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Many years ago, a man surfaced who was supposed to have had great teaching abilities. Being Deaf himself, and probably “deaf-voiced†like me, ministry was limited to the Deaf world. Though he didn’t travel abroad weekly, there were two or three annual events that he always attended, and was one of the main preachers/teachers.
Then, the cat got out the bag. He told everyone where he stood on just about every imaginable issue concerning God, the Bible, and church. After that, things slowed for him. He came to my church when I was 23. He saw me preach, and when I was done, he took me out to eat and was going to tell, me, as he warned me, things I need to know.
First, thing he said was that I had to be careful with my attitude toward those who disagreed with me. Second thing he said was, and this was funny, how he signed it, “you not need tell everyone EVERYTHING you believe.â€
It turns out he was someone that was more in line with the Assemblies of God. He believed the doctrine that group teaches, and he also believed that there should be a governing body hovering above the local churches that had the authority to reach in and lay down the law.
Anyway,. From this… what I understood him to be telling me was that we should avoid THEOLOGY, and DOCTRINE, once we step outside of our own church. I do agree with this a bit.
Take, for example, Joyce Meyer. Long ago, when she first came up, her teachings were scrutinized and she ended up sounding so Hagan-ish. A ton of expose’ could be found on the internet. Bible Discernment Ministries was one I saw long ago. I emailed Rick, the man who runs that, and talked with him back and forth a bit. No doubt, when Joyce Meyer let her own theology be known, she was pushed aside.
Today, she has a “practical†ministry that does not touch on doctrine. I would go so far as saying she avoids THEOLOGY in her ministry because it DIVIDES and SEPARATES.
It is so much different for those of us who work in local churches. There is no way a church could or should avoid theology and doctrine. My friend from school attends a Hybels type church and they do not have a statement of faith. Life Church is the name of that particular group. No statement of faith. Draws a huge crowd each week.
Tell people how to live a happy life. Tell people how to enjoy life every day. Tell people how to weather the storms life brings.
But don’t tell them about theology and doctrine, because if you start on that, people will leave.
That’s how it goes. That is how some churches and some ministries think.... stay away from doctrine and theology... avoid it.
That’s one of the reasons why I don’t mind going to a small church.
I always thought doctrine was the first thing a person should look at when looking for a church.
Then, the cat got out the bag. He told everyone where he stood on just about every imaginable issue concerning God, the Bible, and church. After that, things slowed for him. He came to my church when I was 23. He saw me preach, and when I was done, he took me out to eat and was going to tell, me, as he warned me, things I need to know.
First, thing he said was that I had to be careful with my attitude toward those who disagreed with me. Second thing he said was, and this was funny, how he signed it, “you not need tell everyone EVERYTHING you believe.â€
It turns out he was someone that was more in line with the Assemblies of God. He believed the doctrine that group teaches, and he also believed that there should be a governing body hovering above the local churches that had the authority to reach in and lay down the law.
Anyway,. From this… what I understood him to be telling me was that we should avoid THEOLOGY, and DOCTRINE, once we step outside of our own church. I do agree with this a bit.
Take, for example, Joyce Meyer. Long ago, when she first came up, her teachings were scrutinized and she ended up sounding so Hagan-ish. A ton of expose’ could be found on the internet. Bible Discernment Ministries was one I saw long ago. I emailed Rick, the man who runs that, and talked with him back and forth a bit. No doubt, when Joyce Meyer let her own theology be known, she was pushed aside.
Today, she has a “practical†ministry that does not touch on doctrine. I would go so far as saying she avoids THEOLOGY in her ministry because it DIVIDES and SEPARATES.
It is so much different for those of us who work in local churches. There is no way a church could or should avoid theology and doctrine. My friend from school attends a Hybels type church and they do not have a statement of faith. Life Church is the name of that particular group. No statement of faith. Draws a huge crowd each week.
Tell people how to live a happy life. Tell people how to enjoy life every day. Tell people how to weather the storms life brings.
But don’t tell them about theology and doctrine, because if you start on that, people will leave.
That’s how it goes. That is how some churches and some ministries think.... stay away from doctrine and theology... avoid it.
That’s one of the reasons why I don’t mind going to a small church.
I always thought doctrine was the first thing a person should look at when looking for a church.
