Questioning authority

One of the questions that came up during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued to be debated since has been over the extent to which the church should have complied with Government guidance and regulations. To some extent, the debate was about the extent to which Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 applied in terms… Continue reading Questioning authority

Winding back the hyperbole

Between the 4th and 6th Century AD a controversy boke out particularly among the churches in North Africa concerning a group called the Donatists. They believed that priests in the church had to be perfect in order to serve effectively. The root cause of this was to do with persecution.  Some Christians had found ways… Continue reading Winding back the hyperbole

The danger with playing the media game

Earlier this week, we were asked to sign a letter to the Government written by other church leaders.  The letter expressed support for appropriate measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed concern about the way some measures might be affecting the most needy and vulnerable, explained why churches play an essential role in our community… Continue reading The danger with playing the media game

Reopening and defying the law -why John McArthur has got this badly wrong

Grace Community Church, Sun Valley is a mega-church in California.  It’s pastor John MacArthur is prominent, particularly from the conservative end of the spectrum with an international teaching ministry. Last week, they decided to re-open their building for public worship in defiance of State rules during Coronavirus. Their argument was that they must obey God… Continue reading Reopening and defying the law -why John McArthur has got this badly wrong