Black Church
Meet the Brothers: Vincent Bacote & Tony Carter
Dr. Vincent Bacote, director of the center for applied Christian ethics and professor of theology at Wheaton College, came through The Front Porch to share about his life and ministry, specifically how he wrestled with becoming a professor instead of a senior pastor or a para-church worker.
A Prayer of Jesus
Kevin Smith preaches on the prayer of Jesus found in John 17 and the powerful witness the united body of Christ displays to the world. In it, he references the black church and how history justifies its existence. How does the reconcile with the concept of unity in the body? C’mon up and enjoy this talk to here what Kevin suggests.
How Should Churches Respond to Fallen Pastors?
How should a church respond when there is a sinful failure on the pastor’s part? Are the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 also disqualifications? Louis Love chops it up with pastors Keelan Atkinson, Bobby Scott, and Kevin Smith about this difficult topic. C’mon up and join the conversation. (Photograph by Stefano Corso via Flickr Creative Commons)
Shepherding Ain’t Easy
Episode (#005) | What makes shepherding such a difficult labor? What might a brother be mindful of before he picks up this heavy mantle? How might this work be rewarded and what other encouragements does Scripture hold out for shepherds? C’mon up and enjoy this last episode of the series: “You Need More Than a Church: You Need a Shepherd.”
The Essence of the Black Church
What is essential to being the Black church? It’s not the adjective, but the noun. C’mon up and see what distinguishes true churches from false ones and how this dictates our leadership, our sexuality, and our whole lives for our joy and God’s glory.
How Many Shepherds Does a Church Need?
Episode (#004) | Why does the Bible almost always refer to Shepherds in the plural? Because no one man can do it all. No one man has the gifts necessary to care for an entire congregation. Shepherds, then, are gifts from God to be received with joy who should care for each individual sheep. This is why the Bible almost always refers to elders—plural.
Meet the Brothers: Elbert McGowan & Tony Carter
We had Elbert McGowan, leader of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) at Jackson St. University, come up on the porch. He shares with Tony Carter about his life, ministry, and the upbringings of growing up during the flood of crack cocaine.
What Does A Shepherd Do?
Episode (#003) | What are the biblical requirements of the Shepherd? Thabiti suggests that there are at least four: knowing the sheep, feeding the sheep, leading the sheep, and protecting the sheep. C’mon up and join the conversation.
The Poor: The Christian’s Mirror
Given the grand jury’s decision re: the Michael Ferguson case, we had a civil rights attorney who worked in the Deep South for nearly five years reflect on Ferguson. Though media have moved on from that city, we still have much to mourn for, to learn, and to rejoice in.
Meet the Brothers: Keith Plummer & Thabiti Anyabwile
We had Keith Plummer, assistant professor in the school of Divinity at Cairn University, right outside of Philly, come up on the porch. Join him and Thabiti Anyabwile as they discuss nominal Christianity in the church and in Christian schools.
Thank You from The Front Porch!
The Front Porch still has some miles to go, but we wanted to shout a loud thank you for joining us on the journey thus far. Know that you’re always welcome to c’mon up and join the conversation. Here’s to the next year!
What is a Shepherd?
Episode (#002) | Can it really be true that Christians need more than their local church? And if they do, what is the thing they’re missing: a preacher? a pastor? Are those the same thing? C’mon up and join the conversation. (Photograph by Afghanistan Matters via Flickr Creative Commons)