We’ve been carrying Trueman too long………… & bringing unity to Ref21
On the day after Trueman bows out let me say ‘Good riddance to bad
rubbish’. He was holding us back. Too establishment, he’s becoming a
statesman. To be honest I saw it coming when he joined the T4G
bandwagon. Who can ever forget him grinning away on that panel, with his
eyes rolling round and round like old Disney characters and finishing
up with dollar signs. Since then there have been flashes of the old Carl
but nothing like he was. I trust the two nodding dogs of Mortification
of Spin will continue to treat Carl with the disrespect he deserves.
Remember he’s mortal like the rest of us. If he starts throwing mobile
phones, firing random elders, getting on to the New York bestseller
list, just call ‘The Librarian’.
Carl gave me the best advice when I joined Ref21 and was nearly
immediately involved in Krankie-gate: Resign early and often. I trust
the spirit of Trueman will live on.
Anyway the
last couple of weeks have seen Big Frank and Jones going toe to toe on
baptism. I wonder if we can move the conversation on to something less
controversial and something we can all agree on…. church government.
last couple of weeks have seen Big Frank and Jones going toe to toe on
baptism. I wonder if we can move the conversation on to something less
controversial and something we can all agree on…. church government.
Sean
Lucas has written a really helpful intro in the Basics series on What
is church government? His conclusion states why Presbyterian
denominations are the way forward and why networks, associations, affiliations and fellowships don’t cut it……..
Lucas has written a really helpful intro in the Basics series on What
is church government? His conclusion states why Presbyterian
denominations are the way forward and why networks, associations, affiliations and fellowships don’t cut it……..
There is a difference between a network of congregations and
a connectional church. That difference comes in the principle of mutual
relation expressed through practices of review and control, which are at the
heart of Presbyterianism While a network of congregations may or may not notice
or care when a sister church is going astray – or they may care but remain
powerless to do anything – biblical Presbyterianism has processes in place to
deal with issues. And while some in a network of churches may view their
alliance as a temporary means toward a desired end, those who believe that
Presbyterianism is biblical would say that the connection, the unity, that our
churches share cannot be cast aside so easily. To leave such a connection thoughtlessly
or without sufficient biblical grounds would be schism. Because schism is a ”formal
and wilful separation from the unity of the church,” it must rest upon
profoundly doctrinal grounds in which the very gospel itself is at stake.
Presbyterianism serves as a biblical polity to express in a visible fashion the
unity of Christ’s church.
