Tim Challies attended an evangelical minister’s conference in California this week. It is a big deal to the ministers that attend, a love fest for the men that attend, as one of his commenters put it. The conference is one of hundreds held  in the west each year, this is hosted at a mega church in California - Grace Community and it is called Shepherd’s Conference.

I read most of his posts, I didn’t read them all because I found them somewhat crushing. I think live blogging the event brings out the diversity of evangelicalism in the US, the polarization and politicizing that many of us don’t think much about. I don’t believe for a moment that Challies found the event anything less than exciting his love of theology and leaders does shine out in his posts, and I recommend reading his effort, he is concise in his listening, and lavish in his praise.

Talk to Action asks: dominionism or evangelism; using Challies posts on the sermons of the minister of the hosting church John Mc Arthur and the leader of Southern Baptists Albert Mohler. Challies writes about Mc Arthurs sermon:

The church is marked by a great contrast. Jesus warns the disciples to “tell no one that He was the Christ.” Why would He do this? He perceived that the people were going to make Him king. The people had a warped view of the Messiah and His kingdom, so they were not in a position to deal with the truth of this profession. They were looking for an earthly ruler and Jesus wanted nothing to do with that. His kingdom has no connection to any earthly kingdom. The church has no role in rearranging sinners into more acceptable lifestyles. Our mandate is to proclaim the Word of God. We are to penetrate our culture with the gospel, not to change the culture into a Christian one.

Albert Mohler:

Right here, taking place, in these days and these hours, is one of the most important events that can take place. It is a deeply subversive activity. If the world really understood what we are plotting, they would hit us with everything they have. Our ambition is total world domination. Not militarily, but evangelistically for the cause of the glory of Christ. And yet we need to admit that there are some within the institutional church that are equally uncomfortable with this. We are talking about things that they have not thought about for a long time. The plan for the recovery of the church of God has only one plan: the preaching of the Word of God.

What is missing in this conference?  Tim also writes for the Texas Republican magazine World, and awareness of his affiliation may be colouring my assessment of his posts. It may have been the seminars Challies chose to attend, I honestly don’t know, perhaps a Reverend wouldn’t find his reports depressing. This conference isn’t for congregations or lay people, it’s how-to, pep talk time for the professionals.  Challies has nine posts that go in-depth with each speaker he listened too, from the roles of men and women (The Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood) The Reformation, The Emerging Church, Parenting, Charismatics and other topics.

Jordon Cooper writes about leaving the pastorate, and the challenges faced and Darryl Dash has an article in ChristianWeek about Navigating the Church in a Perfect Storm.