I Have a Question

Not a thing with you, it's them.

 

Try calling them and set up an appt. with the pastor.

This is a face to face thing IMO.

 

It's their fault, they should at least have responded. From what you have written about it seems that the reformed baptist would best fit your doctrinal persuasion.

Praying for you.

 

In conversations with EW&F I know that he has spoken face-to-face with several pastors in his area. The conversations were dismal at best and outright heretical at worst (and no, not from EW&F's position, but from the pastors' position!).

I could say the same for any number of churches that I am familiar with in Wisconsin. In one community, I was part of a local pastoral group, and we gathered on a weekly basis over coffee to encourage each other, pray for each other, etc. Of the 10 or so pastors from the community who attended, only one was even close to a biblical perspective concerning major theological tenets and that was the Evangelical Free pastor. The others, Methodist, several Lutheran, Congregational, Bible Church, Anglican, and an independent baptistic man, were REALLY far off the Word of God and could not even hold a decent conversation concerning spiritual things. They were true liberals, who did not even see the Trinity as biblical in most cases.

 

Are you using big words? LOL

I lived in one state where people's eyes would glaze over if I mentioned anything more in depth than the very basics of Christianity. Maybe it's just that they don't know what you're talking about and have no clue what a primitive Baptist is. I'm especially surprised to hear no response from an e-free church though. They generally seem to have more depth than many other churches.

 

Is it possible that the wording of your letter makes them wonder if you will fit well or try to "change" their doctrines for yours? Do they think you're asking permission to join them by letter? You might want to clarify that you'd like to get to know them better before joining.

Here's a couple of thoughts:
1. It depends on who gets the mail. In our church, anything not specifically addressed to my dh (pastor) is not even given to the pastor.
2. If the churches are small and the pastor is bi-vocational, I'd follow up with a phone call asking to meet with the pastor in person. Snail mail sometimes gets bumped to the bottom of the list when it comes to communication in this fast-paced world.
3. We have a "Reformed" family who sometimes attends our church. They are members of another church far away and can't always make the drive, so they come worship with us. It's okay most of the time, but it is frustrating when the husband lets us know what he disagrees with. I mean, he already KNOWS our beliefs and knows we differ, so why mention it? I'm okay with them coming, but NOT with him wanting to "argue" certain points, especially as a non-member. I think he should just quietly agree to disagree instead of telling everybody what *HE* thinks if he is going to come worship with us. Otherwise, it's just causing trouble.

 

Actually us non-Calvinists got together and contacted every church in NJ and told them to be on the watch for someone who looked like Kojak!

:laugh:

 

You just had to blab it, didn't ya! All the rest of us kept it a secret until now.

Hey, I hear New Jersey speaks a different language--maybe they have to translate the letter. . .

 

Hope you will find something soon EWF :godisgood:

 

Well, we know from your theological position that you aren't going to get anything out of a non-cal or arminian theological base, unless, perhaps you just want to be called Strawman, or Red Herring, affectionately, of course. :love2:

Some SB churches are reformed, maybe check around for that.

I get if you sent a letter to the surrounding Kingdom Halls you'd definitely get a response! :laugh:

We'll pray for you brother.

- Peace

 

Why assume the worst? Summer is a very busy time for churches. Many churches do not have secretaries. Not trying to give excuses, just different perspectives. Perhaps you are right, or they view it as if you are predestined to be there you will regardless if they answer back
Your best bet would be to visit the churches you are considering and see if it is a place you could see yourself in.

 

When was Mohler a pastor? He used to be a journalist and before that a professional fund-raiser.

 

LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable!

That poor preacher, lol. You should've told him you like Harold Camping pretty well, and you're starting to dig you some Jesse Jackson sermons, and just began listening to Steven Anderson a little and are beginning to enjoy him.

I think he would've then left, and you'd have yourself a congregation to line out.

:laugh: :laugh: :love2: :tongue3:

 

I agree... someone like that deserves to be revealed to be the fool he really is.

You might want to check out this website. Founder's Ministry is the Calvinists in the SBC. The link goes to the fouders churches in NJ all 5 of them.

I may joke, but I am praying you find a good church.

 

Dr. R. Albert Mohler is an ordained SBC pastor. His duties as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary preclude his actively leading a local congregation, but you would be shocked at how often he is actually in the pulpit. When he is home, he leads a Sunday school class in his home church.