinction •••• p. 21 Diagnosing the Receptivity 0£ Man • p. 22 The Quest for a Relevant Gospel •••••• p. 23 The Hoaogeneous Unit Principle •••••• p. 26 The Analysis •••.•••••.•••••• p. 29 The Doctrine 0£ Man •••••••••• p. 29 The Harvest Principle ••••••••• p. 32 The Great Commission •••••••• p. 38 The "Means" and "End" Distinction p. 40 Diagnosing the Receptivity 0£ Man ••••• p. 44 The Quest for a Relevant Gospel . p. 48 The Homogeneous Unit Principle ••.••• p. 59 Endnotes p. 68 CHAPTER TWO: CHURCH GROWTH'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY Discussion Points. p. 79 The Church Growth Understanding 0£ the Nature and Purpose 0£ the Church ••••••••••••• p. 80 The Nature of the Church •••••• p. 80 The "Celebration ..
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    The effects of faith, theology and denominational governance on decision making by senior- level administrators at Christian universities Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Watkins, Joseph Ezra Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 03/10/2021 20:41:30 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/289154 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has t)een reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in tyfiewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely afTM reproduction. in the unlikely event that the author dkl not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, begirming at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overiaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6' x 9" t)iack and white photographic prints are availat>le for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge.
    [Show full text]
  • Law and Gospel in the Church Growth Movement By: Robert Koester
    Law and Gospel in the Church Growth Movement By: Robert Koester [Dakota-Montana Pastoral Conference - September 18,19, 1984] Preface They are sharp. They have a certain charisma, a certain persuasiveness. They have done their homework. And anyone engaged in mission work in the 1980’s will sooner or later deal with their ideas. Their movement has been called the most important mission development of the century. Some call it a fad. I doubt that it is. It is an attempt to get a handle on basic missiological questions. It is the first really unified attempt to wrestle with questions individual churches have been wrestling with on their own. Whether under its present name, or another, it will be around for a long time. The Church Growth movement, and its founder Donald McGavran, need to be understood and understood well. They are knocking on the door of any church that takes mission work seriously. They claim to have much to of offer any church that will I take the time to listen. Should we take them up on their offer? It is my hope that this paper will I give you some insights into the Church Growth movement and that it might help us make what I believe to be an inevitable decision. A Basic Definition Just what is the Church Growth movement? The phrase “Church Growth Movement” would seem to denote something specific. Yet at the same time, taking away the capital letters, “church growth movement” might seem to denote something rather nebulous, something that probably wouldn’t be associated with any specific person or principle.
    [Show full text]
  • Theological Reflection
    Theological Reflection Perry Chang, PhD and Joelle Kopacz, MA In partnership with: PC(USA ) Research Services Charles Wiley and 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville KY 40202 David Gambrell ( 5 0 2 ) 5 6 9 - 5139 Theological Reflection 10/22/2016 2016 Panel, Volume #3 Executive Summary Five main findings emerged from responses to the August 2016 Presbyterian Panel survey on Theological Reflection: Although Presbyterians are involved in a limited number of interfaith activities, the number of types of interfaith activities in which members are involved increased somewhat between 2013 and 2016. For teaching elders, the number stayed the same. Learning about other faiths is something many Presbyterians see as important, and their responses to “quiz” questions about world religions suggest Presbyterians already know a fair amount. Fewer Presbyterians (though still majorities) regard interfaith bridge-building as a crucial task for the Presbyterian Church. Grace is a crucial tenet of Reformed Christianity, for most Presbyterians. Also considered important by many Presbyterians are: the sovereignty of God, ministers and elders lead the church together, stewardship, and priesthood of all believers. Most Presbyterians believe Jesus is central to salvation, but members and teaching elders disagree about how this works: The largest number of teaching elders believe that God selects certain people for salvation through Jesus, while the largest number of members believe people who commit themselves to Jesus thereby choose salvation themselves. More Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) teaching elders than members feel that God is involved in most aspects of their life and on a daily basis. When asked whether they regard all of nine listed aspects of their life as a calling from God and whether they feel God’s guidance at least daily, more teaching elders than members say ”yes.” More PC(USA) teaching elders than U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • 37. the Gift of Connexionalism in the 21St Century
    37. The Gift of Connexionalism in the 21st Century Contact name and details The Revd Dr Nicola V Price-Tebbutt Secretary of the Faith and Order Committee [email protected] Resolutions 37/1. The Conference adopts the Report and commends it for study and reflection throughout the Connexion. 1. Whether or not Methodism was ‘born in song’ is open to some debate, but it was certainly born as a Connexion. The Wesleys’ strand of the wider eighteenth-century Evangelical Revival comprised those individuals, societies and preachers who were ‘in connexion with’ John Wesley. In its eighteenth-century usage, ‘connexion’ referred both to the circle of those connected to some person or group and to the relationship itself. It was used of politicians as well as religious bodies, and within the Revival, George Whitefield, Howell Harris and the Countess of Huntingdon, as well as John Wesley, had their ‘connexions’. This description of the Wesleys’ movement, retaining its distinctive eighteenth-century spelling, has endured for nearly three hundred years. ‘Connexionalism’ has been elaborated theologically, expressed in hymns and liturgies, justified in debate with advocates of other models of church order, and articulated in the constitution and polity of the Methodist Church. Implicitly and explicitly, it has also shaped, and been lived out in, the faith, practice and assumptions of generations of Methodist people. It is a way of being Christian which British Methodism shares with Methodist Churches in other parts of the world. 2. The present report was prompted by a sense that the connexional understanding of the Church was facing challenges in the first decades of the twenty-first century.
    [Show full text]