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…
My life as a Christian was forever changed on an ordinary day off from work in early December (2019). As my wife left for her job at a local preschool, I trudged from our bedroom to the living room table…
Devotion We live in a world dominated by hedonism: the ideology insisting that pleasure and/or happiness is the chief good in life. To be sure, hedonism “sells” to sinners navigating through a fallen world (James 1:14). In a created order…
Renihan, Samuel. The Mystery of Christ: His Covenant and His Kingdom. Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2019. Introduction Samuel Renihan wrote The Mystery of Christ: His Covenant and His Kingdom. He holds a Master of Divinity from Westminster Seminary California…
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…
Devotion You and I are liars by nature (Psalm 116:11; Romans 3:4). How’s that for an introductory statement? Although it may not be a “politically correct” or popular accusation to make, there are few characterizations that are more accurate in…
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…
Devotion During my childhood, my younger brother and I attended Little Country Daycare in Haslet, Texas. It was at that daycare center where I first began to learn how to pray. To this day, I can still vividly remember the…
The Plurality of Eldership The ninth mark of Mark Dever’s book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, is “Biblical Church Leadership.” He writes the following concerning the matter: The Bible clearly models a plurality of elders in each local church.[1]…
Devotion When examining the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit cited in Galatians 5:22-23, kindness and gentleness may receive the least amount of study and discussion. Myriads of books, songs and sermons have been produced on God’s love, goodness and…