There has been a difficult and painful case in an URC congregation in Iowa. Recently, things have become even more complicated due to new legal action by members against some of the officers in the church. Mikel at Presbyterian Blues has been . . . Continue reading →
The last thing we need is a church that keeps us sealed up in our own compartment with others of similar experiences in life. We need to be integrated into the body of Christ. Younger believers don’t need another speaker to come . . . Continue reading →
Modern aircraft have collision avoidance systems that alert pilots when another aircraft gets too close. Some modern cars have similar technology. In my experience, it’s not just cars and aircraft that avoid collisions. Churches and Christian leaders also have a tendency to . . . Continue reading →
More than a couple observers of the Reformed and evangelical worlds have noted the rise and danger of the superstar pastor. Yesterday, however, in conversation with a colleague another came to mind: implicit faith. Implicit faith (fides implicita) is the medieval (and . . . Continue reading →
[This post was first published on the HB in 2009] One link led to another and I happened recently upon the website of a large NAPARC congregation. As I often do I looked to see who the pastor was. That link led me . . . Continue reading →
How to Fence the Lord’s Table (Part 1) There is irony in fencing the Lord’s Table. What should be a joyous celebration, after due preparation of course, and a communion of believers with their risen Lord and with one another, is for . . . Continue reading →
After the Central Valley Conference last month I promised to answer some of the questions submitted for the Q/A for which we didn’t have time. One of them asked essentially: whom should Reformed Churches admit to the Lord’s Table? There are three . . . Continue reading →
UPDATE 27 MAY 2010 David W. Hall, pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA), Powder Springs, GA offers some “Answers to Questions” about the overture. The overture is now online (PDF). ORIGINAL POST 24 MAY 2010 On April 30, 2010 the Rev Dr . . . Continue reading →
Great stuff from Kim in TableTalk
“Nowhere has the disagreements between the “sectarians” and the “relevants” been more evident than in the discussions regarding the Regulative Principle of Worship, women in diaconal ministry, and the cultural mandate of the Church. The Metro New York Presbytery of the PCA, . . . Continue reading →
“There are some attributes of a thing that can be altered without compromising its basic character. You could remove the stone cladding of Buckingham Palace to reveal the red brick underneath and it would still be Buckingham Palace. Yet if you painted the White . . . Continue reading →
Martin Hedman is a graduate of Westminster Seminary California and he’s a PCA church planter in the LA metro. He’s also had significant training as an “industrial engineer.” These, he says, are the “efficiency experts.” As a pastor, church planter, and a . . . Continue reading →
“The church let me down.” That’s probably true. Now what? Kevin DeYoung is addressing this question.
I’ve been thinking more lately about the scandal of fencing the table. I should have thought to do this earlier. Researching an answer to another question I ran across some interesting Dutch Reformed (in this case, Christian Reformed) sources on this question. . . . Continue reading →
Re-Posted from Sept 9, 2009. The HB has addressed the problem of “churchless evangelicals” before. This question is a little different. How should consistories/sessions address the problem of members of a congregation who simply seem to disappear as if they’ve fallen off . . . Continue reading →
One aspect of Reformed theology, piety, and practice that distnguishes confessional Protestantism from broad evangelicalism is a high view of the visible, institutional church. Calvin spent most of book 4 of the Institutes on the visible church. The Belgic Confession spends two . . . Continue reading →
It may be impossible to be a confessionalist Reformed critic of evangelicalism of even its more dubious elements such as Willow Creek (or the mega-church movement generally) and remain a “player” within evangelicalism. Being confessionally Reformed (i.e., in theology, piety, and practice) . . . Continue reading →
From PCA pastor David Strain. Related HB posts: Candid Comments for Candidates (pt 1) Candid Comments for Candidates (pt 2)
It’s an ugly thing to have to consider but this might be a useful handout from CT.
One of the dominant stories in American Christianity in the last 25 years has been the rise of the “megachurch.” According to a recent study published in the 9 June USA Today there are 1,300 “megachurches” in the USA. For the purposes . . . Continue reading →