For the greater part of my Christian life, I did not understand the significance of courage in the process of Christian growth. By not exercising a good measure courage early on in my previous pastoral work, I myself was a major factor in the rise of forceful personalities against me that eventually were used of the Lord in my dismissal from my first pastorate. Now, as a church-planting shepherd, I am in need of even more courage than I was as a revitalization pastor at an established church.
Author Archives: Eric Redmond
Answering Veith On Gay Lead in Public Discourse: A Lukan-Pauline Primer
November 24, 2009 – 8:42 AM
This week I had four conversations that led into discussions about the church and same-sex marriage. The first was with a group of pastors who were asking how we should approach the potential implications of the D.C. City Council’s actions for the church. The second was with a Christian brother asking about how to build a church-state theology that reflects Baptists’ historical position on freedom of religion. The third was within a conversation on the Manhattan Declaration and how we should view partnerships for the sake of public morality. The fourth concerned whether or not my church plant could join the ELCA church from whom we are renting space in making Christmas cards – at the ELCA church’s request – to give to residents of a local nursing home. The concern is that making cards with the ELCA church would detour us off Reformation doctrine to the road of the slippery slope.
When a Pastor Falls
The allegations against Bishop Eddie Long are horrifying and disgraceful, but not necessarily shocking. Unfortunately, many well known Christian leaders of large ministries have stepped outside of their marriages into sexual immorality. Even more unfortunately, we African Americans often excuse our morally failing leaders as people who are mere men or victims of white conspiracies. [...]