Comments on: Resembling the Pope's Remarks http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/ Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:35:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: The Pope on Evangelical Progress | Salerno City Church http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16601 The Pope on Evangelical Progress | Salerno City Church Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:05:50 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16601 [...] I would encourage you to read this helpful post written by former Catholic, Christ Castaldo, titled Resembling the Pope’s Remarks. Share this:ShareEmail This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← [...] [...] I would encourage you to read this helpful post written by former Catholic, Christ Castaldo, titled Resembling the Pope’s Remarks. Share this:ShareEmail This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. ← [...]

]]> By: truthmatters http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16597 truthmatters Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:36:01 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16597 Charles, In regards to the picture of the Pope, that might be Steve Martin Charles,

In regards to the picture of the Pope, that might be Steve Martin

]]> By: gv720/ JUsher http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16587 gv720/ JUsher Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:58:41 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16587 Tim Yip, I can agree with that. I don't want to deter any serious missionaries or evangelists. 1) I'll accept help from any quarter. If people are prepared to come to Ireland to work with local Churches, they can come from Azerbijan, Armenia, Australia or America. There are plenty of small works that need support. It doesn't even need to be a Pastor with a vision. American church members who decide to look for work in Europe can bring a huge benefit to a small local Church. 2) It is just too easy for Church Planters to set up shop next to existing evangelical Churches, when there are towns just down the road without any evangelical witness. There are huge gaps where we need help, urgently. (Sadly, Ulster's evangelicals have failed to make any large impact on the Republic of Ireland.) 3) Don't come to lecture us on where we've gone wrong! American evangelicalism - including Reformed Evangelicalism - does not have its own house in order. (I really don't need to hear lectures about my father's and grandfather's denomination ...that's just rude and offensive, to be honest. I'd take my grandfather's simplicity and honesty over slick shock jocks any day of the week. Pots, kettles, glass houses etc.) Basically, if you don't have a great vision, if you don't have all the answers, if you don't have a tremendous presence in the pulpit or ThDs from three different evangelical seminaries, we <i>do</i> need you in Europe. GV Tim
Yip, I can agree with that. I don't want to deter any serious missionaries or evangelists.

1) I'll accept help from any quarter. If people are prepared to come to Ireland to work with local Churches, they can come from Azerbijan, Armenia, Australia or America. There are plenty of small works that need support. It doesn't even need to be a Pastor with a vision. American church members who decide to look for work in Europe can bring a huge benefit to a small local Church.
2) It is just too easy for Church Planters to set up shop next to existing evangelical Churches, when there are towns just down the road without any evangelical witness. There are huge gaps where we need help, urgently. (Sadly, Ulster's evangelicals have failed to make any large impact on the Republic of Ireland.)
3) Don't come to lecture us on where we've gone wrong! American evangelicalism - including Reformed Evangelicalism - does not have its own house in order. (I really don't need to hear lectures about my father's and grandfather's denomination ...that's just rude and offensive, to be honest. I'd take my grandfather's simplicity and honesty over slick shock jocks any day of the week. Pots, kettles, glass houses etc.)

Basically, if you don't have a great vision, if you don't have all the answers, if you don't have a tremendous presence in the pulpit or ThDs from three different evangelical seminaries, we do need you in Europe.

GV

]]> By: Tim http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16584 Tim Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:10:32 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16584 GV720 is right in saying that simply transplanting what works in the States into other cultures is very damaging. But ****please do come**** if you're willing to become as Greeks to save the Greeks. (Or any other country, but I do have a slightly vested interest in Greece!) I and many others have been very blessed to have served with and be discipled by American brothers and sisters in the past. And let's face it, vast parts of Europe needs as many gospel workers as can be sent by the church. The need is huge. And we need you guys to come and help. GV720 is right in saying that simply transplanting what works in the States into other cultures is very damaging.

But ****please do come**** if you're willing to become as Greeks to save the Greeks. (Or any other country, but I do have a slightly vested interest in Greece!)

I and many others have been very blessed to have served with and be discipled by American brothers and sisters in the past.

And let's face it, vast parts of Europe needs as many gospel workers as can be sent by the church. The need is huge. And we need you guys to come and help.

]]> By: gv720/ JUsher http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16555 gv720/ JUsher Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:42:14 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16555 Er, As an Irish Evangelical, who has preached at Churches North and South of the border, could I maybe ask you guys to back off a little? (And any American who doesn't immediately understand the significance of North/South in Ireland needs to think carefully before setting a mission up here.) We don't need - the last thing that we need - is well meaning Americans transplanting their Church models to Ireland. That's doing enough damage in the North. There's also a good case for Irish evangelicals to say "physician heal thyself" - after the doctrinal ineptitude of the Elephant Room, Reformed Pastors who use visions to conduct Church discipline, create their own methodologies for getting demons our of people, and who claim that they have seen people levitate in a basement in Seattle. As someone who was raised in the "Plymouth" Brethren, all I can say is I'm thankful for that heritage. I recognise some of the smaller country Churches in your description. I do not recognise many of the other Churches in the United Kingdom. As for institutional depth - "multi-site". Could you put your own house in order before you start missions to countries with an evangelical presence? I'm sorry to be so blunt - but I feel that your article merited a very direct response. America is not the solution to all our woes. In fact, it is the source of most of the "shallowness". gv720 Er,
As an Irish Evangelical, who has preached at Churches North and South of the border, could I maybe ask you guys to back off a little? (And any American who doesn't immediately understand the significance of North/South in Ireland needs to think carefully before setting a mission up here.)
We don't need - the last thing that we need - is well meaning Americans transplanting their Church models to Ireland. That's doing enough damage in the North.
There's also a good case for Irish evangelicals to say "physician heal thyself" - after the doctrinal ineptitude of the Elephant Room, Reformed Pastors who use visions to conduct Church discipline, create their own methodologies for getting demons our of people, and who claim that they have seen people levitate in a basement in Seattle. As someone who was raised in the "Plymouth" Brethren, all I can say is I'm thankful for that heritage. I recognise some of the smaller country Churches in your description. I do not recognise many of the other Churches in the United Kingdom.
As for institutional depth - "multi-site".
Could you put your own house in order before you start missions to countries with an evangelical presence?
I'm sorry to be so blunt - but I feel that your article merited a very direct response. America is not the solution to all our woes. In fact, it is the source of most of the "shallowness".

gv720

]]> By: Little Depth, Dogma, or Stability « Second Thoughts http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16551 Little Depth, Dogma, or Stability « Second Thoughts Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:15:39 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16551 [...] Gospel Coalition website this evening I came across a posting from Chris Castaldo entitled, “Resembling the Pope’s Remarks.”  In a meeting with the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Pope Benedict had [...] [...] Gospel Coalition website this evening I came across a posting from Chris Castaldo entitled, “Resembling the Pope’s Remarks.”  In a meeting with the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Pope Benedict had [...]

]]> By: jason http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16550 jason Wed, 05 Oct 2011 03:11:15 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16550 Chris cited a couple of the odd and cult-ish Christian groups that Protestantism has been sprouting off, rightly noting how they typify the lack of "... rationality, dogmatic [read doctrinal] content, and stability," that the Pope noted. However, he then concluded that the Pope's comment shows, "God is indeed doing great things through evangelicals and Pentecostals around the world." What did I miss? I thought the Pope spoke up because your form of Christianity is producing a lot of scary, slightly whacko, churches? Of the three biggest forms of Christianity (Catholic, Evangelical/Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox), I would have to say Eastern Orthodox, with all its problems, has the most rationality and true doctrinal content. It is also very stable. Although it has and has had its problems, it never experienced the depths of abuse that created Protestantism out of Catholicism. Luther tossed out a lot of orthodox baby with his catholic bathwater. Chris cited a couple of the odd and cult-ish Christian groups that Protestantism has been sprouting off, rightly noting how they typify the lack of "... rationality, dogmatic [read doctrinal] content, and stability," that the Pope noted. However, he then concluded that the Pope's comment shows, "God is indeed doing great things through evangelicals and Pentecostals around the world." What did I miss? I thought the Pope spoke up because your form of Christianity is producing a lot of scary, slightly whacko, churches?

Of the three biggest forms of Christianity (Catholic, Evangelical/Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox), I would have to say Eastern Orthodox, with all its problems, has the most rationality and true doctrinal content. It is also very stable. Although it has and has had its problems, it never experienced the depths of abuse that created Protestantism out of Catholicism.

Luther tossed out a lot of orthodox baby with his catholic bathwater.

]]> By: Ken http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16547 Ken Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:51:28 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16547 "Institutional depth"? That kinda gets stuck in my throat. "Institutional depth"? That kinda gets stuck in my throat.

]]> By: Charles Grinn http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16545 Charles Grinn Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:27:46 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16545 Great to see the picture of the Pope and Don Rickles together getting along nicely. Great to see the picture of the Pope and Don Rickles together getting along nicely.

]]> By: Christopher Heward http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/10/04/resembling-the-popes-remarks/#comment-16544 Christopher Heward Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:12:42 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/?p=12340#comment-16544 I don't think that would be the evangelical part of the Church though, surely? Isn't the issue that in Southern Europe the evangelical part of the Church is in the minority? The majority would be more towards 'liberal', where people believe in a general God who for cultural reasons they see as being represented by Jesus, but don't feel able to be exclusive in saying He is the way. I must stress this is a complete outsider based on stereotypes, so I may well be completely wrong :D I don't think that would be the evangelical part of the Church though, surely? Isn't the issue that in Southern Europe the evangelical part of the Church is in the minority? The majority would be more towards 'liberal', where people believe in a general God who for cultural reasons they see as being represented by Jesus, but don't feel able to be exclusive in saying He is the way. I must stress this is a complete outsider based on stereotypes, so I may well be completely wrong :D

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