I’m not upset. I’m just a little puzzled. It’s a symptom of a wacky evangelical environment. I have again been uberquizzed about my bonifides in ministry by an organization that may want to use something I have written. There are a lot of nuts out there so I get it. But it raises a question.
While I lived in Germany I got to know Peter Pretorius. He’s famous for working with James Robinson in feeding the poor in Mozambique. He was really frustrated with the western church at that time. He was itinerating around Europe for his mission. It was going OK. But, in trying to approach the Church in America they wanted to know, what were his credentials, what degrees did he have, who was he licensed and ordained by, who would vouch for him? What references did he bring?
While sharing a McDonald’s hamburger in Frankfurt he asked me this question, “Gene, what is with all the DR’s in America. Every preacher thinks they have to have a PhD. Earned or implied”. (I guess you can buy one on the internet. Never looked.) Then he made his point, “Any Church that requires that many Doctors is Sick”.
I have little against higher education. One of my best friends has a Doctorate or two. (sounds like something from segregation days, Some of my best friends are………..)
The issue is, what is with this super credentialed, super referenced, super educated church without fire in America?
I think of some great men of God, Smith Wigglesworth could hardly read yet if I had 1/10th his anointing I could raise the dead (as he did).
And Jesus. Wow, that would be something. Never went to bible school, college, no degree, no credentials. And now that I think of it the religious establishment rejected him.
I guess things never change.
Maybe the fact that we think we need so many Doctors in the modern church in America is because we really are SICK.
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