A Chapter from the Book of Nature
Last spring, the trustees of my church decided the bushes in front of the parsonage we call home had overstayed their welcome. Over several days various men dug and tugged and clipped until the bushes were gone. In their wake was a sullen strip of dry dirt. It called to me like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. I knew it just needed a little love and it would be as good as new. Although I had a baby on the way and knew I would not have...
Church Leadership Lessons from Malachi 2
In many ways, a leader’s competency can be assessed by the response of those he is leading. For example, a teacher’s competency to teach may be assessed by how well his or her students retain the information being taught in the classroom. If students learn the material and pass their exams, the teacher has probably done well educating his or her students. On the other hand, if nobody passes his or her exams, the teacher may not have...
General Baptists and the Ancient Rite of Confirmation: An Early Form of Baptist Catholicity? (Part 2)
The first part of this essay explored the defense of the laying on of hands from antiquity. The second part will look at the defense from Scripture, since neither Benjamin Keach, nor Thomas Grantham, nor John Griffith was satisfied with establishing the doctrine solely upon historical grounds. Keach explained that he “would build not upon Men or Tradition, but on the Word of God”—a sentiment which Grantham and Griffith also shared.[1]...
General Baptists and the Ancient Rite of Confirmation: An Early Form of Baptist Catholicity?
There has been a renewed interest in recent years among evangelical Baptists in theological retrieval and renewal. I am particularly thankful for the efforts of Baptist theologians such as Luke Stamps and Matthew Emerson (at the Center for Baptist Renewal), J. Matthew Pinson, and Michael A. G. Haykin who follow in the footsteps of men such as Timothy George by calling Baptists to retrieve from the great Christian tradition with the...
Finding God’s Will
How many of us know what we are going to face going into 2022? All of us certainly have personal questions going into the new year. Most likely, some of our decisions will change the course of our lives significantly. The decision might be whether to relocate to another city. Some might make a significant financial decision. It might be a decision on dating and marriage. Processing these decisions can be paralyzing. The question we...
Recommended Books (Winter 2022)
At the start of the year, many people set goals to accomplish over the ensuing twelve months. Some enjoy preparing reading goals that push them to explore new areas of literature, review old classics, or discover new authors. Others simply set a number of books they intend to finish by year’s end. Keeping notes on your reading habits serves to encourage more intentional and consistent reading. Reading partners and book discussion...
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