In our Bible study for the Eugene Reformed work, we have been faithfully crawling through Romans—the slow pace is my fault I am afraid. Romans is just such a rich book of the Scriptures that I cannot resist looking at every little . . . Continue reading →
Church Life
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 →
Review: A Church You Can See: Building a Case for Church Membership By Dennis E. Bills
When Dennis Bills, a West Virginian minister in the Presbyterian Church of America, received his author’s copy of A Church You Can See in 2017, he was writing to a church world certainly in need of the book’s subtitle: Building a Case . . . Continue reading →
Of Wheels, Spokes, And Ruling Elders (Part 2)
Previously, we looked at the office of Ruling Elder (RE) in P&R churches. Today, we continue that conversation. Truing The Spokes When a bloc of REs, however, becomes less a counter-weight to progressive tendencies and more an anchor to prevent Reformation according . . . Continue reading →
Of Wheels, Spokes, And Ruling Elders (Part 1)
In his epistle (3:1) to the Trallians (c. AD 114), written to one of the congregations that visited him on the way to Rome to be martyred, Ignatius, the senior pastor (ἐπίσκοπος) of Antioch mentioned three offices in the church: Similarly, let . . . Continue reading →
Trueman: The Death of Communal Institutions Presents An Opportunity
My village had two churches, the Anglican parish church and the Baptist chapel. In the nineteenth century, both were central to village life. The current primary (elementary) school was founded by the Baptists in the nineteenth century when their children were effectively . . . Continue reading →
God’s Hand Rests On Us Lightly
One doesn’t have to look far to finds tracts and treatises of past theologians who wrote about God’s use of calamity and destruction to awaken people to repentance. I have in front of me David Clarkson’s, “God’s End in Sending Calamities.” People . . . Continue reading →
Scott Swain on the Four Marks of the True Church
The church is the crowning achievement in the work of salvation, planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, and brought into reality by the Spirit (Eph 1:3–14). The Father’s “plan for the fullness of time” is to sum up all things . . . Continue reading →
The Church Is Not Organized Around Any Personality But Christ’s
Chris Gordon and Dan Borvan discuss difference between the Reformed Churches and Big Eva congregations. Continue reading →
Where Is The Church Heading?
Introduction None of us knows the specifics of the future. There are a few things that every Christian knows from Scripture about the future. We know that Christ shall return (Acts 1:11), that there shall be a bodily resurrection (1 Thess 4:16), . . . Continue reading →
Evening Worship In The PCA: Did It Die Of Natural Causes, Neglect, or Euthanasia?
A startling new study and article by two young churchmen in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) suggests that around 12% of churches conduct evening worship services. Pastors from the founding generation have estimated that 50–75% of PCA churches had evening worship . . . Continue reading →
The Dispensationalists Are Wrong: We Should Pray The Lord’s Prayer Now
Jesus, in instructing his disciples on the basics of prayer, uses the imperative and tells them to “Pray in this manner!” (Matt. 6:9), going on to then give what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. This has been taken to mean—and rightly . . . Continue reading →
Watch This: Joel Kim With Chris Gordon On How To Prepare The Next Generation For Ministry
Joel Kim and Chris Gordon talk about how to prepare pastors. Continue reading →
Watch This: Joel Kim With Chris Gordon On AGR Regarding The Shortage Of Pastors And More
What happens if we run out of pastors? 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 →
Using Strength to Serve
We live in a time where it is thought that strength must be shown for it to be “strength.” Arguing online is the norm. Brash politicians are lauded. The bolder the talking head, the better. For men to be men they must . . . Continue reading →
How We Can Make Reformed Churches More Welcoming
Hospitality is vital to the life of the church. How we treat someone, whether they’re a visitor or longtime member, may affect their involvement within a church. It may also impact their decision to continue attending a church. Most of us have . . . Continue reading →
Video: A Commencement Address You Should Hear
Commencement addresses are typically forgettable—not this one. David Hall is married to Ann, and they are parents of three grown children and grandparents of eight grandchildren. He has served as the Senior Pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA) since 2003. Previously, he . . . Continue reading →
You Can Help A Confessional Reformed Congregation In Cincinnati!
Westside Reformed Church was launched nearly ten years ago as a church plant of the United Reformed Churches in North America, immediately after I graduated from seminary. It was at Westminster Seminary California—and through related media like the Heidelblog—that I developed a . . . Continue reading →