[M]any baptists/Baptists have forgotten their own theology of the sacraments/ordinances and have practiced them inconsistently with our history and theology. – Roger Olson
I have found this article by Dr. Olson, professor of theology at Baylor University, most interesting. It is specifically limited to his fellow Baptists, but has much to commend it to a broader audience. Dr. Olson’s insights into receiving Holy Communion are particularly useful. He correctly shows that there is no biblical warrant to demand baptism prior to receiving Communion.
Olson’s main thrust is about the decline in Baptist churches to remain true to their theology of the sacraments and either not think about the issue, or think about it sloppily. Let me reinforce the point with my own observations as I have witnessed a variety Baptist or “non-denominational” (ex-Baptists) churches do baptism. One church in particular really stunned me when the minister immersed the teen aspirant, but said no words, as in the classic Trinitarian formula, or even the United Pentecostal “Onto the name of Jesus.” Nothing. That is an extreme case, but points to what Olson complains about. I hope many people read Olson’s article and give more thought to their sacramental ministry.
Charles Simpson, Walking in the Footsteps of David Wilkerson: The Journey and Reflections of a Spiritual Son (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2018), 210 pages, ISBN 9780768417524. Walking in the Footsteps of David Wilkerson is the journal of a young man (the author) who walked much the same journey as the famed David Wilkerson (founder of Teen…
Tim J. R. Trumper, Preaching and Politics: Engagement without Compromise (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009), 97 pages, ISBN 9781606080085. How do you avoid extremes in the pulpit on controversial affairs of state? As a Reformed Calvinist pastor, Trumper writes for conservative and Reformed evangelicals. He advocates for a middle position between not preaching on…
Joe Hepler, “Four Ways to Connect with College Students in Church: How families and individuals can connect and support students away from home” Vital (November 12, 2015). There are innumerable presentations, articles, and books being written on the subject of the Millennials and the Church. These angles include the Church’s lack of connection with the…
Mark Driscoll, A Book You Will Actually Read On Church Leadership (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 96 pages, ISBN 9781433501371 Christians and even churches seem to find traditional NT leadership issues a bit boring, if not irrelevant, to modern church culture. An ever increasing trend in developing leadership teams is to adapt a more corporate style of…
Pastor Ojoli Moses takes Proclaimer MP3 players throughout rural Uganda. Cybermissions funds this outreach ministry. Most of those Pastor Ojoli Moses speaks to are partially literate, they are not comfortable with reading and writing, but they love listening, They are oral learners! Solar-powered MP3 players, radio, podcasts and downloadable audio files (for mobile phones) are…
From the Worship Leader series. We must never assume that simply because people are gathered together in one place, they are necessarily ready to worship. They seem to be ready, but they must in fact be brought to a place of readiness. The people do not need whipping-they have been battered by the world…
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