Religion is an indispensable component of the public square.[1] Since the public square is encapsulated by the ideas of human beings, and since religion is an idea at the forefront of man’s mind,[2] any suggestion to the contrary would necessarily…
Introduction God has decreed all things that come to pass, and He carries out His decrees in two distinct, yet related ways. The first is creation, God’s external work of initiation. The second is providence, God’s work of continuation. In…
See article one here and article two here. Critique #2- Dispensationalism's Inconsistency on Sensus Plenior and New Testament Interpretive Priority A survey of the New Testament's use of the Old Testament reveals at least two essential distinctives about the hermeneutic of Scripture. First,…
Bible Belt Ministry Our church assembles in a rural area on the outskirts of a military base—Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Our community is in the Bible belt, where Christianity is practiced nominally by numerous professing believers. Many have come to…
Introduction Not long ago, I signed to write and publish a discipleship curriculum with H&E publishing titled Confessing Sound Words: A Discipleship Curriculum Through the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. The basis of this curriculum is the Second London…
Single Elder-led Congregationalism The last governmental structure worthy of consideration is single elder-led congregationalism. This view denies the bishop hierarchal structure espoused in Episcopalianism. It likewise denies the interdependent connectional structure espoused in Presbyterianism. Like plural elder-led congregationalism, single elder-led…
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The second prominent opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism worth considering is Presbyterianism. Christians in the Presbyterian tradition hold to a system of church government in which elected elders/presbyters from churches represent churches…
If you have pastored a single congregation for any length of time, then you know how difficult it can be to shepherd those who disagree with you. The first few months of ministry at a new location are similar to…
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The first major opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism that we will consider is Episcopalianism. There are different groups that hold to different theological convictions that use this form of church governance. The…
Plural Elder Led Congregationalism We have given consideration to who an elder is and what an elder does. But now we must consider how an elder cooperates with a congregation. The Bible’s discussion of church leadership always assumes a congregational…