Ministerial Qualifications

Saw this recent news article about Ted Haggard's replacement at New Life Church in Colorado Springs--Rev. Brady Boyd (Click here: Colorado church recommends replacement for Haggard (OneNewsNow.com)). 

Here is his bio as given in the news story:

"Boyd, a graduate of Louisiana Tech University, served as senior pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church in Hereford, Texas, before joining Gateway in 2001. He has experience in sales management and in TV and radio broadcasting, according to his Web site. He is married with two children."

I think that just about says it all . . .  

Sadly, this is what far too many evangelicals are looking for--a pastor with sales experience and a face for TV.

Comments

[mholst]

I live here in Colorado Springs and teach Bible at a Reformed school. A number of the students, however, attend non-Reformed churches including New Life. What is sad, an article in our local paper had Boyd compared to a CEO, which they see as necessary to running a large church.
The church, then, is just another market with a product to sell, so apparently Boyd's role is to get lots of buyers.

One positive note, he and New Life have stated that they will be less involved politically. One less reason to be an embarassed Republican.

Matt Holst

[Ed Hurst]

Ah, yes; the Market Driven Church, the Purchase Driven Life, and all the other good things given us by a materialist orientation. Got room for the Holy Spirit?

[zrim]

Well, the credentials angle is quite to be expected and little cause for lament); that is if we really believe what the legacies of revivalism bring us (as I do).

But have they learned nothing? Don't they know that a man with alliteration in his initials is of the "happier persuasion"?

Zrim

[Dave Sarafolean]

Leith Anderson (acting president of the NAE) predicted this 20 years ago in his book, Dying for Change. If I recall he basically argued that there was not much of a future for smaller churches because people wanted pastors with a charismatic personality and who was good looking as a news anchor. Think about it -- there aren't too many mega-churches with ugly pastors. If you want to grow big it is the external that counts - looks, hair, big smile, tanned and telegenic.

Doesn't this remind you of the differences between King Saul and King David? Saul had the externals but his heart was far from God. David's youthfulness caused all to pass him by but his he was a man after God's own heart. Tragic.

[Wayne Rohde]

David,

Bingo!

It's a strange world in our churches when externals are more important than internals.

It's style and show and silliness over substance; entertainment over education and exhortation and edification.

It's "Let's be shallow" instead of "Let's grow deep."

It's TBN (Crouch, Crouch, Crouch ... Hinn ... Jakes ... etc. ... and yet another Crouch), as well as a "Purpose-Driven" this and a "Message Bible" that, all rolled into one, big, ecumenical mess of marketing whatever sells rather than preaching Christ.

It all surely warrants the condemnation of Gal. 1:6-10. How sad not only that some are distorting the gospel (and thereby disturbing others), but that still others are actually deserting the gospel for such nothingness. It's II Tim. 4:3,4 and I Jn. 2:18,19 happening before our very eyes.

[KBennett]

Yes.

This will continue to be the case as long as we see our pastors as a product, and not as the lord's undershepherd leading us.

[zrim]

This has been the case "ever since Whitefield landed and tore the Gospel from its churchly contours and took it on the road--a heart is a good thing, but it does much better in the body than on a sawdust trail."

I wonder how much we Reformed appreciate this who would point to the likes of Whitefield or Edwards as heros. Whatever else they did well, they didn't seem to do much to protect the body from the revivalist hack who cut into the body; in fact, seems they participated in the hackery.

We can stick our tongues out at the heirs of revivalist ancestors all day long, but something tells me Jimmy Buffet said it best in his most famous refrain about blame.

Zrim

[cstevens]

you are all right in hurting for Christ's body, and are right to be zealous for His house to not be made into a market place. It is a sad culture and church that have mingled together to form an even sadder form of ‘social hangout’. But let us not fear and know that He will be victorious and shall perfect His bride for Himself.
but i must contend that Edwards was not guilty of this ‘hackery’. he is a man of sin as we are but he was totally devoted to his church. He knew that God would work through the Church and believed in the History of Redemption. Further more he not only refrained from the ‘hackery’ but wrote a very special, though lengthy, work against such misguided and sinful behavior. In Religious Affections he makes clear that revivals are not to work outside of or against things clearly expressed in Scripture including the Church. He did travel to nearby towns and cities to speak but I do not think that we can lump him in with itinerate speakers like Whitefield. Edwards had other faults, but he did desire a pure church hence his heightening of the rules for communion and the denial of the Stoddarian move of half-covenant baptism.

[Ivan]

speaking of Qualifications.
You guys want to help me out here?

In reading 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, how would you respond to this question:

How much does the life of the man before he was regenerated into the kingdom of light play in the qualifications?

What if he earlier was a child-molester?
What if he earlier was already divorced twice?
How much would this play into your seeking to observe the qualifications?

Thanks!

[Robin]

Well somebody's got to pack the house so the building fund gets paid.

Meanwhile, we are grateful that you have a "face for radio" Pastor Kim!

[Tyler]

What a shame; I'll bet nobody at that "Christian Center" of a church knows how to get to Christ from Scripture. It's all motivational pep-talk I'm sure.

[The Misadventures of Captain Headknowledge]

It was especially distressing to hear of Haggard's downfall after having heard his proclaiming of his ability to live a sinless life on the WHI.

But as for New Life's new hire, it's like Mike Horton said on last week's show that Woody Allen said that history has to repeat itself because nobody gets the point the first time around.

[Ivan]

It was especially distressing to hear of Haggard's downfall after having heard his proclaiming of his ability to live a sinless life on the WHI.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Question, does anyone else recall a huge big name pastor preaching on the radio broadcast of one of his Sunday sermons from their worship services, that some preachers were so legalistic and not living in grace .... "in fact, I believe a Christian can go a whole day with out sinning".

Does anyone recall that event?
I have wondered now for about 15 years,
a. How could he believe such a thing?
b. How seriously was he even inspecting and really looking in the mirror of his own sinful heart?
c. Does anyone know, was he ever rebuked and corrected to say such heresy?

Thanks everyone!