Collin Hansen has a great interview with John Piper on compensation for pastors, including honorariums from outside engagements and writing income. Here's one of his questions and an excerpt of Piper's answer. When did you first realize you would need some plan to handle the money earned from your speaking and writing? Were you ever tempted to keep the money for yourself? With the successful sales of Desiring God starting in 1987, I saw that there could be substantial income from writing and speaking. I resolved that I should not keep this money for myself but channel it to ministry. I … [Read more...] about John Piper on Pastors’ Pay
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Tim Challies Interviews MacArthur on Strange Fire Conference
Tim Challies has begun what apparently might be a multi-part interview with John MacArthur about his recent controversial Strange Fire conference. Here's an example of a question, and an excerpt of MacArthur's response. In his review of your book, Thomas Schreiner says that you painted with too broad a brush and failed to acknowledge some of the good qualities of the reformed continuationist movement. He says, “The clarion call of warning should be modified with clearer and more forthright admissions that many charismatics adhere to the gospel and are faithful to God’s Word.” How would … [Read more...] about Tim Challies Interviews MacArthur on Strange Fire Conference
Child Sexual Abuse within Christian Communities
Hats off to Jamie Dean for an outstanding cover story in World magazine about child sexual abuse within Christian communities (families, churches, ministries) and the enormous cost of not reporting incidents to the appropriate secular authorities. As Dean writes, "Adults may not intend to fail victims of sexual abuse, but experts say churches make a common mistake of trying to handle abuse allegations on their own." … [Read more...] about Child Sexual Abuse within Christian Communities
Doug Phillips (Vision Forum Ministries) Resigns
The news is breaking that Douglas Phillips of Vision Forum Ministries has resigned. This post should not be interpreted as a desire to heap scorn upon Mr. Phillips, his family, or the things he has courageously stood for over the years. On the contrary, while the circumstances which precipitated his resignation are sad, his resignation letter is in many ways a model of public repentance. It has become common in our day for those in positions of authority to "transition" from their duties in obscure ways, without any public acknowledgment of missteps, poor judgment, or wrongdoing. But Mr. … [Read more...] about Doug Phillips (Vision Forum Ministries) Resigns
Luther and the Reformation: Free R.C. Sproul Downloads
“On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther tacked up 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg. With this act, he hoped to provoke a discussion among the scholars about the abuses of the indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church. He was not trying to create a public furor by any means, but within a fortnight, these theses had spread through the country like wildfire. The last thing Luther had in mind was to start some kind of major controversy, but nevertheless major controversy did begin.” —R.C. Sproul In honor of Reformation Day, Ligonier Ministries is offering the downloadable edition of R.C. … [Read more...] about Luther and the Reformation: Free R.C. Sproul Downloads
Mark Driscoll – A Call to Resurgence: Reviewed
Andrew Wilson, pastor in Eastbourne, UK and author of If God, Then What?, writes an even-handed review of Mark Driscoll's latest missive, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future?. An excerpt: At the center of the book, however, is an unresolved tension that threatens to scuttle the whole volume. On the one hand, Driscoll insists that, in order to pursue “resurgence,” the various tribes in contemporary evangelicalism need to unite around the gospel, choose our battles wisely, and allow all sorts of disagreement over non-essential matters (116). The tribes that he, … [Read more...] about Mark Driscoll – A Call to Resurgence: Reviewed