Forest and Frontier

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

@#$%

@#$%

    The Old Gray Dog is the most clear and concise yet comprehensive "Reformed" theologian known to me.

    He understands, advocates, and articulates ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei more than most professors, pulpiteers, and pewsitters.

    You can learn more about his witness to Him by going to the right column and clicking on The Westminster Fellowship.

    You'll also want to click on www.bnnsradio.com and watch/listen for a new internet radio broadcast from him in the very near future.

@#$%

    Having said that, I have often confessed a few things to/about him.

    First, I am a theological BB gun compared to his heavy artillery; which is why I urge you to tap into Him through him.

    Second, being a PCUSAer, noting anyone who takes Jesus by the book seriously will get this, I've found it sooooooo stunningly sad that it's sooooooo hard to get too many mainline denominationalists into Jesus by the book; meaning it's pret' near impossible to move to the meat when folks ain't even been nursed by/on the milk.

    Mixing metaphors, I've found it to be pret' near impossible to take folks to the frontier when they haven't even stepped into the forest.

    It's hard to disciple those who haven't been evangelized to conversion.

@#$%

    That really hit home when Chuck pulled out a stunningly sad statistic for me.

    He said 80% of America does not know Jesus as personal Lord and Savior; and that while mainliners like to talk and talk and talk about saving the planet from global whatever, we might want to consider saving souls as a prerequisite to a broader understanding/passion of/for stewardship.

    People who are saved want to save everyone/everything.

    Then I got the stats below.

    Whoa.

    Then I preached from John's letters about ecclesiastical hypocrites who say they love God while hating others for Christ's sake.

    Then I...

@#$%

    Stats are notoriously imprecise.

    But if Chuck and Barna's are anywhere...

    Here's the point.

    We gotta get folks into the forest before we take 'em to the frontier.

    I think it's a great idea to save the planet from fossil fuels and aerosol cans; yet I know people won't be really concerned about His creation until they have an intimate relationship with Him as Creator/Sustainer/Savior.

    First comes an authentic relationship with the Lord.

    Then comes an acting out of that relationship in caring for others and everything else in His creation.

    That's why sooooooo many churches are sooooooo messed up these days and enabling Chuck and Barna's stats.

    We can't get right with everyone/everything else until we get right with Him.

    We gotta step into the forest before crossing into the frontier.

@#$%

@#$%

Blessings and Love!

1500 CLERGY LEAVE PASTORAL MINISTRY EACH MONTH!  Source: The Barna Research Group.

Many clergy within this group leave pastoral ministry due to the Clergy Killer Phenomenon.  This phenomenon is affecting our ministries, congregations and communities.  Day after day, call after call, The Ecumenical Educational Council receives the alarming news, “I am simply unable to proceed in my ministry.” 

After several screenings of the documentary BETRAYED: The Clergy Killer’s DNA, discussions with theologians, sociologists, psychologists, pastors and religious scholars, The Ecumenical Educational Council selected BETRAYED: The Clergy Killer’s DNA the most important Christian documentary of 2013. We recommend every pastor to study this documentary.

http://www.betrayedthemovie.com

  

Since the release of BETRAYED in late 2013, we have been contacted by hundreds of clergy, from all denominations, expressing their gratitude for what they call “a film, long overdue” and “the most important Christian movie since The Passion of the Christ.” 

We recommend that all Christians, pastors and clergy, church leaders and church members, see this movie so they will develop an increased alertness in order to expose and neutralize the clergy killer phenomenon before it destroys more clergy.

Examined in the documentary are the following eye opening statistics:

70% of pastors report a continuing struggle with depression.  Hartford Institute for Religious Research

90% of clergy in all denomination will not stay in ministry long enough to reach the age of retirement.  U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics

50% of pastors indicate that they would leave the ministry if they had another way of making a living.  Hartford Institute for Religious Research

61% of congregations have forced a pastor to leave. Christianity Today Magazine

83% of clergy spouses want the spouse to leave pastoral ministry. Hartford Institute for Religious Research

80% of pastors reported they receive no support from peers. Hartford Institute of Religious Research

I pray you will join the growing number of men and women who are finding this film to be of paramount importance for healthy congregational life, and a tremendous resource for overworked clergy who are often targeted by clergy killers.

A critique of the documentary by Rev. Dr. Jason Miller and a synopsis of the film follows below.  Please support this extraordinary film.  Post this urgent message to your facebook.  Inform your congregation and fellow clergy about this most important educational film.  It is, in our studied opinion, a defining chapter in the life of the Church.

In His Service,

David
Rev. Dr. David Moreland