I would call it something of a reconnaissance mission. Perhaps even a first shot of what will hopefully be an ensuing battle for souls.
When it first was birthed the Ohio Presbytery, of which I am a member, agreed to meet in cities and towns in the region that needed a sound gospel witness. Harvest Presbyterian Church of Medina, OH took it upon themselves to organized the first of such meetings. This weekend, thanks to Harvest's diligence and deep-rooted desire to see the gospel propagated in that region, our presbytery met in Oberlin, OH.
Harvest has been attempting to reach out to Oberlin College and to the people living in that community for the last several years. They have made some headway on campus as they have held Bible studies with students and have some faculty members attending their church. In the last few months they have extended their ministry to the rest of the town as they have held two community wide worship services, with another one to follow in the next week.
The city has been a great burden to the pastor of Harvest, Rev. Dr. David Wallover, because of its historic and depraved uniqueness. During the presbytery meeting Wallover said that Oberlin, from its beginning, was designed to be a city that was "forward thinking." Some of this was good, as it was a participant and leader in the abolitionist movement. Much of it though, was simply to embrace what was radical and laden with progressive thought.
Of particular historical note is the fact that Charles Finney was president of the college for a stretch of time. Finney is remembered as a preacher in the Second Great Awakening who denied the doctrines of original sin, imputed righteousness and penal, substitutionary atonement. He also is credited with having used what were called "the new measures," which included things like the anxious bench—the forerunner of today's alter call.
In sum, he represents all things repugnant to Reformed and Presbyterian belief. And putting a PCA church in his yard would be much like putting up a chapel in Satan's lair.
[It may also be noted that Finney started out as a Presbyterian minister, before his moving into the Congregationalist church. When asked during his exams if he wholeheartedly subscribed to the Westminster Standards, he responded by saying, "In so far as I have read them, yes." It came out later in his autobiography that he had never read them.]
The city's ill way continued down to today. While the college can boast premier status in the world of the arts and music, it has become a place known for sins of a scandalous nature (this being one example).
After the presbytery ended its formal business the elders toured some of the city and campus, stopping occasionally to pray for the furtherance of the kingdom of God and the work of Harvest church in that area.
6 comments:
Mr. Timmons, Would you please let us know what you have read by Mr. Finney? Have you read his Revivals of Religion?
Well? Mr. Timmons--will you let us know what of Mr. Finney's writings you have read?
Nope. I haven't read it. Would you like to read and discuss it over the summer together?
That is my point, Mr. Timmons. I think that pastors are some of the most notorious violators of plagiarism. How many times have you heard a pastor say, "It has been said," or "Someone once said," without saying who said it? It seems common today for one "scholar" to write something, and then it gets copied, and pretty soon half of the pastors are using that recent information as unquestioned truth. My guess is that a little while ago a professor or scholar or pastor made claims about Finney which got repeated and repeated until it is common libel today. I do not mean that Finney would have been a five-point Calvinist, by I think that many of the claims about him are exaggerated and unproven. I have read Finney's autobiography and his Revivals of religion, and certainly would not claim or propagate the assertions that, "Finney is remembered as a preacher in the Second Great Awakening who denied the doctrines of original sin, imputed righteousness and penal, substitutionary atonement. He also is credited with having used what were called "the new measures," which included things like the anxious bench—the forerunner of today's alter call." These claims sound like they may have come from some eager student's doctoral dissertation which got published, got quoted in some Christianity Today article, and then continue to get repeated while pastors fail to find or seek the truth on their own. I hope that pastors will begin to take the time to seek the truth before they propagate what may be libelous statements. It is easy to find theological imperfections in any person, as others will find in our own beliefs, but we should at least be careful to make sure that what we publish about someone is in fact true.
Does that mean you don't want to study it with me?
No--that means that people should not repeat claims about someone if they are not sure they are true. I just wondered if you said those things about Finney because you simply heard it repeated somewhere or if you repeated those accusations against a brother in Christ because you knew they were true.
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