Idea & Reality

Note: This was a post that I had wrote in anger about a month ago and then decided not to post. After reading this, I decided to go ahead with it. I ask ahead of time for the benefit of the doubt that I am not bitter, and that I do appreciate men like Piper and movements like TGC.

It’s time to be snarky. Time to call a movement out. I have been angry about the “Ordinary Pastor’s Project” over at TGC since I read the introduction a few weeks ago. Being an ‘ordinary’ pastor myself, some might wonder how I could be upset at what they are doing. Be forewarned, this will contain harsh language. At the same time, understand that I have no desire to personally hurt anyone. Although that would depend on people reading this, which is unlikely given how ‘ordinary’ I am.

1. We cannot deal with the idolatry of guru worship by highlighting some pastors who work away in obscurity.

If you are convinced that there is no idolatry/guru worship going on in all quarters of the Christian subculture then you are not paying attention. In the neo reformed wing of which I have considered myself a part there are Piperites, Driscollites, and all other sorts of [insert favorite pastor/theologian]ites. Although I would admit that ‘guru worship’ is sometimes difficult to define, I think it at least involves an orientation to the messenger where the messenger becomes more important than the message. I know many theologically sound ‘ordinary’ pastors who would not draw a crowd to T4G, DGC, or TGC. It’s not that they can’t teach and teach good theology well, it’s that they are not person x or y.

This orientation towards the messenger is against the witness of the Scriptures. 1 Cor. 1.12-”What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Paul is writing to a church that has divisions within it, so it might be thought that this passage has no applicability to the current neo-reformed movement. I beg to differ. Paul was dealing with a group of people who had become guru followers. This lead to divisions. The neo-reformed movement has revelled in exalting pastors who pastor large churches and write best selling books. These guru followers at Corinth looked to their guru for what was real teaching. The neo-reformed movement has guru’s that are constantly called upon for real spiritual insight. The Corinthians were divided amongst themselves, the neo-reformed have separated themselves from Evangelicalism as a whole or redefined Evangelicalism to mean only themselves.

The solution to idolatry is repentance, not shifting focus for a few moments.

2. This is condesending and unhelpful for many of us ‘ordinary’ pastors.

Let’s be honest, ‘ordinary’ means ‘not celebrity.’ I don’t need the reminder that I am an ‘ordinary’ pastor and I don’t need a bone thrown my way to make me feel better about myself. Yeah, the Gospel Coalition realizes that there are ‘ordinary’ pastors! Look, there is someone like me who sins, struggles, makes mistakes, endures hardships, preaching away in obscurity! I am not alone!

Would the need to highlight ‘ordinary’ pastors even exist if there was not so much guru worship?

3. I don’t need short internet write ups for encouragement.

I need more pastors who are willing to be ‘ordinary’ to come minster along side me in Quebec. I need men to forsake the dream of a mega church to do ‘ordinary’ ministry. I need more solid gospel men in my city, Montreal, at other local churches preaching the Gospel week in and week out till God sends revival or shuts the doors.

If you are an ‘ordinary’ pastor like myself and you disagree, I would love to hear about it. If you are seminary student who has not pastored, don’t even bother telling me why I am wrong. If you are a mega church pastor, I live in a different world from you. Ditto if you pastor a church where even 25% of your congregants are seminary students.

I celebrate how many people are getting excited about the Gospel because of The Gospel Coalition and conferences like T4G. I love men like Piper and Keller and stand in their debt. But the guru worship has to stop, and I don’t need someone else to tell me that I am an ‘ordinary’ pastor or that I am a hero for being so. I do need men who will purpose to go where there are only ‘ordinary’ pastors, places where there is no glory, at least for them.