FEBC is Needed(Convention Address 2016) President’s Challenge


by Blaine Donaldson, President


Our culture today, both in Canada and the United States, is growing less and less friendly to a biblically consistent lifestyle. Christian values, viewpoints and opinions are oſten met with mockery and scorn. I am comfortable to say that the devil is mak- ing a concentrated effort to marginalize and ostracize Christian influence. Let me give a few examples: Creation: Any hint of a view that accommodates God as the Creator is mocked. Christians are not free in secular schools to even try to defend this view, especially in biology.


Euthanasia: Anyone who publically opposes euthanasia is pre- sented as cruel and sadistic.


Homosexuality: To not embrace and celebrate homosexuality is to be called “homophobic.” Homophobia is considered a mental disease.


Same-sex marriages: To believe that marriage is between one man and one woman is viewed as bigoted and discriminatory. A person holding a biblical view will soon be banned from serving as a justice of the peace. It is not unreasonable to think that biblical pastors may soon be banned from performing legal marriages.


Marijuana: Tis issue is oſten cloaked in pain management, which allows the charge of cruelty to those who oppose recre- ational use.


Gender issues (bathrooms): Tis is one of the most pervasive so- cial issues today. It allows the public to condemn almost every Christian and institution that believes Jesus when he said, “… he who created them from the beginning made them male and female” (Matthew 19:4 ESV). In all these issues, Christian perspective is presented as uncaring,


unloving, bigoted, intolerant, narrow-minded, selfish or stupid. Tere is a concerted effort to marginalize Christians and a


Christian perspective in public and in some cases, even in private. Tis creates a need for Bible-believing Christians to stand togeth- er. In the May/June issue of Fellowship Focus, I spoke about the value of working together with evangelical denominations with whom we share many values. I certainly affirm that we can develop strategic partnerships with many evangelical groups. However, this kind of thinking begs the question, “Is FEBC even needed?” I would suggest a resounding YES to this question.


2


FEBC is needed because we hold conser- vative doctrine. Tat statement elicits a range of responses within our Fellow-


ship. Some think that FEBC is far too conservative right now. Most people appreciated the statement on creation when it was presented. But over the past year, I have had several FEBCers reach out to me, promoting a wider view of creation than our statement would allow. We are generally cessationists when it comes to charismatic


giſts (or the sign giſts). Some pastors in our fellowship, who would not practice or promote the sign giſts, would not want to go so far as to say that God could never use sign giſts. Regarding end times, many in the Fellowship think that we are too


rigid to believe exclusively in a pre-tribulational rapture of the church. However, there are some who think that we have already


watered down too much in the last decade or so. Te truth is that we are more Biblically conservative than most denominations out there (if not all). Tere is a place for us to exist. One of our pastors told me


that he came to FEBC specifically because he was so tired of the theological driſt of his previous denomination. He loves FEBC because we have a clear stand on so many issues.


FEBC is needed because we need each other. Tere are three stages of development in the maturing process:


Dependence; independence; interdependence. Dependence is when one needs others even to exist. Tis is


where almost every person or entity starts. It is not a bad place to start, but it is natural to want to, even to desperately want, to grow to be independent. Independence is good. It means that one can stand on his


own. However, there are two errors that creep into the concept of independence. Te first error is that independence is the highest status. It


is not. An independent entity is limited to its own resources. In many cases, especially in crisis, the independent entity does not


Continued on page 18 Fellowship Focus, September/October 2016 FellowshipForward.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24