Fierce Wolves Will Come
Not every person who opposes a pastor is a wolf, and we should use this label cautiously and after much discernment and deliberation. But we should apply it when it fits.
Not every person who opposes a pastor is a wolf, and we should use this label cautiously and after much discernment and deliberation. But we should apply it when it fits.
Although deacons serve practically, they are not called to less important matters. They serve because practical matters are spiritually significant.
Our culture prizes positions of prominence on the frontlines, and many of us find ourselves aspiring and striving to be part of the 300 on the frontlines. But sometimes God’s glory is most gloriously revealed with us as part of the 9,700 on the sidelines instead.
The Christian life isn’t accidental; it doesn’t unravel or flourish randomly. It is shaped by a small number of deeply embedded patterns that quietly, steadily form everything else.
If you move about between evangelical churches of a “baptistic” and “congregational” strain, you are likely to encounter a variety of practices and norms with respect to the use and definition of the terms “pastor” and “elder”. In some churches, the terms are synonymous: pastors are elders and elders are pastors. In other churches, the elders are volunteer leaders, while the pastors are leaders who are paid. In some churches, there are several elders and one Lead Pastor. In other churches, there are several pastors, only one of whom is considered an elder. Further examples of unique usage could no...