Plus my female first cousin is one also. @ Victorious: I have been reading with great interest your blog since I was introduced to it through Wondering Eagle and his writing on Community Evangelical Free Church. We brought the entire truth out," he said. the slippery slope argument has no credibility if p. Credibility or no, look at what has actually taken place in TEC and UMC and come up with another name for it. For example, whilst God does reveal himself as father, you forget that he also reveals himself as mother (Isaiah 49:15 and many more). Sometimes I have to get past how terms are used in order to understand better what people are saying and meaning when they say it. Oy. Just my take on it. Now there is a scholar who will rock your world! Oh to have a church around here like this! I heard wonderful things about you back then. Women Are Free to Serve Without Any Restrictions at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, Some reflections on a church that has recently embraced egalitarianism, How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals, http://www.cbeinternational.org/resources/article/arise/justifying-injustice-bible-slavery?page=show, Being Egalitarian and Taking the Bible Seriously, http://7aa41354baefb3f610d0-9426158b81c9f57386a468ce77b36d59.r25.cf2.rackcdn.com/uploaded/f/0e5040219_1461257524_future-of-leadership-at-bent-tree.pdf, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfsTk5i7mPw, https://thisbrother.wordpress.com/2015/11/09/if-complementarianism-is-new-it-cannot-be-true/, http://www.radical.net/secret-church/about, http://juniaproject.com/but-twelve-apostles-all-male/, When Men Slide Over | Jackie Always Unplugged. Now it makes sense why the same thing happened in Oklahoma at a SBC evangelism conference in 1993. It's my belief that Providence Baptist owes you and Bill an apology. Still, whether they realize this or not, the theological rationale for their decision is at odds with a commitment to the Bibles authority. It's the truth that'll set people free. I was like, why bother studying? As the the rest of your comment, IMO practicing evangelicals and practicing catholics have nothing more than perhaps one tight rope between them, they are that different in many ways. Secret Church began in 2006 at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, based on time David Platt spent with brothers and sisters in underground Asian house churches. But three cheers for Pete Briscoe and Bent Tree Church and others like them! that tells me he is open to diversity in the whole Church as something to be celebrated rather than excluded. Your first point draws on a quote from Ligon Duncan, a Presbyterian, which I felt was rather curious. At the end the pastor mentioned a paper the leaders had prepared to explain their decision in more detail. => Read More. Similar reasoning. I asked one of the women why they didnt let women speak and she said because women are so easily deceived and the start of so many cults and I replied yes, like Jim Jones, J. Smith, Armstrong, Scientology, etc etc etc. Now the shoe is on the other foot in at least one church. However, with a threat that the state convention would take away our building, the church voted, narrowly, to retain the men only provision. No, they had not changed their mind but our friendship was more important to them. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. Blessings on Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. . These days, Grown-ups on the side of ANY issue are pretty scarce in general. I believe this blog had a post or two addressing that subject or something similar: If Complementarianism is New, it Cannot be True And gratitude is where we must go in this time, as Kurt Baxter reminded us on Sunday. He periodically has Simulcasts that New Calvinist pastors sign up for, as additional indoctrination into reformed belief and practice for their church members. And possibly after that. In this however, we must say, hither you shall proceed and no further. We grieve at those who have handed over their Bibles to the cacophony of the world. Briscoe says that he wants Bent Tree to be a place where people can agree to disagree over this issue. When He judges the 21st century church (and He will), there will be much to rebuke and correct at the top of the list will be the patriarchy which has silenced a word from the Lord given to women. The problem is that we do not believe in authority in our sexual relationships because we love our sin more than we love God. We knew then that Pete was different and decided to attend the church on the spot. For anyone who, like myself, is really mostly ok with remaining unmarried, but who rejects that non-straight orientations are disabilities that need to be cured, finding a place in the conservative evangelical world can be challenging. Wow! Which also means no girls allowed, either. Thanks again. __ Pete Briscoe is the real deal as are his lovely parents. Some will mourn with tears, silent introspection, or not at all. Pete grew up in a home withintelligent andcommitted parents: both dad and mom. If male and female are both created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), that must mean that God also has female attributes, otherwise motherliness is not of God. I attended BTBF for about 7 years, ending in 2001 when I returned to my beloved North Carolina. When we feel beyond God's redemption, Jesus has good news for us. Ive read some of the writings of both Stuart and Jill Briscoe, and theyre some of the theologians I trust to always have their theology right. You deal with this more graciously than I would. I would simply highlight three concerns that I think are salient in this particular case. How about non-celibate but married LGBTQ people? Ive been waiting just about the same amount of time. In the past few years as the pressures of feminism and liberalism have encroached upon the pulpits this historic position has been set aside. Skip to main content Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. -Pete Briscoe, Former Senior Pastor of Bent Tree Bible . The equality of men and women in Christ does not cancel out all the Bible says of male and female distinctiveness. I also believe in free speech in debating these issues publicly with the need to bring thick skin to the arena! He put his arm around her during worship time and then went up to preach. Nonsense. 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ), I do remember the Little Rascals (Our Gang) back in the day, with their He-Man Woman-Haters Club in fact, many times while perusing this blog it comes to mind. Does any one have a copy or link to that document? This was the same conference where these same people who turned their backs on Jill Briscoe succeeded in having Ann Lotz cancel her speaking engagement at this same conference. What was even more quiet was the factthat BTBF has long had a female pastor, and from what I can tell, we can now say female pastors. James, are you saying that (1) translation, and (2) interpretation, are not required? It is our sober conclusion from observing the last 50 years. The elders continued to meet with the errant husband, begging him to reconsider what he was doing. Of course there are issues more central to the gospel than gender issues. Back during the Vietnam Era there was only one Protestant clergyman who publicly opposed the conflict, Dr. Martin Luther King, the rest were all Jesuits as far as I know. It is a lot harder to draw the line, if you even think that should be done, once the slippery slope has begun. David Horner never knew what he lost when the church came down on you. This material may be protected by copyright law (Title 17 U.S. Code). Some churches held on and went through great persecution. For her, that was a defining moment because the point leader of this church expressed grace to her in a way that meant the world to her, Briscoe said. I know you are not doing that. It is one reason why even Islam is growing. It is with heavy hearts that the Elders of Bent Tree announce that Pete Briscoe has submitted his resignation as Senior Pastor. Pete,Joanneand other members of BTBF had a profound impact on my faith and it is my hope that this post will properly representthe wonderful ministry thatthey have at BTBF. I think this point of view is mistaken. If you are unfamiliar with this, here it is in a nutshell. I had not before I attended BTBF and I have not since. I am saying specifically membership itself which I think is what you are saying. Church Discipline We are actually seeing that right now with the new focus on testosterone. And they went out of their way to do the right thing, over and above what was required. You confronted the staff member and told the congregation. To know there is a theologically conservative church with a deeply rooted all-male elder board who changed their minds after sincerely searching Gods word, is a great encouragement to me, as my own elder board has not even considered doing so. Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton has also used public church discipline. Our church quietly considered homosexual identity and behavior sinful, but to expel these kids would have been unthinkable. . Needless to say, he was never asked to pray again.. We are to obey God, & no one has the right to ask us to go against our consciences. If they want to compare apples to oranges, couldnt just granting women church membership be considered a slippery slope, too? Briscoe and the elders do not wish to do that. There was the potluck and birthday cake, for her 70 something Birthday, afterwards and the pastor led the prayer and again did not ask her to speak. Iattended one on the history of the medieval church. As Platt puts it The objective of Secret Church is not just to come and learn for one night, but also to take what weve learned and pass it along to others. You can read all about it at http://www.radical.net/secret-church/about. Division seems to have the upper hand these days as an acceptable way of ending any diversity that makes people feel challenged and uncomfortable, but I am glad to see that there are evangelical people out there who have another perspective that represents a longing for peace between brothers in Christ. But the belief called complementarianism has an entirely different focus, namely that there is a gender-defined hierarchy which grants authority and leadership to men alone. I was in a bible study led by one of them, and she has so much wisdom and compassion and good theology that it helped me along in my spiritual healing. I mean, if these men truly see themselves as depraved, then they could not honestly claim to be able to be ethically and morally suitable to step in and take over the place of the Holy Spirit in the lives of women of Christian conscience. I am sure this will continue into the future, as he made it clear that his doctrine is shaped by the Bible, and nothing else. (We do have one elder who believes women to whom the Spirit gives gifts should not be hindered, but he is only one.) Grief is what we are feeling on the inside. I know many of the folks at Bent Tree and enjoy them as brethren. Pete Briscoe loved his seminary training at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Briscoe and the elders do not wish to do that. After a bit more discussion, the recommendation to the church was unanimous that the constitution should be permissive. Burk had this to say. when people speak of submission and subordination, of complementarian and egalitarian, from an in-house perspective, then folks from other Christian traditions begin to get confused about what IS being said and what IS being implied. They have laid their cards on the table, and that is a good thing. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God. Although Ed Young was kind to us duringAbby's sickness, his theology and antics drove us nuts. Groeschel makes it a point to tell his church "the very next weekend." I say all this because the slippery slope argument has no credibility if people are willing to engage in discussing not indoctrinating. @ okrapod: Here is part ofa post I wrote called Wade Burleson and Pete Briscoe: Two Pastors Who Really Get It. When did Pete Briscoe leave Bent Tree? Sovereign Grace Ministries Were very dedicated to accurate interpretation. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to. J.R.R. Briscoe and the elders do not . I love seeing Jill Briscoe teaching adults as a great example for my daughter. Inerrancy or egalitarianism, one or the other, eventually wins out. So, after much prayer, my husband and I decided to approach both Pete and the elders in confidence. That was very perceptive of you to note. . BTW, Kirk Cameron is apparently giving more interviews about marriage again. Briscoe and the elders say that they intend to be a "conservative" church that maintains a tenacious commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture. Tim Harkins. Pete ruined me, plain and simple. He also names the specific sin when telling the congregation but doesn't go into details. Our condemnation is in our father Adam, who sinned against God in the garden, and our salvation is in Jesus Christ, the God-Man or New Adam. As an Egalitarian who has been in complementarian churches for years, Ive been there. The concept that such a move will eventually and inevitably lead to issues with the authority of the Bible seems to indicate that Pastor Duncan doesnt see egalitarian readings as already being a problem. When I read this, I literally felt sick. A public displaying of the churchs unity is very important to our witness a witness which is not achieved by saying that unity lies merely in the invisible church. It is love for the sheep. We need so much more of this, as a balance to all the authoritarian weirdness. for their decision is at odds with a commitment to the Bibles authority. Furthermore, I find the Catholic emphasis on beauty (as seen in your churches) provides me with a sensory experience of Gods presence with us. We see this in your comments. The gymnastics required to get from I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, in the Bible, to I do allow a woman to teach and to exercise authority over a man in the actual practice of the local church, are devastating to the functional authority of the Scripture in the life of the people of God. roebuck wrote: Its hard for me to take this seriously because the Roman Catholic Church has a clearly defined hierarchy that exercises authority over the laity. It was keptquiet and no one in the church was aware this was happening. I am thinking these youth groups might emulate their hero, Platt, travel to Dubai, hole up in the Marriot and claim they are doing Secret Church in an undisclosed location where you are persecuted for your faith. As someone who has changed my view on women in church leadership during the past few years, my heart REJOICES to hear of godly men seeking and digging into the word of God and using their minds through wisdom to find truth! Purity of Ideology, Comrade. . Often times, masculinity gets defined as just being anything that is not considered feminine, one result being that anything feminine (including women) are treated like second class. I watched the whole video. Ask Reichsminister Speer about arranging the mind to see nothing wrong when youre personally benefiting from the System. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. So what I am saying is that it is wise to see where that reasoning leads, and the current issues in both the episcopal and UMC situation just happens to be LGBTQ related because that happens to be what is happening in the culture right now. manipulating peoples most deeply held beliefs. Whu? But we have great teachers who are women and some are included in the Doctors of the Church. 1) Caroline McWilliams was planning to marry Michael Keaton and move to NY, and: 2) Didi Conn got bored with the role and left the show. May Bent Tree Bible Fellowship be greatly blessed as you continue to carry out the Great Commission using ALL of the gifts God has bestowed upon the local church body. "A lot of pastors think they're protecting the congregation by hiding the truth but in so doing they're actually denying what Jesus said. My son disagrees with me about women being ministers or pastors. Now, I coach pastors and business leaders in communications and self-care. Needless to say, he convinced me and soon I started teaching and would continue to teach until I left Dallas for Raleigh. An Appeal to Southern Baptists To Support the Pro-life Cause. Tolkien,The Lord of the Ringslink The Elder Board has accepted Pete's decision, and his resignation is effective March 31, 2019. Here is one incident as reported by the Christian Post. in 2010, Jill and Stuart participated in a book calledHow I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent EvangelicalsThis book is helpful in understanding how some Christian leaders (and yes-Jill is a leader) came to an understanding that women in leadership can occur within faithful churches. There are many who join feminist readings of scripture to a more explicit repudiation of the Bibles integrity and authority. But this all happened pre internet and they were pretty much drowned out. He even cites a conversation with Darrell Bock, a member who disagrees with the elders but who also says it is not an issue worth dividing over. In all seriousness, how would a church know someones sexual orientation? Unless Im at the event because of my position (being invited to give a talk in my field, for example) I tell them not to use my title. Did the Apostle Pauls divine task, understanding and directive include women in church leadership? I live in Elverson. None of this takes me by surprise and I am incredibly proud to say that Ispent many years at this wonderful church. , couldnt just granting women church membership be considered a slippery slope, too my husband and have! He wants Bent Tree to be celebrated rather than excluded not before I attended BTBF and I saying! Pulpits this historic position has been in complementarian churches for years, ending 2001. Was rather curious one or the other foot in at least one church of feminism and liberalism encroached... 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