A casualty of "reform"?
ANOTHER FLOUNDERS'TALE OF WOE
On the Flounders' blog in the comments section about The Baptist Standard, we find the following tale of woe, blamed on the "doctrines of grace," no less:
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Tom, I hope this is alright to post here. These doctrines so freely spoken of here have cost me my pastorate. I desperately need all of you to pray for me and my family. I am quite devastated.
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Looks like another case where an over-zealous Flounder was so obsessed with "these doctrines" that he apparently left his first love, the Gospel, and lost his church.
A similar thing happened in this area about 20 years ago when Brother Ernest Reisinger, Founder of the Flounders, came to a nearby Houston church and while in town he visited my bookstore. He came over to see me along with the young pastor of the church, and they indicated they were having difficulties in their efforts to "reform" this church. I'm now looking at a photo of all of us, standing in front of my store, as I write this, and on the backside it's dated June, 1987.
After Ernest and this young pastor did their thing in trying to "reform" the church, it wasn't long until I heard that the young preacher was no longer the pastor. I don't know, but I suppose he lost out. Instead of majoring on the majors, he evidently kept promoting Floundersism "reform," and he couldn't get enough support, so he had to move on. I later learned that he was doing some writing for the Flounders and also some pastoring
elsewhere.
posted by Bob L. Ross @ 8:21 PM
2 Comments:
It's really not fair nor gracious to assume that whenever a calvinist is fired it is because they are "over-zealous".
In some parts of the country there is a witch-hunt for calvinists, be they zealots or not. Sometimes even pastors who are very diligent in trying not to "force" anything on the people are ousted for their person interpretations.
I have a friend who could hardly even be called a calvinist (I had to explain what the 5 points were), whose job is in jeopardy just because his wife mentioned that John Piper's ministry had children' curriculum they might consider.
He was given the third degree and given a list of people not to use in his ministry, including piper, macarthur, mohler, or spurgeon.
NOT "GRACIOUS"?
Anonymous said...
It's really not fair nor gracious to assume that whenever a calvinist is fired it is because they are "over-zealous".
Of course, that is correct. There are also other reasons why pastors lose or resign their churches, whether they are Calvinists or whatever. I personally know of such cases.
For example, I personally knew a local Calvinist Pastor who led a split off from an SBC church and formed another church -- but unfortunately, he became involved in an affair with the song leader's wife, and had to resign his church.
Another couple of local cases involved Calvinist pastors of my personal acquaintance who were caught embezzling, and they had to resign their churches, one even going to prison.
I knew another case of a Calvinist pastor who left his wife to marry another woman in the church, and he resigned.
Just to be "fair and balanced," I also know similar local cases involving non-Calvinists, too. There is indeed "no respect of persons" or their theological views in such matters.
But I can't see any justifiable reason why a Calvinist should become so obsessed with promoting Calvinism that he is unable to pastor without creating division over controversial theology.
I know of cases where the Calvinist taught that the "doctrines of grace" are "sovereignly revealed," yet at the same time he was upbraiding those to whom the "doctrines of grace" had not been "sovereignly revealed"!
Making Calvinists of the church membership is not necessarily going to make them better either morally or spiritually. It might mean more sales of books by Banner of Truth, but it won't necessarily make one a better Christian. He might become a "better theologian," but not necessarily a better person.
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