Doctrine & Philosophy

Doctrine and the philosophy of ministry are not two separate conversations but one continuous thread, and the way a pastor holds them together says a great deal about how he understands the work God has given him. Doctrine answers the question of what is true. It is the careful confession of who God is, what He has done in Christ, and how He has chosen to redeem and sanctify His people. A philosophy of ministry answers a different but inseparable question, namely how that truth takes shape in the everyday life of a shepherd and a congregation. The two depend on one another. Sound doctrine without a thoughtful philosophy of ministry can grow cold and theoretical, while a philosophy of ministry without doctrinal conviction has no foundation to stand on and no destination to pursue. What I believe about Scripture, the Trinity, salvation, and the church necessarily governs how I preach, how I lead, how I disciple, and how I care for the people entrusted to me. In the pages that follow, I have set both before you so that they may be read together, because my convictions about God and my approach to ministering in His name are meant to be of one piece, each giving meaning and direction to the other.