Topic category: Religion & Philosophy in the News
Does Disputatious Nature Of Fundamentalist Movement Leave Vacant Pulpits Empty?
In a sermon, an independent fundamentalist Baptist pastor lamented that he heard more than 75 churches needed pastors.
Even more troubling to the pastor was that, when a class was asked who among the assembled was ready to fill these vacancies, only two raised their hands.
But isn’t the nature of the independent fundamentalist Baptist movement in part at fault?
For often if a potential applicant disagreed with a congregation or more likely a pastoral search committee over a minor peculiarity or secondary doctrine, the individual often ends up being viewed as little better than an outright unbeliever.
As to the class where most did not respond in the affirmative, they probably figured if they had, they were likely to get a verbal reaming about the sins of presumption, pride, how no one is really good enough, and how the truly pious wait upon the moving of the Lord but to claim you hear from Him would then disqualify you as a crypto-Charismatic.
By Frederick Meekins
Frederick Meekins
Issachar Bible Church & Apologetics Research Institute
Biography - Frederick Meekins
Frederick Meekins is an independent theologian and social critic. Frederick holds a BS in Political Science/History, a MA in Apologetics/Christian Philosophy from Trinity Theological Seminary, and a PhD. in Christian Apologetics from Newburgh Theological Seminary.