Friday, March 13, 2009

What Kind of Evangelicals Belong To The Baptist General Association of Virginia?

This blog has been pointing to the 2009 Shepherd's Conference hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and the ministry team of Grace Community Church. Associate pastor, Phil Johnson gave an alarming but accurate assessment of popular evangelicalism in his presentation, "What is an evangelical?"

"I frankly don't like to identify with the contemporary evangelical movement. I'm strongly tempted simply to stop calling myself an evangelical altogether, just to keep from being associated with every infamous religious scoundrel from Ted Haggard to Joel Osteen. What does it actually mean to say we're evangelical when the menagerie of heretics and charlatans appearing nightly on TBN all insist they are evangelical, too?

Tony Campolo, who has renounced practically everything that's distinctively evangelical, insists on calling himself an evangelical (emphasis mine). Lots of Roman Catholics call themselves evangelical. Lately even Mormons have begun arguing that they have a right to the label as well. None of them would agree on what the term means, of course, but they all want to wear it, because it gives them an artificial connection with the rich heritage of evangelical history."

One has to wonder why the Baptist General Association of Virginia would invite Tony Campolo to address the annual meeting.

One would also wonder why a ministry staff of a local Baptist church refused to respond when asked what their position was concerning Campolo's visit to the BGAV.

One has to wonder why the congregation is mute on the subject as well.

One has to wonder what kind of evangelicals belong to the BGAV.

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