‘Pastoral Ministry’ Category

One of the most poignant historical reflections that I have ever heard came from a dear friend named Bob Shaker, literary enthusiast extraordinaire and a one-time deacon of Jarvis Street Baptist Church. Bob happened to visit his pastor, T.T. Shields—who, though married twice, never had any physical children—in 1949, when many of those whom Shields had mentored and taught—great future Canadian Baptist leaders like Jack Scott, Hal MacBain, Arnold Dallimore, and Tom Carson (D.A. Carson’s father)—took a different ecclesiological position than Shields and a cleavage occurred between Shields and them. Without a doubt Shields contributed to the resulting division between these brothers in Christ, but he told Shaker sadly, “All of my children are leaving me.” How utterly sad!

On the flip side, though, there are those words of the aged Apostle John in 3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” It was with these Johannine words ringing in my ears that I read the following post by Baptist pastor John Bell, whom I have had the incredible privilege of teaching at Toronto Baptist Seminary (though I would never presume to think of Pastor Bell as a son in Christ–but I was so encouraged to read this): “Sharing the Gospel in the Gay Village” on Tim Challies’ blog.

There are a few blogs I read regularly: most of them are listed on my old site of Historia ecclesiastica. One of them is Kirk Wellum’s Redeeming the Time. In part, I read Redeeming the Time because Kirk is a dear friend. But it is also because he has a sharp theological mind that I deeply appreciate. I said a hearty amen, for instance, to this recent post on “Preaching and Beyond” (June 16, 2009).

This Wednesday my dear friend and brother Stéphane Gagné will be formally examined with regard to his ordination as a “servant of the Word,” to use the Lukan terminology. Those of you who pray for the Francophone world, do remember this brother at this important time in his life.

What a weight there is, though, to such a calling. All Christians have a calling, but not all have such a weighty calling. Who is sufficient to preach the gospel? Among those called to this service, none, not one. And even when we are conscious of our need of God’s help by the Spirit to fulfill this calling and rely upon the blessed Spirit of Jesus, what insufficiency marks our discourse!

But we are in good company: the Apostle Paul himself knew such weakness. As did God’s servants down through the years. And we can derive this comfort from the witness of the past: God enabled them, weak though they were, and his arm of strength is still mighty.

A newly transcribed and published excerpt from John Newton’s diary provides a understanding of his view on the ministry. Dr. Haykin has reviewed the booklet, Ministry on my mind: John Newton on entering pastoral ministry by John Newton, transcribed by Marylynn Rouse. Dr. Haykin believes that this work deserves to go on the short list of books which every man aspiring to pastoral ministry needs to read. Read the review here. Other reviews are available here. Check back regularly as new reviews are usually added on a weekly basis.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

I am always amazed at those who think that reform/revival can genuinely take place without concern for doctrine. Classic orthodoxy is essential for anything that can be called a move of God. And how sad when such substantial doctrine is in place and it be taken away to make way for so-called better ways of doing ministry!

Basil Manly, Jr. put it this way in his great hymn: “Soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed/A world in ruins needs your aid.” It is only as we are arrayed in truth that we can help anyone in this world.

Iain H. Murray,
Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace
(Edinburgh/Carlisle, Pennsylvania:
The Banner of Truth Trust, 2008)

I am biased when it comes to books by and on Martyn Lloyd-Jones. By the grace of God, this man’s preaching and teaching has exercised such an influence for good in my life, I find it hard to pick up a book like this and not be reminded again of the central importance of this man’s ministry—not simply for my life—but for the life of the Church in the modern Western world. I trust that I do not think his ministry is the model for every conceivable Christian ministry (see the remarks on p.xi-xii, 6-7), but here is a man whose teaching the Church in our day needs to hear and heed. Lloyd-Jones’ great concern was “the recovery of true spiritual power amid the decline of Christianity in Britain”—and we might add, “and in the western world in general” (p.xiii; see also p.26-28). Some of his emphases in this regard were controversial, in particular his assertion of a distinct second work of the Holy Spirit, which he held in common with such Puritan authors as Richard Sibbes and Thomas Goodwin (p.127-163). And it would be easy to dismiss his great concern because of one’s disagreement with him on this specific issue. But that would be a great mistake. Murray has his disagreements with “the Doctor” in this matter (p.162-163), but he is rightly confident that Lloyd-Jones’ life and teaching can still be a great help to us today. The first chapter, entitled “The Lloyd-Jones Legacies” (p.3-28), is thus in some ways the key theme of the whole book—the way in which the emphases of Lloyd-Jones’ remarkable ministry are needed as much now as when they were first made.

In tracing the specific ways that Lloyd-Jones’ great concern for true spiritual revival is of present significance, Murray especially looks at: the Welshman’s deep conviction about the life-changing power of biblical preaching (p.17-22, 29-54) and that true preaching is a gift of the Holy Spirit (p.83); his evangelistic use of the Old Testament (p.55-83)—a rarity today among Reformed and Evangelical men; and his quarrel with fellow Reformed men who believed they could work with out-and-out liberals (p.165-208—see also p.263-267). Along the way there are numerous details about his preaching (p.85-106, 227-255) and a very helpful comparison between Lloyd-Jones and the Victorian Baptist C.H. Spurgeon, the similarities of their ministries and also the differences between them (p.109-125). Finally, a CD in a jacket at the back of the book which contains a tremendous sermon by Lloyd-Jones on the way men and women die—either “in their sins” or “ in the Lord”—serves as a reminder of the power of God that rested on his preaching.

What is clear from Murray’s examination of Lloyd-Jones’ legacy is that although his ministry cannot be taken as an exact blueprint of what biblical ministry looks like, its main emphases can be seen as typical: Christianity as fundamentally and ultimately a God-centered religion, the Church’s desperate need for the power of the Holy Spirit, the glorious transformation brought about by anointed preaching. Oh for such in our day!

I was not able to take in all of T4G last week—only a couple of sessions-unlike two years ago when I was there for all of it (an unforgettable experience). But I was reminded of its importance today in a letter from Martin Holdt [“Out of Africa: Newsletter” (April 2008)], where he states vis-à-vis the UK Banner Conference (but it would apply to T4G or John Piper’s Desiring God conferences, or Dr. MacArthur’s Shepherd Conference or those put on by Ligonier, or the Banner confernece over here, or on a much smaller scale the SGF conference in Southern Ontario):

“A friend and colleague in England once told me that it was once found that in England the men who are most likely to persevere against the usual odds in the ministry are those who regularly attend minister’s conferences. Those most likely to drop out are those who isolate themselves and never get the benefit of such a fraternity.”