Struggling With Faith and Being a Church Planter
Recently, I’ve been realizing that planting a church has been causing me to have some serious struggles with my faith in God. Planting a church pushes you into a situation of total dependence on God. For many pastors there is a struggle against always seeking to control and stabilize their churches. For me as a...
In Defense of “Brokenness”
Recently The Gospel Coalition ran an article by Randy Newman, expressing concern over the use of the term “brokenness.” While I agreed in part with Mr. Newman, he presented too broad a condemnation of the idea. I would argue that the language of brokenness is an important part of our vocabulary, not for avoiding deeper...
An Overture from a Blog!?
The following is an overture from Vintage73.com to the 39th General Assembly...
Anthony Bradley’s “Narcissism Epidemic”?
In doing some recent electrical work I was reminded that there is a big difference between knowing that you have a short in your lines, and figuring out what circuit is the issue. Until you find that damaged circuit the house is still in danger. I recently read Dr. Anthony Bradley’s article on what he...
Tim Keller, and Others, Shed Light on Being ‘Missional’
Tim Keller, of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, as well as Ed Stetzer, Alan Hirsch, and several other Evangelical leaders have come together to draft what they are calling a “Missional Manifesto”. The entire document can be found at missionalmanifesto.net, and Dr. Ed Stezter of the Southern Baptist Convention has written an additional introduction over...
Enough With the Singing and the Preaching
Looking at many churches in the PCA it’s fair to say that singing and preaching seem to be promoted above everything else, and I think that this is a potential problem. Maybe you are thinking “how are they promoted?” The answer is that we give the most time to the things we think are the...
Why is the Pastor Wearing That?!
The more I look around at different churches I realize that dress is one of the most diverse issues seen in churches today. It turns out that there are a lot of varying expectations out there about how people dress at church, and the heaviest expectations are often placed on the people who are up...
Why I Want to Avoid the PCA
Or The Understandability of Ostrichitis I left General Assembly in an optimistic mood. This was precipitated by many things: The spirit that surround the debates was (mostly) grace filled; I was one week from being installed as a church planter; I left feeling more connected to the PCA after talking to great elders from around...
Don’t Call it a Come Back, Please
I have recently heard a small rumbling in certain corners of the PCA which seem to be suggesting that the environment in the PCA today is very similar to the environment in the PCUS which made a split necessary, but is that really a fair comparison? To get our bearings let’s consider a few questions...
The PCA Isn’t Using What God Has Given Her
In Matthew 25 Christ tells the story of how a master gave his servants resources. Some used them well, while other were fearful and did nothing. His warning was that in the end the one who sits on his hands will be in trouble. I love being part of the PCA, but when it comes...
The Importance of Discussing Alternative Credentialing Paths
This post is part of a series of discussions on Vintage73 focusing on the PCA’s proposed strategic plan. We’ll provide both pro and con positions on different aspects of the plan. To benefit most from these posts we suggest you read the plan itself first. We’re thankful to the Cooperative Ministries Committee (CMC) for their hard...
Is Diversity In The PCA A Bad Thing?
The answer to that questions depends of a few things. We might start by asking: is the PCA getting more diverse? Well, the answer depends of the type of diversity you are asking about. In terms of theological diversity—no. Today the PCA is more theologically precise than it was at its founding. Sometimes people forget...
