Comments on: Southern Religion and Its Effects

By: alvin reid

alvin reid — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:20:02 +0000

Not at all Patrick. Keep thinking and keep telling the good news. Noted I studied at SWBTS but teach at SEBTS.

By: Patrick Haight

Patrick Haight — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:13:07 +0000

I do enjoy reading your blogs and appericate what you do at southwestern I hope you dont think I was insulting your blogs by that comment I made. I am 28 yrs and I apperciate all you are doing to reach the younger generation coming up.

By: Alvin Reid

Alvin Reid — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:25:58 +0000

Thanks for the comments all. I do not want only to point out problems but to offer solutions as well. Patrick, if you check out my new Evangelism Handbook you will see that I affirm both conventional approaches (such as mass evangelism) and more missional practice. Add without subtracting. And beyond that, methods will not bring change. A renewed theological conviction about the gospel and a posture of looking at the US as missionaries will.

By: Patrick Haight

Patrick Haight — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:23:33 +0000

I hear alot of talk in Churches about what style or methods we should go with. I am weary of churches that fight over methods or styles. I am hearing alot of Christians complain about the Church more than the Lost world. I hear some many people say that the old methods do not work anymore For example I had somebody tell me that Churches should stop having Revivals because they do not work anymore or we need to change our styles of music or styles of preaching. I have seen some the meanest Lost sinners come in to a country Church where the preacher just Jesus and the Cross and God use that sermon to convict that person and that person got saved. I was in a tent meeting recently and the preacher preached on the cross and a whole local high school foot ball got saved. I have some awesome things happen in churches that are not traditonal type churches. I think both methods work as long as it is about JESUS. You can have new methods and you can have the old methods but if Jesus is not at the center it will not have any power. We should not be asking what method a church is using but what is the message a church should preaching. Lets get back to Jesus and realize not of it works without him and we will see revival.

By: David Phillips

David Phillips — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:22:56 +0000

Alvin,

thanks for the good words. I was born and raised in a church in Alabama and have spent most of my life there. But after seminary I pastored a very southern church in Louisiana, then left after a year. 2nd worst experience of my life. Then I spent 6 years in Tampa working in the IT industry. Loved being around the pagans there. I would rather be around pagans than Southern Christians because they are much more transparent and open. After now 6 years as a pastor in Delaware, I have no desire to pastor again in the South. Way too much institutionalism there. And most still don’t have a clue about life outside of the institutionalism that exists.

I wish all pastors and all professors could spend time outside of the South. It would change what’s left of our convention. It might change how we approach people, how we preach. It will change you.Just know this…what we live with now is coming to the South, and what is happening there now will have to change.

By: Article on “Southern Religion,” by Dr. Alvin Reid « Chris Aiken

Article on “Southern Religion,” by Dr. Alvin Reid « Chris Aiken — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:49:49 +0000

[...] can read his full post HERE, and I would encourage you to do so. Even if you disagree it can be helpful. Then drop back here [...]

By: Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:41:33 +0000

As you well know, much of what you describe is the resulting point on the Venn diagram where American Independence intersects with what you refer to as the Institution of Church. Other countries deal with the gospel very differently than we do. They aren’t able to be so hypocritical, to live like what you sometimes call “practicing atheists”. Thank you for your boldness and honesty. I would appreciate any insight or feedback you would have for my blog as well. Until We’re All Home…

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:30:42 +0000

I am graduating from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis in May. I have see this daily in our city. The church has a skewed view of Christianity and it digusts me and my fellow students. It seems as if the churches want to sit on the outside of the city and leave the task of inner-city evangelism to a few crazy seminarians or a few crazy pastors. I am reading your book “Evangelism Handbook” right now, and you hit many of the problems in there. However, this article sums up ‘Southern Religion.’ Thank you for writing it sir.

By: John

John — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:40:05 +0000

Dr. Reid,

Thank you so much for what you do in obedience to our Savior! I really appreciate this article and the thoughts you present. I also wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed hearing you at the Evangelism Conference here in Warner Robins this past week. Enjoy might be the wrong word because it felt like you kept hitting me with wooden boards in the forehead the entire time! I appreciate how God used you to convict us when it comes to evangelism.

By: brett’s morning blend (03mar10) « aliens and strangers

brett’s morning blend (03mar10) « aliens and strangers — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:16:03 +0000

[...] A Critique of Southern Religion [...]