Find out more about the Gospel Coalition HERE. Find local churches in your area that support the Gospel Coalition HERE.

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Good article HERE by Justin Taylor, Kevin DeYoung, and Collin Hansen on the Future of the Evangelical Reformed Movement.  This article was written at the invitation of Patheos for its Future of Evangelicalism series.

About five years ago, something strange happened in the Christian world: Reformed theology made a comeback. Once perceived as the bright but slightly eccentric and often ignored kid in the corner of the classroom, Calvinism became the new cool kid on the block. To be fair, a significant number of American evangelicals have always believed the doctrines of grace—that God graciously regenerates sinners who would not otherwise choose to follow him. But for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, those evangelicals tended to congregate in relatively small Presbyterian denominations.

In the 1990s, in a relatively quiet and unassuming way, various churches and ministries began to expand in influence throughout the United States—all influenced in one way or another by the Reformed vision of a great and glorious God. In addition to the Reformed seminaries, there was Sovereign Grace Ministries (Gaithersburg, Maryland), 9Marks (Washington, D.C.), Desiring God (Minneapolis), Ligonier Ministries (Orlando), Grace to You (Sun Valley, California), and Acts29 (Seattle). Added to this was the Southern Baptist Convention’s flagship seminary, where president Albert Mohler led a conservative resurgence to recover the founders’ Reformational principles. Each ministry—valuable in its own right—operated independently from one another. But through intentional relational networking—as seen, for example, in Together for the Gospel (first conference, 2006)—there was newfound camaraderie as it seemed that a fresh work of God was underway.

This fellowship among Presbyterians, Baptists, and a host of like-minded independent churches caught the watching public’s attention. Christianity Today, Time, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and the Religion Newswriters Association all took notice. Any accurate analysis of evangelical trends today will take note of the energy behind this growing movement.

What Lies Ahead

We write this article not to relive the past, however, but to consider the future. We write not as formative leaders of the movement but first and foremost as grateful beneficiaries. As convinced Calvinists ourselves, we can’t help but be thankful for the work God seems to be doing in our generation to renew churches, re-energize preaching, recover the beauty of robust doctrinal engagement, and re-establish the glory of God and the wonder of the gospel in the heads and hearts of his people. Only God could have raised up such a diverse collection of churches and ministries at this time of both great opportunity and also peril.

The Opportunity Before Us

Where some Christians fret over the loss of Christian consensus in America and the growing ranks of the religiously unaffiliated, we see great opportunity. The demise of nominal Christianity opens new possibilities for genuine discipleship. If people nowadays are going to follow Christ, they want the strong stuff. They want robust theology, a big Christ, a deep gospel, and they aren’t afraid of serious demands. It is no coincidence that this movement of evangelical Calvinists thrives in pockets of America where church attendance has eroded. Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., and Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan have three very different personalities and styles, and they represent three age brackets. But each, in his own way, has inspired many young pastors to pour their lives into dying churches and start new ones in cities considered skeptical toward evangelicals.

The meaty theology of Calvinism has other aspects that bode well for its future. For one, the intellectual nature of the Reformed faith means that it tends to exert a disproportionate influence on Christian thinking and institutions through writing, scholarship, and formal theologizing. Second, the accent on God’s providential care over all encourages Christians to count the cost of discipleship in an increasingly hostile culture and trust God for the outcome. Throughout the centuries, missionaries such as William Carey and Adoniram Judson have found encouragement to persevere from the promise of God’s sovereignty. If the future holds further erosion of nominal Christianity, evangelical Calvinists are equipped to endure. Finally, a firm commitment to the full trustworthiness and authority of Scripture—along with a settled conviction in substitutionary atonement and justification by Christ’s righteousness through faith alone—are historic and essential rail guards to keep evangelicalism on a biblically faithful path.

The Peril Ahead

At the same time, we see peril. In the wider evangelical movement the richness of the biblical gospel is often marginalized, sometimes unwittingly. The gospel becomes a bullet-point summary with little power, simply a stepping stone to social activism, or the gateway to what really matters—effective parenting, marital bliss, and financial rewards.

In this perilous and divided situation, evangelical Calvinists are often perceived as one more partisan voice clamoring for attention and market share. Worse, we are caricaturized as mean-spirited doctrine police known more for what (and whom) we areagainst than what we celebrate. Still others think the new Calvinists are faddish disciples of dead Puritans or groupie-like Piperazzi. By God’s grace we will not live up (or is it down?) to these stereotypes. If God uses the movement for his glory in the days and decades ahead it will be because he has given us the grace to be clear-headed and warm-hearted, doctrinal and devotional, discerning in spirit and ecumenical in our affections. If God uses us it will be because he has kept us focused squarely on the gospel and its massive implications flowing from Christ the center. So long as the evangelical Reformed movement offers a means of supporting gospel-centered unity, doctrine, worship, and action, we suspect it will prosper and leaven the broader church.

Still, we understand from history that movements come and go. Coalitions change when the scene shifts. So in that sense, we are not concerned for the future of this Reformed resurgence. God doesn’t promise that movements will stand the test of time. That privilege belongs only to the institution of the church (Matt. 16:18). As in the local church, movements suffer the inevitable tensions that stem from diverse personalities and persistent sin. Looking toward the future, we can only pray to God and exhort one another to resist the temptations to seek personal acclaim. Rather, recognizing God’s grace shown toward us, we should “love one another with brotherly affection” and “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10).

Meeting this standard will not be easy. As our movement grows, we will face new challenges. We will not always agree. Right now, we see several potential dangers.

(1) Some of us struggle to be bold without being obnoxious; others of us seek to be meek but often succumb to cowardice. We want to guard the truth, not strangle it. We want to be both wise and innocent, fearless and faithful, bold but brokenhearted. We want to keep our affections in proportion to the things that matter most.

(2) We are trying to find the right balance between the call to radical discipleship and the acceptance that faithfulness requires much that is mundane and ordinary. Along these lines, there is still much confusion about whether the church’s mission in the world has been too big or too small—too diffuse or too narrow.

(3) We anticipate there will be the inevitable tensions between generations as retiring leaders pass the baton to a younger generation. Younger leaders will need great wisdom to both show respect for their heroes in the faith as well as learn that some disagreements with them are okay. For their part, older leaders must plan ahead to train a new generation of leaders and empower a deep and broad network of capable, young ministers for faithful ministry for the years ahead. We are encouraged to see many good examples of these things in both generations.

Hope in God

We don’t pretend to know how or if these three tensions will resolve. Certainly we will be disappointed if they rise to the level of splitting the movement. But no movement of God can or should long endure if Christians cannot treat one another with grace. We have been given much; we agree on much; we ought to love much. Above all, we pray God will be pleased to raise up more churches around the world that delight in our great God, proclaim his great gospel, and lift high great David’s greater Son, our Lord Jesus Christ by whom all things in heaven and on earth hold together.

Baptist21 held its 2nd annual B21 Panel at the SBC. The panel took place in Orlando during Tuesday’s Lunch at the SBC Convention. The members of the panel were Danny Akin, Matt Chandler, Ronnie Floyd, Johnny Hunt, Albert Mohler, David Platt, Jimmy Scroggins, and Ed Stetzer. The panel discussed issues pertaining to the gospel, the SBC and its future, the Great Commission Resurgence, and more.

In addition, Baptist21 also posted the discussion that took place on Tuesday night of the Southern Baptist Convention at the 9marks@9 event. During that event Danny Akin, Mark Dever, Albert Mohler, and David Platt discussed some very important topics. They addressed Platt’s sermon from the previous night, the importance of the GCR, next steps for the SBC and individual pastors, the health of the SBC, the importance of attending the national meeting (check the Mohler quote at about 11:30-12:30), the future of theological education, and more.

Unfortunately, I will be missing the Ligonier Conference this year because of just starting a new job here in Louisville, but I’m thankful that my 16yr old brother, Jonathan, is going in my place to experience one of the best conferences to attend this year.

Starting Thursday, June 17 at 9:00 a.m. (ET), Ligonier’s National Conference “Tough Questions Christians Face” will be live-streamed for free in partnership with Christianity.com. Speakers include: Alistair Begg, Michael Horton, Steven Lawson, John MacArthur, Albert Mohler, Burk Parsons, R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul Jr., Derek Thomas.

Also, the Pre-Conference event (June 17, 9:00 am), which includes Tim Challies, Al Mohler, Burk Parsons, and Ed Stetzer will help equip Christians, young and old, to think biblically about new media and how to use new media for their own purposes, for the edification of the church, and for the kingdom of God. They will be taking your questions via Twitter for the panel Q/A. Use the hashtag: #lmnc for your questions.

Thursday, June 17

Pre-Conference: Bits, Bytes, Blogs & Bibles - Various (9am-12pm)

Every day we communicate through various media. From the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press in the fifteenth century to the rise of the internet in the late twentieth century, throughout history societies have invented new forms of media in order to communicate more efficiently. In this Pre-Conference event, Tim Challies, Al Mohler, Burk Parsons, and Ed Stetzer will help equip Christians, young and old, to think biblically about new media and how to use new media for their own purposes, for the edification of the church, and for the kingdom of God.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? – John MacArthur (3:10pm-4:10pm)

Many skeptics have argued that the Christian doctrine of the atonement is inherently unjust. How is it just, they say, for an innocent man like Jesus to be punished for the sins of another? Even professing evangelicals have questioned the doctrine of substitutionary atonement, with one going so far as to call it “cosmic child abuse.” In this lecture, Dr. John MacArthur looks at the biblical doctrine of the atonement showing how the righteousness and holiness of God are upheld in it.

Is the Doctrine of Inerrancy Defensible? – Michael Horton (5:10pm-6:00pm)

For centuries orthodox Christians have taught that the Holy Scriptures are inerrant. Skeptics, on the other hand, claim that this doctrine is meaningless, saying that the doctrine of inerrancy has died the death of a thousand qualifications. How should Christians respond? In this lecture, Dr. Michael Horton explains what the orthodox Christian doctrine of inerrancy means and shows how and why it remains a defensible part of our confession.

Does the Doctrine of the Divine Decrees Eliminate Human Will? – John MacArthur (8pm-9pm)

Reformed theology teaches that God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass. Critics of Reformed theology argue that this entails a fatalistic worldview in which only God’s will truly exists. They claim that if God decreed or willed the acts of our will, then our will is not real. In this lecture, Dr. John MacArthur explains why the Biblical doctrine of the divine decrees does not eliminate the reality of the human will and does not entail a fatalistic worldview.

Friday, June 18

What Is Evil and Where Did It Come From? – R.C. Sproul (8:30am-9:30am)

Many skeptics have challenged the consistency of the Christian worldview, arguing that evil could not have originated in a universe created by a wholly good God. Therefore, since evil exists, the universe could not have been created by a wholly good God. The challenge is not new, and in this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul explains the Christian response to this age-old challenge.

Why Do Christians Still Sin? – R.C. Sproul Jr. (9:30am-10:30am)

All Christians struggle with continuing sin in their lives, and many wonder why. If God answers prayers that are according to His will, and if God’s will is that we do not sin, why doesn’t God grant our request to be free of the struggle with sin? In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. responds to this question in light of redemptive history and the Bible’s teaching on prayer and sanctification.

How Do We Know Which Interpretation is Right? – Derek Thomas (11:40am-12:30pm)

There are many conflicting and mutually exclusive interpretations of Scripture. Skeptics point to this as a reason to reject Christianity’s truth claims, and many Christians who accept the truth of Scripture wonder how they are to know which interpretation is right. In this lecture, Dr. Derek Thomas provides Christians with guidelines to assist them in understanding not only why there are so many interpretations, but also how they are to evaluate and weigh conflicting interpretations.

Is the Bible Just Another Book? – Steven Lawson (2:30pm-3:25pm)

One of the most common claims heard today is that the Bible is merely a collection of contradictory human writings with no coherent structure. Even believers sometimes express frustration because they cannot understand how these various writings fit together. They cannot see the “big picture,” and many give up trying to understand Scripture. In this lecture Dr. Steven Lawson will remind Christians of the importance and privilege of knowing Scripture, helping them to grasp the basic content as well as its meaning and significance.

Is the Exclusivity of Christ Unjust? – Alistair Begg (4:15pm-5:15pm)

One atheistic website raises the question: “Did the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust go to hell? The obvious implication of such a challenge is that it is unjust to say that only those who place their faith in Christ will be saved. In this lecture, Dr. Alistair Begg explains what the Bible teaches about the exclusivity of Christ and answers the emotionally provocative challenges raised by inclusivists and pluralists.

Questions and Answers – Various (7:15pm-8:30pm)

Saturday, June, 19.

Why Does the Universe Look So Old? – Albert Mohler (8:30am-9:40am)

Many Christians believe that the universe is only 6000 years old. Others say that all observations of God’s creation indicate that it is much older. In this lecture, Dr. Albert Mohler will explain the difference between general and special revelation and the difference between both types of revelation and human interpretations of that revelation. He will also discuss how these facts should inform our approach to questions of science and faith.

Is Calvinism Good For the Church? – Burk Parsons (9:40am-10:30am)

Recent years have witnessed a resurgence of interest in the theology of John Calvin, but is this necessarily a good thing? Does Calvinism weaken and destroy churches as some contend? Is Reformed theology a hindrance to the church’s life and work? In this message, Burk Parsons will take a look at Reformed theology and explain why Calvin’s view of God, man, sin, Jesus Christ, and salvation are precisely what the church needs in this and every generation.

If God is Good, How Could He Command Holy War? – Derek Thomas (11:15am-12:05pm)

Numerous skeptics have challenged the goodness of God by pointing to His command in the Old Testament to exterminate the Canaanites, including the women and children. Christians have also wondered how to understand those passages of Scripture. In this lecture, Dr. Derek Thomas explains the meaning of Old Testament Holy War in light of redemptive history, showing that it is fully consistent with the holy and good character of God.

Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing of Loved Ones in Hell? – R.C. Sproul (12:05pm-1:00pm)

Many of the toughest questions Christians face from skeptics involve the doctrine of eternal punishment and hell. But it is not only unbelievers who ask questions about hell. Many Christians have unbelieving loved ones who have died, and they wonder how they can enjoy heaven knowing that their loved ones are in hell. In this lecture, Dr. R.C. Sproul helps Christians understand what the Bible has to say about this deeply troubling question.

You can watch the entire conference here.

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The Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Pastor’s Conference is this week, and some of the main speakers this year consist of Matt Chandler, C.J. Mahaney, Danny Akin, Russell Moore, Al Mohler, Andy Stanley, David Platt, and Francis Chan.

But one of the great things about the SBC Annual Pastor’s Conference is the B21 Panel presented by Baptist 21.

Last year, during the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Pastor’s Conference, Baptist 21 presented the B21 Panel event and it was hosted by Sojourn Community Church. The panel consisted of: Daniel Montgomery, Ed Stetzer, Danny Akin, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, and David Platt, which examined reasons for young pastors to involve themselves with the Southern Baptist Convention, the place for seminaries in training up the next generation, dual involvement with the SBC and Acts 29, and more provocative topics.

There will be another B21 Panel presented by Baptist 21 again this year at the conference with special guest Danny Akin, Matt Chandler, Al Mohler, David Platt, Jimmy Scroggins, Ed Stetzer, Johnny Hunt, Ronnie Floyd.

You can watch last years B21 Panel and it’s in two parts below:

Stay tuned for a posting of the B21 Panel video of this year’s discussion!

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A nice new video from Southern Seminary explaining what is the Gospel:

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“A diverse group of men, united in their love for the Savior and the gospel, praying with tears for healing of a brother with stage 3 brain cancer.”

(via JT)

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“The Church is the Gospel Made Visible” by Mark Dever.

“The Defense and Confirmation of the Gospel — What I Have Learned in 50 years” by R.C. Sproul.

“How Does it Happen? Trajectories Toward an Adjusted Gospel” by Al Mohler.

“‘Fine-Sounding Arguments’ — How Wrongly ‘Engaging the Culture’ Adjusts the Gospel” by Thabiti Anyabwile.

“The Theology of Sleep! (Mark 4)” by John MacArthur.

“Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?” by John Piper

Matt Chandler and C.J. Mahaney Discussing Suffering.

“Did the Fathers Know the Gospel?” by Ligon Duncan

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Ed Stetzer released some new research conducted by telephone surveys of more than 1,000 Protestant pastors that shows two-thirds have obtained at least a Master’s degree, and 71 percent strongly agree that they regularly use things they learned in their seminary classes.

So many people that feel called into ministry do not see the importance of seminary. It is very encouraging to see how strongly pastors value their theological education.

However, when considering adding staff members to lead age-group ministries in their churches, pastors are not generally inclined to make a seminary degree a prerequisite.

Only 10 percent of Protestant pastors say they would require a candidate to have a seminary degree and instead place emphasis on other qualifications, such as experience and beliefs, about which the phone survey asked.

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Over 18 million black babies have been aborted since Roe vs. Wade. This should bother you!

Southern Seminary President, Al Mohler, informs people about the issue of abortion and a call for us to make a stand now!  Here is an excerpt of his post discussing that black people are an endangered species in America and introduces us to Catherine Davis.  Read below:

The Director of Minority Outreach for Georgia Right to Life, Davis is taking that message to the public, along with a massive public awareness campaign that has captured national and international attention. Drivers in the metro Atlanta area are seeing billboards that demand attention — and are changing minds.

Her argument is simple and the statistics are irrefutable. She accuses abortion providers in general, and Planned Parenthood in particular, of targeting blacks for abortion. She told The New York Times, “The impact of abortion has become so great that it has begun to impact our fertility rate.”

Consider the chilling facts documented in the data. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 57.4% of the abortions performed in Georgia in 2006 were performed on African-American women, but blacks make up only 30% of Georgia’s population. Nationwide, the pattern is similarly stacked against black babies — black women have approximately 37% of all abortions each year, while blacks make up only 13% of the national population.

You can see why Catherine Davis’ message demands attention. She points also to the fact that, in Georgia, every single abortion clinic is located in areas of black concentration. She argues, quite pointedly, that this amounts to an intentional effort to reduce the black population in the United States.

As she told the Los Angeles Times, “Let me put it this way . . . 18,870,000 black babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade. If those babies had not been aborted, we would be 59 million strong — over 19% of the population.”

You can read the rest of the article here!

This week the Shepherds Conference is in session over in California at Pastor John MacArthur’s church who is hosting the event.  Here is one of the questions from the Q&A time that I thought was really helpful and encouraging about seminary.

Q: What is the importance of seminary training?

John MacArthur:

When a man about his life and the impact he wants to have in ministry, he needs to ask himself questions like, “As a minister of the gospel, what is going to take me to the highest level of excellence and effectiveness? As an ambassador for Christ, what will help me be most effective for His kingdom? As a workman who does not want to be ashamed, how can I be best equipped to teach the Scripture?” The answer is to acquire the best and highest level of training that you can. That is what makes seminary so valuable.
The primary goal of a seminary is to train men to handle the Word of God with passion and precision. The church today—and in any age—needs men who are committed to preach the Word, in season and out of season. If pastors are going to be faithful to their calling, they must faithfully teach His Word to His people through the power of His Spirit and for His glory. A man trained at a seminary that is committed to these convictions will be an effective minister of the gospel.

Al Mohler:

There is no real mystery to the value of seminary training. Seminary education is not a substitute for a call to ministry, nor is it more important than character and conviction. The man of God is not made by theological education, and there have been phenomenally faithful and powerful preachers who lacked formal theological education. On the other hand, it is hard to imagine how a man can be satisfied with less theological and biblical education than is available to him. In other words, seminary is not the answer to every need for theological education, but where a faithful seminary education is available, the question clearly shifts to this: Why would I not pursue the most intensive and faithful program of preparation in order that I may faithfully and accurately teach the Word of God? Charles Spurgeon never attended seminary, but he grew up on the Puritan classics and serious works of biblical and systematic theology from the time he was able to read. In his case, the exception proved the rule, for one of his major concerns in ministry was the formation of a pastors college that would train men to do what he so faithfully did week after week—preaching and teaching the Bible to God’s people. My advice to a pastor who is not seminary trained is to gain the greatest level of theological and biblical education that is available to him in his context of life and ministry. Thankfully, this is where the technological revolution has given us some new advantages and opportunities. In reality, there is no one who is outside the reach of truly faithful theological education, whether by Internet, residential study, or other means.

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