Pastors Changing Churches
New Article for TGC Canada
Much of my writing grows out of reading. Sometimes two books make interesting conversation partners.
Recently I read a biography of the 20th century Ontario Baptist T. T. Shields, Shields of Canada. At the same time I read the recently published book on the 18th century British Baptist Benjamin Beddome by Yuta Seki. Yuta is a friend and the book is his published D. Min thesis- worth buying (Here) .
In 1910 Shields, a leading Ontario Baptist preacher, moved from Adelaide St. Church in London to Jarvis Street Baptist Church in Toronto. Shields made the decision and informed the members at Adelaide St. Church. Beddome pastored in a different time, where pastoral transitions in Baptist churches deeply involved the whole congregation. Beddome was a faithful and gifted pastor who stayed in obscurity, in large measure, because he submitted to the counsel of his congregation.
Their situations make an interesting comparison, which I develop in my recent article for TGC Canada. Click the link below to read the full article.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? T. T. Shields, Benjamin Beddome and Pastoral Transitions
“…if I go there will be trouble…”.
Good post Scott. As a “professional” who changed jobs/companies often, i rode the “demand for work experience”wave, which also carried with it improved salary. I am not implying secular world = church world..it doesn’t really (or it might🤔).
I know God is a fan of work, cuz His word to us opens with some pretty funky projects he executed on right at the start. He is the engineer of engineers.
He is patient, and did need me to lurn some things, which i did in time, about my pride/EGO. And to quote Supertramp…that lurning was completed “even in the quieter moments!”
But getting back to your post, a couple of final thoughts:
1) this world is temporary,
2) our time here is even less/more temporary
3) pity the man who pursues and possibly gains the world yet looses his soul for what? more of the temporariness that this world offers!