Here in the days of COVID-19, with many churches are not yet able to gather, Christians are finding themselves increasingly adjusting to the isolation. After all, there are perks to being able to livestream a service and not have to leave the comfort of your home. Yet virtual relationships are hardly conducive to deep relationships. And podcasts and livestream services are no substitute for accountability and discipleship. As we need to be reminded again and again, this cannot be the new normal. Christians have always needed to be connected in meaningful relationships with other believers in the church. A good reminder of this is found in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.
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The Tie That Binds: John Fawcett's Decision to Stay
We’ve heard this story before: A small church calls an inexperienced young man to serve as their pastor. The congregation patiently encourages him, bears with his immaturity, nurtures his gifts, sacrifices for his seminary education, and over time the young man grows into a capable minister. But one day, the church learns that the pastor has been called to a larger church for a bigger salary and greater influence. Before long, the small church is back to square one and the future is uncertain.
This is a story that has been told many times, in our day and throughout church history. As success-driven Westerners, it’s easy to admire pastors who leave small churches for wider spheres of influence. But is this the only model for a successful ministry? Why don’t we hear more stories of pastors who have chosen to remain in the small church for decades? For pastors who are contemplating a move, are there any examples of ones who stayed?
Let me introduce you to the story of John Fawcett.
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Church Covenants, not Baby Dedications: A Lesson From Baptist History
Who doesn’t love a baby dedication service? Cute babies wiggle, cry, and coo while their parents self-consciously attempt to maintain a level of decorum. After the parents utter a brief vow filled with biblical language, they all scurry back to the nursery. Though mom and dad appreciate the communal recognition, most parents would confess that the blue Bibles, pink flowers, and paper certificates that mark the day lacked transformational power. So why do Baptists do the dedications?
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Jesus’ Other Word from the Cross
On Good Friday, as we turn our attention to the cross and often attend to the “words” Jesus spoke from it, one saying recorded in John has always brought me pause:
John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”
Jesus’ appeal of forgiveness for his enemies, his cry of forsakenness, and the exclamation, “It is finished!” these have always opened up the richness of the gospel! But what are we to do with this strange, even difficult word?
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Reflections from W. B. Hinson during the Cancelation of Services at East Side Baptist Church
During the fall of 1918, church services throughout Portland, OR were canceled in response to restrictions placed by the city on large gatherings because of the Spanish flu epidemic. Beginning on October 13, 1918, East Side Baptist Church was unable to gather together for worship. This timing was particularly difficult because the church had just purchased a new building on the corner of SE 20th & Salmon and gathered for worship in it for the first time on October 6. Not allowed to meet with his congregation, Pastor W. B. Hinson agreed to preach at a church in Hillsboro on October 13. But still, he longed to be with his congregation. In the following weeks, Hinson would send out weekly bulletins at his own expense in order to remain in contact with his people and encourage them in the faith.
In the bulletin for October 20, Hinson shared the following comments. Here was an opportunity for them to stop and reflect on the privilege and responsibility of worshiping as a church.
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Sovereignty alongside Responsibility: Revival in the Theology of Andrew Fuller
“Revival” is a loaded word that evokes a variety of divergent images. For the historically-inclined, Jonathan Edwards’ (in)famous “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon may come to mind. Contemporary readers may recall Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusades as a 20th-century image of revival. Though revival has maintained dominance in American religious life even to the present, it was equally formative for evangelicalism in Britain from the 1730s extending into the 19th century.
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Ask Pastor Charlie - On Congregational Singing
In this episode of Ask Pastor Charlie, we focus on questions related to congregational singing. Churches these days have more access to technology, resources, media, and all kinds of other enhancements to our worship services. But are our churches singing better? How do we get our people to sing? What’s the job of the worship leader? What kind of songs should we sing? Let’s listen in:
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Was the Reformation a Success?
This talk was given at Hinson Baptist Church in Portland, OR on Oct. 29, 2017, in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
Was the Reformation a success?
That probably seems like a strange question for us to think about. Here on this historic Reformation Sunday, this is a question worth considering. How do we know the Reformation was a success? Megachurches? Political church alliances? Rapid church multiplication? New York Times bestsellers? What could we point to?
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Are You Schismatic? Examining Your Heart for the Sin of Schism
Schism is a scary, serious word. We often think of a schismatic as someone who has caused a split in a denomination over a hot topic issue or walked away from the church entirely, and these never include ourselves. But John Owen’s teaching on schism reminds us that schism can be much less dramatic than this and thus much easier to fall into without realizing it.
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Pastoral Transitions at the New Park Street Chapel
Founded in 1652, the New Park Street Chapel had been around for over 200 years when they called 19-year-old Charles Spurgeon to be their pastor in 1854. Like many other churches, this historic Baptist church went through many ups and downs throughout its long history. Reflecting on those pastoral transitions, Spurgeon shares nine lessons for pastors and church leaders to consider as they prepare their churches for the next pastor.
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Small Beginnings: C. H. Spurgeon at Waterbeach
Before he was the pastor of the largest of church in London, president of the Pastors’ College, founder of an orphanage and dozens of other charitable institutions, and read by people from all over the world, C. H. Spurgeon pastored a small Baptist church in the village of Waterbeach, about five miles outside of Cambridge. At that time, few could have predicted what was to come. And yet, God used his faithful ministry to bring about a transformation to that village during his short time there.
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"Make no difference of persons": Owen on the Place of Popularity in the Church
Everyone knows that teenagers in highschool struggle with an intense desire to be part of the popular crowd. Yet, few realize that this doesn’t always end after graduation, it just looks different. As an introvert, I am always instinctively observing the people around me, and sometimes this can take a prideful turn. Have you ever been talking to someone at church and suddenly get a sneaking feeling of superiority as you realize you are the more impressive person in terms of style, speech, or interests? Do you notice when the cool people walk in on Sunday morning and try to get their attention?
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A Tale of Two Associations
Baptist churches have always understood that though every local church is complete in itself, each church may pursue voluntary associations in order to promote their health and the work of the gospel. But with cooperation comes new challenges. How big can an association get? How broad or narrow should doctrinal standards be? How do you balance denominational influence with congregational authority?
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When You Don’t Feel Like Going to Church: The Puritans on Worshipping Together
In highschool, Sundays were my favorite days. If I had to miss school or a hangout with friends, I would be disappointed, but if I had to miss church, I felt off for the whole week. I loved hearing the message, singing our songs, eating a big lunch, and laying around in someone’s living room talking about anything. And when Sunday was over, I couldn’t wait until the next one.
Years later in university, Sundays became my least favorite day. I started taking medication that made me sick from Saturday to Monday, and going to church became the time I had to pretend to be happy when all I felt was depressed. On Saturday nights I dreaded the next morning, and on Sunday nights I fell asleep happy. Of course, I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know how to get back to where I was.
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