I was reading the ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) list of basic qualifications for being a missionary. You can read them by clicking below: Basic Qualifications for Missionary Service with ABWE I find them to be, generally, a good list. I found it interesting that there is no specific mention of "Calling." I assume …
Continue reading Are Social Ministries “Simply Bridges” for Evangelism?
Quote from "Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel" by Ronald J. Sider -It is... "simply incredible that so many modern Christians, especially evangelicals, have largely ignored this central truth about God. I remember talking to a prominent evangelical leader about fifteen years ago. He had just discovered the hundreds of …
Continue reading Social Concern and Christians. Too Little? Too Much?
You can look at PART 1, if you haven't read that yet. I would like to give three formative stories on my thoughts on this one. Story #1. This is the least story-ish. I was reading T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution. It is a so-called CPM strategy. CPM stands for "Church Planting Movement" and refers to …
In Evangelical circles there has been a strong emphasis on the "Great Commission." Of course, as I have noted numerous times, there are several presentations of the Great Commission. The two most popular (again, in Evangelical Circles) are in Matthew 28 and in Acts 1. Acts 1 is popular because it points to the outward …
<I was recently asked to create a Bachelor's level course on Holistic Missions. I think it will be called, "Foundations of Holistic Missions." Anyway, in my latest book, "Walking With: A Theological Reflection on Christian Missions," I had written a chapter on holistic missions--- or at least theological perspective that supports holistic missions. However, in …
The title says it. I don't involve myself in evangelistic events anymore. Years ago I did... and I will go into that. I have a number of reasons to, perhaps not oppose them but, choose not to support them. I will give two. #1. Historical. I come from Western New York. This area had the …
Continue reading Why I Don’t “Do” Evangelistic Events Anymore
My favorite "Great Commission" is the one recorded in John "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21). But it is not the most popular one. Some people prefer the one in Acts 1:8. That sending forth nature of the Gospel Call is inspirational. I recently read one writer who noted …
Twelve years ago, I finished my dissertation at Asia Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary. It was on medical missions in the Northern Philippines. Although I would have written some of it different now than I did back then; still, the findings were solid. I hope that the findings are helpful to people, but all too often …
Continue reading Christian Medical Missions— Can it be Done in a God-honoring Manner?
My wife is a certified pastoral counselor, so I sometimes get pulled in on CPE (Clinical Pastoral Training/Education) groups to lead a small training session. This weekend, I led one in Pastoral Theology. I utilize the definition for Pastoral Theology used by Margaret Whipp, in her book "SCM Guidebook: Pastoral Theology," PASTORAL THEOLOGY IS THE …
This question is one of my favorite questions, and I have talked about it a few times. However, here are two other articles that are very informative on the topic... so I don't have to write more. Just Distraction: What does the Bible say about social justice? By Katherine Ladd (2019) When John Stott Confronted …
Continue reading Is Social Ministry Just a Distraction from “REAL” Missions?