(This post is part of the Patheos “Why I Am Still An Evangelical” conversation.)
My four decades in the Evangelical world has been a pilgrim’s road trip. I came to faith in 1974 in the waning days of the Jesus Movement, and have since swum laps in a variety of different streams within Evangelicalism: fundamentalist, second- and third-wave Charismatic, conservative and progressive non-denominational congregations, house churches, Messianic Jewish congregations*, and local churches with a strong Evangelical flavor that were part of historic, mainline denominations.
I’ve been burned by a couple of these churches, and burned out by a few others. I know of at least two people who tell me they believe I’m on the verge of crossing the Tiber, and a half-handful of others, empowered by their Comment Section anonymity, who have suggested I might be a borderline heretic.
I don’t quite know how to respond to the why I am still an Evangelical without first clarifying via a couple of questions. [Read more]
