But I’m wondering if the events of 2020 changed how either of you think about that text and what it means to submit to the government? 3.) Romans 13:1 says “every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.” That’s obviously a command all believers should obey. This was severely detrimental to their health and holiness. Though that ministry is not limited to the corporate setting, by not gathering corporately churches were limiting the filling ministry of the Spirit. The command to be filled with the Spirit takes place in a corporate context. For example, take Ephesians 5:18 and the filling ministry of the Spirit. Given that a virtual gathering was a contradiction in terms, it was evident that restricting our services was cutting many members of the body off from vital means of grace.įrom there, the pandemic shined a light on passages that have significance for the corporate gathering but had often gone unnoticed since we had always taken gathering for granted. For example, corporate prayer, corporate singing, the public reading of Scripture, the Lord’s Supper, baptism, and biblical fellowship. In that project, I also thought through the other vitally important means of grace in the life of the church. So when the pandemic began, we knew the virtual could not replace the in-person gathering. Given the corporate nature of preaching itself, the gathering of the church played a prominent role in that project. In it, I argued from Scripture that preaching is the primary means of grace in the life of the believer. I had just completed my preaching project for the Doctor of Ministry program at TMS. James: We were already convinced of the critical nature of the corporate gathering. What did this pandemic, and those closures, teach you about the importance of the local church gathering in-person? Certainly, churches in North America had never been ordered to close before. 2.) The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented crisis for churches everywhere. So, we wrote this book to encourage believers to respond to such matters with both the clarity Scripture provides and the courage God calls us to exhibit. While COVID-19 represented a unique season, we expect governing authorities to continue to encroach on the church and the family. Nathan: The evangelical church in North America is not accustomed to facing the kind of government overreach we experienced during the pandemic. They provide a compelling illustration of the kind of conviction and courage that is much needed in light of the changing landscape of our culture. Beyond that, the stories of GCC and GLC needed to be told. The pandemic exposed a number of weaknesses in the broader evangelical church, ranging from the church and the believer’s relationship to governing authorities to a biblically robust ecclesiology. James: When Nathan approached me about joining him in this venture, it was easy to see the need for it. 1.) Why did you two decide to write this book? What audience do you have in mind? And how are you hoping this book will serve churches everywhere? Busenitz and Pastor Coates were gracious enough to answer a few questions about their new book, and the biblical principles and circumstances that led their churches to reopen in defiance of government restrictions. Several months later, in February of 2021, James Coates was arrested and spent several weeks in jail because his church was not complying with local mandates.ĭr. In the summer of 2020, Nathan Busenitz was one of the Grace Community Church elders who signed “Christ, Not Caesar, is Head of the Church”, which gave a biblical explanation for why Grace Community Church was reopening, despite local government restrictions on gatherings. And for his preparation to lead GraceLife Church of Edmonton, James Coates has an MDiv and DMin from The Master’s Seminary. Busenitz is the executive vide-president, dean of faculty, and associate professor of theology at TMS. The authors, Nathan Busenitz and James Coates, are Master’s Men. This book looks at how, and more importantly, why, two churches-Grace Community Church in Los Angeles and GraceLife Church of Edmonton, Canada-reopened in defiance of local health orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government: Taking a Biblical Stand When Christ & Compliance Collide. Last month, Harvest House Publishers released God vs.
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