Brethren,

As some of you are aware I attend a Sovereign Grace Ministries church here in my neck of the woods. As was noted the association does teach and practice what they understand to be the gifts. That's where they are coming from. Some of the churches do so more than others. My home church has only heard what they understand to be tongue speaking twice in over two years. Thankfully the sermons have been spot on.

I may not agree with every facet of what they understand as the gifts but I am quite thrilled they have moved toward a solid sovereign grace position. They describe themselves as essentially reformed. To an observer that's where they are heading. After nearly two years I can happily state they have a refreshing Berean spirit about them. They are not stone throwers but are known to duck every now and then. There are over 50 churches within their association and they are still growing through church adoptions and church plants. Their leadership comes across as a very humble and godly bunch. They enjoy a great deal of accountability and stress such at all levels. 

As someone who was birthed as a Roman Catholic, saved under fundamentalism and enjoyed my youth as a Reformed Baptist and then matured as a Sovereign Grace Baptist I can truly say the journey has proven to be quite interesting. These SGM folks are not the nuts who feign to be Christians while stealing the savings of the elderly and the less fortunate. There are no healers, wheelers and dealers among them. Just the opposite is true. They have a zeal for God according to knowledge though they are not perfect. Nor am I. Nor are we. We are all on this journey together as we grow together in and through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

The concerns I have with my church affiliation are small and next to nothing when contrasted with infant baptism, easy believeism, arminianism, liberalism, the new perspective on justification, and the growing host of errors embraced by the cold and lifeless thing out there that attempts to pass itself off as "in Christ". I rejoice that God in His mercy has led a few more of His saints to the deeper waters we  love and appreciate and know as Sovereign Grace. Sure they have baggage. We all do! 

Wish we ran to meet them as they head in our direction. Sadly many of us treat them like lepers. It is reported (somewhere?) that the fastest growing movement towards Calvinism comes from the direction of the Charismatics. Can anyone confirm such a claim?

 In His love,
      Moe