Who is writing this blog-site?

• Evangelicalism in America is being influenced tremendously by a handful of
  mega-churches that have established a new "formula for success". Contributing to the downgrade are movements such as the Emerging Church.
• Today's church has it's roots in 19th century Christianity; a time when doctrine became de-emphasized in favor of other more pragmatic aims.
• In so many ways, Christianity has abandoned it's earlier roots, turning a blind-eye to the higher standards of the Reformation era, Puritan times, and ultimately the church of Acts.  Where history is forgotten, mistakes are often repeated.

• All things that are new.  Not all innovation is bad.  Where new ideas, methods, and movements conceal or water-down the Gospel or biblical standards, is where I'm spring-loaded to revert back in time, to old beliefs and practices.
• Criticism of old things.  Certainly not everything old was good, and in areas where this is obvious, I am not opposed to abandoning the past, in favor of the new.
• Churches that are big.  There have been some great large-size churches.
• Churches outside my denomination. This website is not attempting to convince you to join my church, or churches just like mine.

My story and background:

After growing up Roman Catholic, I came to know the Lord in my last year of high-school.  Though I had a disdain for born again Christians at the time, the Lord chose to bring me to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, in spite of myself.  For this I will be forever grateful.  My prayers go out to so many in my extended family who remain within the influence of Catholicism.

I spent the next two decades in denominational Pentecostal churches.  Looking back on that time in my life, I have many fond memories and friendships that will last a life-time. I've become very concerned however, with several major beliefs and practices that are common within these churches.  Most importantly, the oft-held belief that it is normative for God to speak in ways that are external to the words found in the Bible.  From time-to-time I will write about these issues here.

In the late 1990's the church that I attended began experimenting with something new.  We began to implement Willow Creek's "Seeker Sensitive" model.  The head pastor of our church made a convincing case for it, saying that he had been a part of churches his whole life that were not effective in reaching the lost and making an impact for Christ.  He often said that the same methods used a few decades ago in evangelism, no longer work today.  As with so many churches that get on this band wagon, our church (and pastor) had the best of intentions, in wanting to see souls come to Christ.  Unfortunately, as the years went on, the more we implemented the seeker sensitive approach, the more the church biblically-compromised and watered-down the Gospel.  

My Qualifications:

Im not a pastor, nor am I seminary-trained, but I do offer an insider's view of many of the modern movements that are written about on this site.  I suppose it's easy for any of us to wonder what it would have been like, to be brought up "believing correctly" from the start.  My life has been much the opposite.  It has been a slow process of change, leading ever-closer to the truth of God's word. 

Through these times of change, I had been a part of so much of what the modern church is offering:  I was a Purpose Driven Life group leader, in a 40 Days of Purpose campaign.  I assisted in implementing the Willow Creek small-group system within a church.  I was an Alpha Course evangelism leader.  I read the books, followed the programs, and thought all of this was "cutting edge" at the time.  Perhaps you feel that way now. If so, I encourage you to stick around and read more on this website.

What I Have Come To Believe:

Towards the end of my time in the Seeker system, I began to realize the man-centeredness of it all.  In many ways, it seemed that man was trying to save man, using worldly methods.   I've since come to realize that the Gospel is much the opposite of that.  The Gospel is a matter of God saving man, even when man is dead in his sins, and has no desire to seek God.   Romans 3:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:14 tell us that there really is no such thing as "a seeker".  

Having come to this realization several years ago, and seeing how it all comes together in the scriptures, I've taken a deliberate step back in time, to the same core beliefs of the Puritans and Reformers.    As a Reformed Baptist (often given the theological nickname of "Calvinist"), my beliefs are documented in the Baptist Confession of Faith.

Personal Bio:

I live close to Lake Michigan, where there are two unofficial seasons: Winter, and Mosquito season. We have been home-schooling our daughters for three years now. I work out of my home, and as you might imagine, it can get interesting having four people in the same house together for entire days at a time! It requires a sense of humor sometimes.

A few peculiarities about me:  I am a true night owl, rarely falling sleeping before 4AM. Please don't call me before noon.  I am officially the pickiest eater I have ever met.  I've never eaten cereal with milk on it and I cant stand pizza or casseroles! 
Life is not without adversity for any of us; I was born with a genetic disorder that causes bones to fracture easily.  At some point I know I'm going to loose count, but so far I've had about 46 broken bones.  Through life's many adversities, we are helped by a Lord who is always with us.

Feel free to send me an email.

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