Comments on: Evangephobia: A Hate Crime?

By: Ellen

Ellen — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:49:25 +0000

Great blog....from a fellow Christian writer and editor. If you have not been to Durango, Colorado - you should schedule a visit. My husband is a EFCA church planting pastor at Mountainview Community Church in Durango. You may visit our website at: mountainview-church.org

Many thanks for your writing!

By: PilgrimGeorge

PilgrimGeorge — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 08:04:01 +0000

Matt, thanks for your comment.

Just out of curiosity, what evangelicals are you describing? How do you see them indulging in the fantasy that they are the first-century church?

By: PilgrimGeorge

PilgrimGeorge — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 08:00:12 +0000

Cary, thanks for your comments.

I'm no prophet, or the son of a prophet, but in the next 30 years I think the reaction to complacent Christianity as expressed in the growing reformed tradition will spread widely. There is a generation of Christian leaders such as Piper, Driscoll, Chandler, etc. who will spawn others to embrace evangelicalism at its best. A few weeks ago I attended a conference in London about the future of British evangelicalism, and I have to say that right now, it's an exciting time to be an evangelical. I remain very optimistic about the future of Christianity, in America at least. Our choice is simple - revive or wither. I sense revival is brewing, particularly on college campuses.

I am also optimistic about various branches of the emerging church that are not threatened by historic Christian traditions. Tim Keller, for instance, embraces evangelical doctrine while using new methods and postmodern strategies for urban ministry. I think the struggle for anti-institutional Christian leaders will be preventing their movement from becoming an institution. There comes a point when not having a creed becomes a creed.

Just some thoughts. Would love to hear your response.

By: Cary Hughes

Cary Hughes — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:48:08 +0000

Great blog Christian. I think the current tension among young evangelicals is the passion for reformed doctrine/theology, and the emerging/emergent movement. I do believe that in 30 years, most of the Church's evangelical leaders will be of the doctrinal convictions same to those of Piper, Mahaney, Packer, Matt Chandler, and Mark Driscoll. In my own readings and studies recently, many of those our age are drawn to expository preaching and sound doctrine. In fact, the fastest growing churches in America right now are churches like Driscol's and Chandler's where expository preaching is the norm for worship. This being said, I believe evangelicals will be taken more seriously and will be heard more, but will still be attacked from a lost and dying world hostile to God. Do you think more evangelicals will be reformed in 30 years, or do you think more will be emergent? Would love to hear your thoughts.

By: Brandon Mathis

Brandon Mathis — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:03:46 +0000

The church has taught us that It's pretty easy to keep our heads down and do God's work without causing trouble. But if Christians would stop feeding only on the church and feed upon the Word, they might find the conviction to do something uncomfortable.

Members of the early church would be very happy to have had the freedoms we have in the United States. Christ said I would be rejected and persecuted just as he was, but when was the last time I did something worthy of persecution?

We must stop hanging our hopes on church leaders and politicians, but rather the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:37:25 +0000

I think most evangelicals have a persecution complex because they indulge in this fantasy that they are the first century church. They want to have it both ways: be the civil religion of the empire, and yet claim persecution whenever someone says a single thing about them.