Rebecca is right. A lot of seminary graduates have bizarre expectations and make unreasonable demands. A large number of guys (both Calvinist and non-Calvinist) that I went to seminary with never really made it into the ministry for these and other similiar reasons.

I know a few young Calvinistic guys who are having a hard time finding pastorates. It’s all too easy for them to claim that they are the victims of some sort of anti-calvinism movement. The truth of the matter is that it is some of their other “hot button issues” that has kept them out of the pastorate so far. Even though they have been told this by the pastoral search committees, they prefer to view themselves as some sort of calvinistic martyrs. What has kept them, so far, out of the pulpit?

1. One candidate said, of the woman music director, “If I come, she’ll have to go. Immediately.”

2. Another said, referring to a woman who made an announcement from the pulpit about an upcoming women’s retreat, “I hope you will never again give her or any woman a public forum like that in the worship service.”

3. Another guy criticized every song that was sung in the service.

4. One rather ambitious young man, fresh from seminary, refuses to consider anything but a large and successful congregation, even though those churches only want to hire someone with pastoral experience.

It doesn’t matter that these guys were calvinistic in their theology; what really matters is that they were so obviously the wrong choice for the churches involved.

Unfortunately, it’s true that all too many search committees fail to ask theological questions. This baffles me beyond words. When we were looking for a church home, we asked far more questions (we jokingly invited one pastor over and warned him that we were going to “grill him unmercifully” and he loved it!) than do most search committees. One of the things that was both helpful and a bit frustrating during our recent pastoral search is that we used a computerized approach that I jokingly referred to as “eHarmony for pastors”. The idea was great; the programming and implementation still needs work. But the best part of the process is that it put the various theological hot button issues out on the table for discussion.

The problem here is at least twofold. First, most Southern Baptists do not know what Calvinism is, even if they already know that it is bad. Second, much about the teaching of Calvinism that upsets many Southern Baptists is the result of problems that extend far beyond Calvinism itself.

Too many Southern Baptists are simply ignorant of church history, suspicious of “theology,” and doubtful of the value of looking outside of a very narrow tradition for insight. The “Calvinist” thus represents the teaching of doctrines developed apart from the bible in the shadowy past among persons of questionable belief. As more balanced Calvinists recognize, this common outlook is very dangerous for the long-term health of Southern Baptist churches completely apart from the question of whether they dot their soteriological i’s and cross their ecclesiological t’s.

So how would I approach the question? As a non-TR TR, I would consider it necessary to inform a church of my commitment to three broad positions: mere Christianity, evangelicalism, and Reformation Christianity. As a mere Christian, I recognize the significance of orthodoxy. I am willing to recognize and appropriate the insights of truth wherever it is found. Accordingly, a church should understand that it will hear me mention and quote writers from through the centuries and across the breadth of the orthodox church. If a church sincerely believes that for centuries the truth only dwelt among a handful of mountain dwellers in western Europe of unknown doctrine and bizarre reputation, we should agree that I would not fit there.

I would also emphasize that as an evangelical I recognize that we can and should pray for and work with those outside of the SBC, whether they be Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, trinitarian Pentecostals, etc. So long as other churches are orthodox, preach the need for faith and repentance, and hold to substitionary atonement, we can come together for works of mercy, pastors’ fraternals, and even community worship services. If a church thinks that right thinking about the mode and subject of baptism and about the continuation of the apostolic gifts define the bounds of Christian cooperation, we probably should go our separate ways.

Finally, as a Reformation Christian, I believe the Bible is the only authority for faith and practice and am committed to follow the teaching of scripture regardless of how it conflicts with the way I have done things before. Accordingly, the church should expect that I will preach from the bible, primarily expositorially and consecutively, with the expectation that we will all strive to be teachable and obedient. If a church cannot fathom there being any area in which they need to reform, God have mercy on them; I pray they find a good pastor.

Would my approach display a lack of integrity? I do not believe so. My attempt is to address what I believe are many people’s real fears without throwing up a party banner that will only confound them. Of course, it might be argued that many prospective Calvinist pastors are not committed to mere Christianity, evangelicalism, and Reformation Christianity as I have described. If so, and the Calvinist banner is their only rallying point, perhaps they should subscribe to Touchstone magazine and pray that God would form them into pastors who can be nothing less than Calvinists while also being much than Calvinists.

I, personally, agree with the pastor in the article. If I go into ministry I want to be fully upfront about exactly what I believe and why I believe it. If the elders and the church body are willing to accept me that way, fine. Otherwise, it’s better to find another church — or even another denomination — where there’s a match.

My perception is that if you go into such a position without all your cards fully on the table you can lose by GETTING the job. Because sooner or later you’re going to have to show those cards, and a big fight could well be the result. If it’s not a good match, better to find that out in the interview phase than halfway through one’s pastorate when a major fight could cause lasting damage to the church (possibly resulting in a permanent church split), your family, and you personally.

This is the primary reason I have never gone into ministry as a Southern Baptist. Because I’m not an inerrantist of quite the flavor I seem to encounter ( I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God; I don’t believe Jesus threw the moneychangers out of the temple twice, even though it happened at the beginning of John and at the end of the other three gospels) and I’m a charismatic. The denomination doesn’t seem to welcome such people in ministry, so I’ve found other ways to use my talents.

There are many inspiring scriptures about the different parts all being built together into one body. But what if the body rejects the part?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

As a SBC minister in Texas, I usually have found it necessary to be a “closet Calvinist.” Few of my church members know what Calvinism is, and if they did learn what it is, they would immediately dislike it. I suppose that there is enough of a Calvinist perspective in my sermons that if a Calvinist heard them, he would detect it, but the average SBC church member does not. It just sounds like I emphasize both God’s grace and human depravity more than usual.

Most SBC pastor search committees don’t ask many theological questions. Some don’t ask any at all. Most of the questions relate to style (contemporary vs. traditional) and philosophy of pastoral leadership. Occasionally, questions are asked about the candidate’s position on SBC politics (particularly in a state like Texas where there are two state conventions).

I have heard of a few church splits caused by Calvinism, but in Texas most SBC church splits currently are caused by the pastoring trying the implement the church growth philosophy of Rick Warren, Ed Young Jr., etc. I actually heard of one church in a small town in the Texas Panhandle where a young pastor came in and split the church because he advocated BOTH Calvinism and Ed Young Jr.’s innovations.

Maybe I am too concerned about my own career and my ability to support a family, but my philosophy regarding Calvinism with churches can be summarized as “Don’t ask. Don’t tell.”

This is a timely post for me, Michael. I was just uncomfortably struck last night by the realization that I have to sign a document affirming the “authority and inerrancy of the Bible” before I can graduate from my seminary. When I entered, signing that was no problem, but in the intervening four years, my views have changed significantly. Now, my view of the Bible is very similar to that of Tom Wright. I’m not quite comfortable with the term “errantist” but I’m certainly not an “inerrantist” in the sense that my seminary uses the term. If I were ignorant of exactly what they mean by “inerrent” I might be able to sign without guilt. But since I know what they mean, and I know I disagree, well, I’m stuck. I was sitting this morning just before I read your post and thinking, “Should I withdraw now? Even today? And look for another seminary?”

I know I could sign that statement if I define the words according to how I might interpret them, but I know that isn’t honest. Because we mean very different things.