Welcome to my weekly digest for May 19, 2023. For new subscribers, this contains a roundup of my recent writings and podcasts, as well as links to the best articles from around the web this week. You can control what emails you get from me by
Regarding the Jake Dell article, where are people who want to try this strategy of reconquest in mainline denominations supposed to find faithful pastors? Typically the pastors are even more committed to the progressive agenda than the few old people who remain in the pews. To quote from his article:
"The mainline denominations, meanwhile, could get a new lease on life as legacy trust funds, (think: the Ford, Mellon, and Carnegie foundations) promoting progressive causes, world without end, or at least until Jesus returns."
I have become convinced this is the playbook at most mainline denominations for a few years now. This gives them a strong incentive to hang onto to power and more importantly the financial assets of these churches. Reforming a church may be possible, reforming one of these denominations is not.
That leads to the problem of if the church owns its building, etc. Also based on personal experience, most of the nice old people you meet at these mainline churches have no interest in rocking the boat and just want to know this church is where their funeral is going to be held when they die. God bless anyone who tries, but it will be much more difficult than he suggests.
Regarding the Jake Dell article, where are people who want to try this strategy of reconquest in mainline denominations supposed to find faithful pastors? Typically the pastors are even more committed to the progressive agenda than the few old people who remain in the pews. To quote from his article:
"The mainline denominations, meanwhile, could get a new lease on life as legacy trust funds, (think: the Ford, Mellon, and Carnegie foundations) promoting progressive causes, world without end, or at least until Jesus returns."
I have become convinced this is the playbook at most mainline denominations for a few years now. This gives them a strong incentive to hang onto to power and more importantly the financial assets of these churches. Reforming a church may be possible, reforming one of these denominations is not.
That leads to the problem of if the church owns its building, etc. Also based on personal experience, most of the nice old people you meet at these mainline churches have no interest in rocking the boat and just want to know this church is where their funeral is going to be held when they die. God bless anyone who tries, but it will be much more difficult than he suggests.