BJU's Steve Pettit on his meeting with John MacArthur

[AndyE]

Not sure what that has to do with MacArthur…

It was my attempt at humor for a title and a nod to the “spring board” sermon topic on another thread. Weirdly connected I know. I was just thinking how these issues related to my own life.

My problem is my view and terminology is so different I am always stepping into trouble. I say, “unbelievers need to repent” and they say “unbelievers need to receive Jesus”. They constantly say “God hates the sin but loves the sinner”. I remind them “God loves you but apart from repentance and faith in Jesus He will love you all the way to Hell.”

If someone else believes all sin other than unbelief has been paid for and you believe in total depravity… it is hard to find agreement.

It isn’t just topics. It is the view of how God relates to us.

Our pastor attended Westminster West, Bethlehem Seminary, and did an internship at CHBC. Our church used to be American Baptist (before my time) but switched to Southern Baptist. We use the NH Confession and Baptist Faith and Message. The leaders are consistently Reformed in soteriology and mostly Reformed in eschatology, with disagreements on specifics. We have had members who were saved as the result of MacArthur’s ministry and are strongly Dispensationalist, and we have been fine with them leading Bible studies. I think the leadership would be uncomfortable with explicit Arminian soteriology being taught (although we’d be patient with members); and we are dead set against any prosperity gospel.

So Mark, maybe hold out hope that there are churches out there, that whatever the preponderance of leadership leans toward, are broad enough to recognize the theological acumen and genuine piety of other brothers and sisters and let them use their gifts in the body as appropriate.

[Mark_Smith]

I am still trying to assess what to do as their beliefs are so different from mine that I cannot teach without a huge muzzle. I’m open to suggestions.

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Thanks, Don, for sharing your recommendations. I have so little knowledge or experience with most of these schools, that I have no opinion about them one way or another. PCC is the one exception, having had one of their traveling ministry teams at our church several years ago (never again), and interacting with a fair number of PCC grads from time to time. I haven’t been inclined to recommend it in the past, but one recent grad, now pastoring one of our married daughters and her family in Maine really stands out. If he’s typical, I’d have no problem recommending PCC in the future.

I actually visited the PCC campus at their invitation many years ago. (Mike Harding was another pastor visiting at the same time, but I doubt that he remembers me.) The facilities? Outstanding! Other aspects, not so much, in my opinion. For many years, they were overly strong on the KJV as the only reliable translation. Perhaps that’s changed? (anyone know?) Maybe the years have improved the product. A big plus is cost. They keep the cost incredibly low, making it about the only option for some families.