Many Methodist churches still use the circuit-rider form of pulpit filling for small churches. It would be an interesting study to query their take on it. The AG rose from Methodist roots anyway.
I learned about them in Alabama when we were participating in the Emmaus movement built on the Catholic Cursilo retreat movement. Some of my fellows there were Methodist preachers who did this
It really is. It seems like everyone knows it is, but the economic realities keep getting very little air time. I get the impression that all the rural initiative people just keep clenching their teeth, hoping it works out if they keep talking about the problem. But we need real world solutions :)
Dominionism seems to be the default worldview for 21st century Pentecostals. I’ve been thinking of late it may be a good idea to help Pentecostal leaders learn that their early 20th century counterparts were stridently committed to loving their enemies out of obedience to the teachings of the kingdom. I’m not sure you can have dominionism without a willingness to draw the sword.
Thanks for your kind words. If I had to choose one to start with and stick with, I’d choose making healthy, sober, solid pastors from the grass roots. No easy task, but thankful, it’s what I get to do at Evangel.
I know a guy here in Arkansas who is pastoring two GMC churches about 45 minutes apart in the same county. He preaches at one mid-morning, then heads to the other one for an early afternoon service.
I don't necessarily disagree with any of your points, and I appreciate many of them (particularly your comments in relation to dominionism). But I think if you're being honest with yourself, you're leaving some things out. How's about speaking up for the marginalized and the oppressed? How's about taking the cause of taking the of the stranger and the refugee? There is a crying need in this moment for moral clarity on these subjects, and if the church does not address them it will discredit itself for a generation. Even worse, it will fail Christ.
I've written extensively on questions of immigration and the oppressed, so I didn't think I needed to address it here again. What I was trying to highlight here were some of the basement level issues. E.g. I don't think we're going to have moral clarity about anything until we can deal with dominionism.
I know you have addressed those things, brother. Why do you think I'm speaking to you? But the title of your post was "Four Things *the Church* Needs in 2026." I can think of nothing the church needs more in this moment than moral clarity on the aforementioned issues. And respectfully, while dominionism is a theological error, it is not the heart of the problem. By and large, people do not sin because they have false doctrine; they invent false doctrine to justify their sin. I can show you plenty of examples from history. Do you think white southerners held slaves because they believed black people bore the "mark of Cain." No, brother, they brought slaves first, and then found in the Bible what they were looking for to justify that fact.
Many Methodist churches still use the circuit-rider form of pulpit filling for small churches. It would be an interesting study to query their take on it. The AG rose from Methodist roots anyway.
💯 with you. I’d love to find out how the model is working.
I learned about them in Alabama when we were participating in the Emmaus movement built on the Catholic Cursilo retreat movement. Some of my fellows there were Methodist preachers who did this
From a fellow AG pastor, thanks for these thoughts. The staff pastor/empty church/rural church issue is a big deal!
It really is. It seems like everyone knows it is, but the economic realities keep getting very little air time. I get the impression that all the rural initiative people just keep clenching their teeth, hoping it works out if they keep talking about the problem. But we need real world solutions :)
Dominionism seems to be the default worldview for 21st century Pentecostals. I’ve been thinking of late it may be a good idea to help Pentecostal leaders learn that their early 20th century counterparts were stridently committed to loving their enemies out of obedience to the teachings of the kingdom. I’m not sure you can have dominionism without a willingness to draw the sword.
Yeah, the anti-violence impulse was strong. In the US, we abandoned all reference to scripture when we went just war theory in our official stance 🧐
yes and amen to all of this. Thanks for continuing to THINK outside the box and write about it.
Thanks for your kind words. If I had to choose one to start with and stick with, I’d choose making healthy, sober, solid pastors from the grass roots. No easy task, but thankful, it’s what I get to do at Evangel.
What a wonderful task you are allowed to do. I hope some of your ideas of how they may fulfill that call may come to pass in time.
I know a guy here in Arkansas who is pastoring two GMC churches about 45 minutes apart in the same county. He preaches at one mid-morning, then heads to the other one for an early afternoon service.
I’m curious if you know if it’s going well. And do you know if it’s a short term or long term plan?
I don't necessarily disagree with any of your points, and I appreciate many of them (particularly your comments in relation to dominionism). But I think if you're being honest with yourself, you're leaving some things out. How's about speaking up for the marginalized and the oppressed? How's about taking the cause of taking the of the stranger and the refugee? There is a crying need in this moment for moral clarity on these subjects, and if the church does not address them it will discredit itself for a generation. Even worse, it will fail Christ.
I've written extensively on questions of immigration and the oppressed, so I didn't think I needed to address it here again. What I was trying to highlight here were some of the basement level issues. E.g. I don't think we're going to have moral clarity about anything until we can deal with dominionism.
https://josephlear.substack.com/p/youtube-launch-i-was-a-stranger-and
https://slowburnchristianity.substack.com/p/ice-political-theater-and-pentecostalism
https://slowburnchristianity.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/171571298?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished
I know you have addressed those things, brother. Why do you think I'm speaking to you? But the title of your post was "Four Things *the Church* Needs in 2026." I can think of nothing the church needs more in this moment than moral clarity on the aforementioned issues. And respectfully, while dominionism is a theological error, it is not the heart of the problem. By and large, people do not sin because they have false doctrine; they invent false doctrine to justify their sin. I can show you plenty of examples from history. Do you think white southerners held slaves because they believed black people bore the "mark of Cain." No, brother, they brought slaves first, and then found in the Bible what they were looking for to justify that fact.