But despite Driscoll’s early assurances to change, many of the same leadership traits that led to the problems at Mars Hill have carried on at the new church, according to former Trinity staff members and church attendees. . . . For several . . . Continue reading →
Abuse In The Church
The Most Powerful Book On Sexual Abuse
Rachael DenHollander’s What is a Girl Worth? is the most powerful book on sexual abuse I’ve ever read. Her “story of breaking the silence and exposing the truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics” is well-known. What I didn’t know is that . . . Continue reading →
The Church Growth Ethos, Presbyterians, & Narcissism
An increasing number of pastors in the PCA are either resigning or being fired due to their narcissistic abuses undermining their ministry, which is truly disheartening. However, the more significant issue lies in the job advertisements for pastors, which often attract narcissistic . . . Continue reading →
Stankorb Understands Wilson
This November, Wilson’s month of antagonistic blog posts (usually printed later as anthologies sold for $6.95) did not evoke his anticipated fear and trembling. For Wilson watchers and critics, some days online it felt like Wilson’s annual firestorm might have finally reached . . . Continue reading →
DeYoung On The Attraction Of Wilson
I’m convinced the appeal of Moscow is visceral more than intellectual. That’s not meant to be a knock on the smart people in Moscow or attracted to Moscow. It is to say, however, that people are not mainly moving to Idaho because . . . Continue reading →
New: Resources On Physical, Sexual, And Spiritual Abuse In The Church
Sexual, physical, and spiritual abuse is a reality in the visible church. Those of us in the Pauline-Augustinian tradition should not be shocked or surprised since the Scriptures and the Augustinian doctrine of sin teaches us to expect as much. What remains . . . Continue reading →
On The Complementarian Responsibility Toward Women
After thirteen years of ministry alongside college-age and career-age single folks, I have witnessed, counseled, and comforted perhaps more than my share of dear people who have suffered from the tragedy of sexual and physical abuse. In a culture that seems to . . . Continue reading →
On The Importance Of Reputation
As he is wont to do, Doug Wilson wrote and published to the general public a strongly-worded opinion piece regarding a matter of current controversy. I responded to him here, and Phil Johnson added several helpful points here. As an aside, I . . . Continue reading →
Bredenhof On Wilson: Mark And Avoid
I’m a Canadian living in Australia. I really don’t understand how difficult it should be to just categorically condemn American slavery as evil and move on. Why all the waffling? But in the United States there’s this phenomenon known as Neo-confederacy. It’s . . . Continue reading →
On Missing The Point Of Sexual Abuse
It has been an eventful week on the topic of sexual abuse and the church. The Houston Chronicle published a series of articles on the scope of the problem within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—a problem which has been exacerbated by the . . . Continue reading →
Bredenhof: Reasons Why Wilson Should Not Be Regarded As Reliable
…Wilson presents his [theonomic] position as something distinct from theonomists like Greg Bahnsen. However, as an OPC minister, Greg Bahnsen affirmed the Westminster Confession too. He too affirmed what the Westminster Confession says about “general equity.” He was a “Westminster theonomist.” What . . . Continue reading →
Dear Abusive Men In The Church
Dear abusive men in the church, I so often feel like berating you, but in what follows I actually want to give you a compliment of sorts. You are succeeding in changing hearts and minds about a key issue facing the church . . . Continue reading →
Registered Sex Offender Continued to Minister to Chi Alpha Students
Over the past 30 years, well over a hundred men involved in Texas chapters of the campus ministry Chi Alpha have seen Daniel Savala naked. At Savala’s house in Houston, he invited them to strip down and talk about spiritual issues in . . . Continue reading →
A Pastor Is Not A Bully And A Bully Is Not A Pastor
To the surprise of many, effective leadership goes hand in hand with loving gentleness. This isn’t a popular trait in our world today. You’ll find plenty of books in the self-help section on how to be more bold, assertive, or proactive. But . . . Continue reading →
10 Ways Churches Should Respond To Sexual Abuse
After a few decades of publicity surrounding the issue of sexual abuse in the broader culture, one might think that churches have developed better ways of handling it. However, there are regularly reports that indicate otherwise. Especially churches without a Safe Church . . . Continue reading →
With Presbygirls On Abuse In The Church
Dr Clark joined the Presbygirls podcast (part of the Presbycast media empire) with Sarah Morris, Sean Morris, and Josh Squires this week to discuss how the church should and should not address abuse. Here is the video version: RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →
Dane Ortland’s Church Investigated For “Retaliation Charge”––How Can Churches Do Better?
A 2021 firing of a female staff member from a Chicago-area church led by pastor and author Dane Ortlund was determined to have “substantial evidence” of retaliation, according to an investigation into alleged discrimination by the state of Illinois. The former director . . . Continue reading →
A Faithful Elder Stands Up For The Sheep
Last year, Hohn Cho concluded Grace Community Church had made a mistake. The elders had publicly disciplined a woman for refusing to take back her husband. As it turned out, the woman’s fears proved true, and her husband went to prison for child . . . Continue reading →
Review: Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael J. Kruger
Michael Kruger has written a gem of a book, addressing one of the most prominent issues troubling the church today. Increasingly, we are faced with stories about pastors who misuse their position of authority to achieve their own selfish ends to the . . . Continue reading →
What Happens When A Bloke Looks At The Facts About Wilson
Language Warning: He Quotes Wilson
(HT: Examining Moscow) Resources How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian Support Heidelmedia: use the . . . Continue reading →