What in the World is the Missional Church?

Wow, wow, wow, wow.

That is all I can say in response to this lecture by Jonathan Leeman (Capital Hill Baptist and Nine Marks Ministries) on the missional church. Go here and click on Jonathan Leeman's talk "What in the World is the Missional Church."

In this talk Leeman critiques the "missional movement" calling to task such evangelical leaders as Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll, and, yes, even Ed Stetzer. He acknowledges his respect for them and how much he has learned from them, yet, as he says, they are not Jesus and so are able to receive some criticism. He also talks of what we can learn from missional leaders and here is where I found myself in need of repenting.

Good, good stuff.

If you find that the history stuff at the beginning bogs you down, skip to about a third of the way through where he begins his response. But then go back, the whole thing is worth listening to.

As I listened I found myself, at times, reflecting on the minutes of past Baptist Associational meetings that I have read and how when pastors got together back in the 17 and 1800's in America, they did it to wrestle with theological issues and to support each other in rightly dividing the word of truth. I found myself lamenting the fact that we don't do that today.

Talks such Jonathan's by Southern Baptists such as him are much needed. May there be more in the future.

BTW- It would do my heart good to know that somebody is actually reading these posts-even better yet, if someone else would post some things. If this website has proven to be of no help, let me know, and we'll just shut her down.

-Doug