The Parrhesians

Send us Fan MailDoug Wilson is kinda cool. He knows what it’s like to be the most conservative kid at camp and he’s okay with it. He also knows when it’s time to shout at culture, and when it’s time to whisper. Which is a nifty gift. Oh, and he doesn’t love paying taxes. Which means he’s definitely human, and most likely a Christian. He also has no qualms with R.C. Sproul. So, like we said: he's kinda cool. As our congregation seeks to join the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), Pastor Nate, Pastor Peter, and Pastor Kyle chatted with Doug about all the “scaries” of CREC. Does vitriol have to drip from our lip and obscenity seethe from our teeth? Are women allowed own Bibles and cast votes? Should lesbians and liberals be teaching our kids? Listen, and get your answers. Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailWhat's the nature of a witch? To take that which she cannot have and prevent creatures from becoming who they were meant to be.  An indispensable moral lesson drawn from the fairy tale of Jorinda and Jorindel in The Brothers Grimm that can be applied to our zeitgeist.  Helen Andrews believes culture's been feminized. Now what? What do we do about it? Should we seek to recapture institutions or just create new ones? Speaking of institutions, isn't the Church inherently feminine? Would that mean we should attempt to make it more "masculine?"Is every man qualified to be a leader? Should women be leaders? What ever happened to the term "actress?" In this second installment of "The Great Feminization," Pastor Nate, Pastor Peter, and Pastor Kyle dive deeper into Andrews' thesis.What theological, pastoral, and civil implications does Andrews' thesis have? Which should we accept, and which should we reject? Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!---------For background reading and viewing, Andrews’ article, “The Great Feminization," and her interview referenced in the podcast are linked below. Helen Andrews, "The Great Feminization:" https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-great-feminization/Helen Andrews, "Overcoming the Feminization of Culture:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLbq7PlrIAhttps://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailImagine a woman critiquing women who believe women can do everything men can do? Now imagine a woman asserting that women shouldn’t be in every courtroom, graduate seminar, and boxing ring alongside men? Now imagine a woman arguing that wokeness and cancel culture are the result of the feminization of institutions. Now stop imagining. There is such a woman, and her name is Helen Andrews. And boy oh boy is she swinging the gauntlet. Boldly. Connecting some dots between group dynamics, statistics, and institutional shift, Andrews has quite a few things to say that will make some uncomfortable. Stop saying males and females are the same. Because they’re not. Stop believing they can do everything the same. Because they can’t. Men: stop abdicating. Let meritocracy rule the day. Stop allowing Human Resource policies to run our schools and inform our parenting practices. In all things: stop tipping the scale. This episode is the first installment of Pastor Nate, Pastor Peter, and Pastor Kyle’s engagement with Andrews’ thesis and its relevance for the Church. Is it true that a “Great Feminization” of culture has occurred? From whence did it derive? How should we as Christians think about it? What should the Church do? For background reading and viewing, Andrews’ article, “The Great Feminization," and her interview referenced in the podcast are linked below. Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!--Helen Andrews, "The Great Feminization:" https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-great-feminization/Helen Andrews, "Overcoming the Feminization of Culture:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLbq7PlrIAhttps://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailMartin Bucer was a sixteenth century German Dominican monk who converted to Protestantism. He was a mentor to John Calvin and helped Calvin in his efforts to reform the city of Geneva. In his essay, Instruction in Christian Love, he had this to say: Civil officials must govern according to the Word of God and, in the measure of their power, help the success of the divine Word. For as there is no power which is not from God, and everywhere the present powers are established by Him (Romans 13:1), it certainly follows that this power must be exercised according to the order and will of God. Only so will this power at last procure the real welfare of its subjects and thus stimulate them to recognize, praise, and glorify God as the Lord of all lords and the King of all kings. “Citizens are not governed for their good and for the true glory of the supreme King when the secular authorities do not rule according to the divine Law and are not set to observe it themselves. For where God is not recognized and obedience to Him is not required before all things, there peace is not peace, justice is not justice, and that which should be profitable brings injury instead.We call ourselves Christians and consider ourselves the people of God, and yet our officials who have the power have fallen into the error of believing that the divine Law does not concern them, that they must judge and make regulations more according to the pagan imperial law and other human sentences than according to the sentence of God. But we cannot pride ourselves on being communities of God and the people of God, if we respect, accept, and keep all sorts of laws, ordinances, and regulations other than God's. Only His Law can make us live. Bucer raises a few uncomfortable, but necessary, questions. Is a Christian nation good for our neighbor? Is vying for a Christian nation a way of loving our neighbor? What does it mean to love our neighbor if it doesn’t mean tangibly taking them straight to the throne of Christ? Are we really Christians if we leave politics to the pagans? In this episode of The Parrhesians, Pastor Nate, Peter, and Kyle tackle the thorny issue of Christian Nationalism. How separated are the Church and the State? How separated should they be? What does it mean to be a Christian nationalist? If no law or policy is neutral, who, or what, is the Christian giving the nation over to if they don’t advocate for Christian laws?Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan Mail“This is a perishing world. Your neighbors are perishing. Maybe some of you I’m looking at right now are perishing. […] Everyone is either on their way to heaven or on their way to hell.” This is the last installment of a three-part series Dr. John Gerstner gave at Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in 1984 on the riches of John 3:16. It focuses on God’s love of the “world,” the sovereign will of the Spirit, and those who believe. In this episode, Dr. Gerstner discusses the world as a burning house, God’s obligation to keep the reprobate under eternal torment, His inflexible justice, and the infinite redemption of Jesus Christ. Enjoy! And welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn a previous episode, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle discussed how we measure church health and vitality. What does it mean that a church is healthy? What does it look like for it to be sick? They continue this exploration by providing several signs for what makes a church healthy. Such as, - The congregation's words are more informed by the Word than the world. They speak less like Moabites and more like the ancient Israelites. The Pharisees don't have their tongue but the Prince of Peace.- The congregation's eyes see correctly. The church isn't seen as a country club that they attend on the weekends but their entire outlook is one in which they see this as their covenantal family. - The congregation's time is prioritized rightly. Those who work 40-60 hours take off the week to help with VBS. Those who encourage their kids to play sports don't let them miss a Lord's Day service. When grammar (speech), perception (sight), and action (sacrifice) are rightly ordered, a healthy church is around the corner. Join Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle as they break this down and more. Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailThis is part two of a three-part series Dr. John Gerstner, long-time professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, gave at Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in 1984 on the riches of John 3:16.In this episode, Dr. Gerstner discusses the need for apologetics, the insult that is evangelism, the condemnation that can come through missions, and how the road to hell is paved with pluralism, gentility, and tolerance. Dr. Gerstner reminds us that we were there when the Son was crucified. Except He wasn’t our Lord then. He was our enemy. And we weren’t over on the sidelines crying. We were driving the nails, slaughtering Him, committing the crime. And “God had no obligation to you or to me to present the gospel. We were fit for damnation. Nevertheless, He sent His one and only Son to perish for us.” Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesian Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan Mail“I told my doctor he was counting my heart rate incorrectly.” You ever heard that before? Yeah, me neither. People who know, know, and we trust them. “It’s all about perception.” “Your church is unhealthy.” “We’re just trying to help.” You ever heard that before? Yeah, me, too. All the time. People who don’t know are always vying for your ear. What does it mean that a church is healthy? What does it look like for it to be sick? When it’s sick, is it flatlining, or does it just need a few days to recover? Does it still have the power of Jesus in its blood? Is it just malnourished, famished, or parched? In this episode, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle talk about how we measure church health and vitality. Our Triune God likes lines and numbers, but are the lines we are drawing and the math we are doing consistent with His? How do our evaluative measures measure up to His? Maybe our scientific ruler is way sharper or shorter than His? Perhaps lot of numbers aren’t always a sign of health or strength. One doesn’t seem very much to us, but that’s all it took for a Savior to accomplish redemption. Twelve doesn’t seem like very much, but that’s all it took to spread the gospel across the globe. Maybe death is actually life. Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn this three-part series, recorded at Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in 1984, Dr. John Gerstner explores the depths of the riches of John 3:16.But, Dr. Gerstner asserts that this "golden text" of scripture is oft misunderstood.  To avoid misunderstanding, we need the whole context.  That's why Dr. Gerstner starts at the end of the story where Jesus answers the "why" question.  Why did Jesus come into the world? He came because this is a perishing world. Dr. Gerstner was a long-time professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, mentor to R.C. Sproul, and a straight shooter.  His words were parrhesian then, and they are no less bold today.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailHe’s got the whole world in His hands. Your mother. Your girlfriend. Even Kamala. He is the true "Govenator."  And He shares His power. He raises His people up and gives them responsibilities. He passes along His keys and expects His Church to use them (Matthew 18:18).But the modern church just likes to swing them around her finger. She doesn’t even know which doors they open and close. In this episode, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle talk about the politics of the local church and using the keys—inside and out. Christian Nationalism, anybody? Three cheers for excommunication? Or do you think Christ's Church should stick to whispering sweet nothings to fragile souls? The modern church is afraid to make judgments to the State. To say, “Christ is King, and you will be held accountable . . .  oh, and stop mutilating kids.”She’s even afraid to make judgments within her own walls. To say, “Hey, you’re not acting like a Christian, and you’re poisoning the body—no bread for you!”Whether they’re atheist politicians or previously ordained elders, it is the Church’s responsibility to name pagan and unfaithful behavior in her neighborhood. Welcome to another episode of The Parrhesians Podcast!https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailThree rogue elders walk into a Session meeting and slap a folder down. “We have concerns.” They leave it to Session to deal with it. Time passes, and they grow impatient. They escalate their “concerns” to a higher authority and call in reinforcements. They enlist the Presbytery to do something about it. The Presbytery nominates a few guys with good “intentions.” Those intentions take on a life of their own. They grow an ill-will, and the next thing you know, those intentions birth bullies. It all goes nuclear.  What do you do with bullies who call you a bully? What do you do with abusers who claim you’re the abuser? According to Joe Rigney, you fight them. Tooth and nail. Like a real elder. Elders aren’t fragile. Elders aren’t afraid of drama. Elders are quick to point out that “I’m hurt, therefore, you sinned” isn’t a syllogism. Elders brush the progressive gaze off their shoulder and put up “no admittance” signs. Elders redirect the soft hearted who are afraid to lose people and tell them to not be like Lot’s wife. Elders are not afraid to drive a bus with only a few passengers on it if it keeps the church on mission. Listen to our Session’s conversation with Joe Rigney on what it takes to be a church and lead in Negative World (Previously unreleased: Recorded on June 27, 2024). https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailYou can’t claim to be a Christian if you don't go to church. Likewise, you can't claim to be a member of Christ's Body if you don't read your Bible. Just call yourself a "pagan," have a coke, and smile. In this episode, Peter, Pastor Nate, and Kyle discuss the political importance of the local church. Specifically, we dive into the topic of membership and what it has to become in Negative World. The bar for membership has gotten so low it’s like we’re playing Limbo. Anyone and everyone can become a member. All you have to do is say “Jesus” a couple of times and read your Bible once a quarter. We say “no.” You wouldn’t sip kerosene or eat wood chips, would you? You wouldn’t willingly put something in your body that is poisonous or harmful, would you? The same goes with the church. We have to raise the bar of membership. We have to rescue it from its plummet. For the sake of the Body. In the same way that we fence the table, we have to vet our members more rigorously. For starters, members have to be Christians. They have to believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, not just a ghost. They have to believe that babies are sinners and need to be baptized in Christ. Stuff like that. Welcome to Season Two of The Parrhesians Podcast! https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIt's been 18 months since the Presbytery of the Alleghenies formed an Administrative Commission to "help" our church secure the peace, unity, and purity of the congregation.  But instead of help, our congregation experienced conflict, lawfare, and abuse of power at the hands of EPC leadership.  On Sunday, January 26, 2025, the church voted to disaffiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The vote passed 106 in favor, 13 opposed, with 89% approval.  The conflict is over.  Join Nate, Peter, and Kyle in Part Two of this special edition of The Parrhesian Podcast, as they share how it all ended.Remember, the truth is bold!  https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIt's been 18 months since the Presbytery of the Alleghenies formed an Administrative Commission to "help" our church secure the peace, unity, and purity of the congregation.  But instead of help, our congregation experienced conflict, lawfare, and abuse of power at the hands of EPC leadership.  On Sunday, January 26, 2025, the church voted to disaffiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The vote passed 106 in favor, 13 opposed, with 89% approval.  The conflict is over.  Join Nate, Peter, and Kyle in Part One of this special edition of The Parrhesian Podcast, as they share how it's all been going.Remember, the truth is bold!  https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn this special edition of the Parhessian Podcast, Peter, Kyle, and Nate take on the mantle of The Layman as they discuss the recent Presbytery of the Alleghenies meeting held on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Sadly, there are many concerning issues to report.  The POA not only continued its abuse of power, but there is evidence of evangelical dark money flowing into the denomination, sympathy for open borders, erosion of ordinational standards, continued disregard for constitutional fidelity, and more.  In fact, the situation has become so bad, that it appears as though the EPC is now functioning more like a tyranny than a denomination.  But in the face of tyranny, we remember the courageous words of John Knox who said, “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” And so, we obey God. https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailBaptizing babies in the church always leads to the necessity for confirmation.  Confirmation is a process by which young men and women learn what it means to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and what it means to be a member of the church. This time-honored approach to training and confirming our youth in the faith is known as catechesis. Catechesis (a biblical word that simply means “to teach”) is the church’s ministry of grounding and growing all the people of God in the great doctrines of our faith and its implications for membership in the local church and life as a Christian in the world. But conformation is something a little different, and it’s not just a program for older children in the church.  Historically, the church has engaged in confirmation through its educational ministry.  Learning the great articles of the faith is vitally important, but conformation requires more than just information.  Conformation means getting in spiritual shape. Being a Christian means being conformed to the image of Christ, and we can’t be conformed unless we are confronted by just how badly we are out of shape.  Sometimes God has to carve things away in our lives so that we start to look more like Jesus.God loves his people, which means He is willing to pursue us, confront us, and require righteousness from us.  God’s confrontation is a grace, and the resistance we feel as we go through conformation is actually a relief.  So join Nate, Peter, and Kyle as we discuss why conformation is so important, and how avoiding conformity puts us, and our children, in real spiritual danger.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of The Parrhedsian Podcast, Peter, Kyle and Nate discuss how a return to the practice of infant baptism may actually be the key to Christian revival, not only in America, but also in the church and in the home.    https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailAs Coach Herm Edwards once said (famously)...“You play to win the game.”  But you can’t win the game (with all due respect to Allen Iverson) if you don’t practice.  Practice is important, it’s important for sports, it’s important for music, it’s important for almost every endeavor in life, including our life in Christ.  Christians must practice their faith, and that means engaging in any number of spiritual activities, including the practice of spiritual disciplines.  But practices and disciplines are not necessarily the same thing.  Why is that important and what does it matter?Well, in this episode of the Parrhesian Podcast, we talk with our own Kyle Bennett, who wrote a book called Practices of Love, that explores Christian practices and spiritual disciplines, how they are connected, how they are different, and why they are so important for Christian living. (I’ll give you a hint, they help you win the game!)    https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailWhen it comes to the church today there is too much sameness.  Sameness is a real problem.  But what does that mean?  What is too much sameness?  First, we need to clarify that sameness is not the same as conformity.  Conformity isn’t a problem; the problem resides in the pattern after which the church is being conformed.  Is the church today being conformed to Christ or to the pattern of this world?  The Bible commands us to not conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  But sadly, the church too often looks pretty much the same as the world.Dr. Robert Gagnon, professor of New Testament, and former professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, has been incredibly helpful in identifying the sin of sameness in his writing on Christian sexual ethics, homosexuality, and the Bible.  Gagnon writes,  The foundation of all sexual ethics according to Jesus is “male and female [God] made them” (Gen 1:27) and “For this reason a man … will become joined to his woman, and they [later: the two] shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). According to Jesus, the male-female prerequisite for marriage (and thus for all sexual relations) is the foundation upon which all other sexual-ethical standards are predicated, including the prohibitions of incest and homosexuality.  (Incest and homosexuality are a violation of the [biblical] rejection of excessive familial and structural sameness.)  Why is incest wrong? Why is homosexuality wrong? Too much sameness.  They are not God’s pattern for the world.  But the world has rejected God’s pattern, and so we end up with the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.  It’s one thing for the world to reject God’s pattern, but its even worse when the church does. The church today is suffering from too much sameness, produced by following a worldly design.  But we must remember Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 6, that if we look too much like the rest of the world, we will not inherit the kingdom of God. Conformity to the pattern of this world is a serious problem in the church today and so in this episode of The Parrhesian Podcast, Kyle, Peter, and Nate discuss the problem of excessive sameness in the church and how the church might break free from this destructive pattern.  https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailWe just recently celebrated the 4th of July, and our country finds itself in an election year where everyone seems to be saying that the fate of democracy is on the line. What better time to think Christianly about the subject of freedom. What is freedom? Where does it come from? How do you possess it? How does the Bible define it? These are all good questions to ask, so join, Nate, Peter, and Kyle as they talk about freedom.   https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailTimes of disruption and seasons of change are hard to manage.  Our resting state prefers stability and so we dislike disruption.   But sometimes disruption creates unique opportunities for innovation, as Clayton Christensen described in his celebrated theory on Disruptive Innovation.    Other times disruption creates opportunities to take stock, reflect, and return to the fundamentals.  That’s what Coach Vice Lombardi did when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960’s championship.  Their dream of becoming NFL champs was severely disrupted at the end of the game, but Lombardi didn’t waste his pain.   At training camp the next year Lombardi walked to the front of the meeting room, a football under his arm. Thirty-eight Green Bay Packers players sat waiting to hear what he had to say. Coach Lombardi’s plan for the 1961 season was to go back to the fundamentals. Lombardi took the football out from under his arm, looked at his team, and gave what has become perhaps one of the greatest if not most memorable football speeches of all time. “Gentlemen,” he said, gripping the football in front of him, “this is a football.” Coach Lombardi knew that for his team to be champions, they needed to go back to the basics.  They never lost another playoff game. When the church experiences disruption (as we do today) we can innovate, which has its benefits, but we can also go back to the fundamentals of what it means to be a Christian.  We need pastors who will stand up before their congregations and preach the word of God by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a Christian.”   Christians are men and women who conform to a standard, as Jesus taught saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20) Christians conform to the teachings of Christ. The church comes into greater conformity with the standard as we practice.  The essential practices that Christ calls the church to are: Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, Stewardship and Mission.  In June, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church offered a class entitled Back to Basics in which we explore these essential practices   You can watch the classes BHPC's  YouTube channel.  Last year, Peter Kye and Nate recorded a Parrhesian Podcast episode in which they focused on worship and discipleship and how expressive individualism makes us terrible worshippers and even worse disciples. https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the POA’s report on the Theopolis Institute and Dr. Peter Leithart.Your link to the report: https://theparrhesians.com/2024/05/30/the-theopolis-report/https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailRev. Eric Phillips is the pastor of Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church and long-time friend and colleague of Nate Devlin. Pastor Eric is finishing his Doctor of Ministry degree at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, MO. His area of research is on pastoral leadership and in this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Eric interviews Nate on the subject of conflict in the church. Join Nate and Eric and find out why it is important to engage the conflict faithfully and courageously.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIs the church essential or non-essential?  Does the Bible really teach that the church should occupy a place of primacy in our lives?  Is the church really fundamental to our Christian identity or is it really just supplemental?   In 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic caused society to shut down.  And when society shut down, questions arose about what institutions in our culture were actually essential and which were non-essential.  Many states in our country determined at the outset of the pandemic that the church was in fact non-essential and mandated closures.   One of those states was California and one of the churches mandated to close was Grace Community Church in Los Angeles.  But Pastor John MacArthur knew his Bible and knew his church history and he knew that the church was essential.  That is why Grace Community Church ultimately defied Gov. Newsom’s order and remained open.  Last year a documentary was released entitled The Essential Church, which detailed Grace Community Church’s journey to remain faithful to God, to his word and to the mission of the church.  It is a truly inspiring story and if you have not yet watched it, then consider clicking the link above and checking it out.    In January of 2023, Nate, Peter and Kyle also sat down and talked about the essential nature of the church and why the church should have pride of place in a Christian’s life.  They discussed the challenging, and perhaps dangerous proposition that the church calendar should come before the sports calendar, the school calendar or even our personal calendars.   So join, Nate, Peter and Kyle as they discuss the primacy of the church.   https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailThe Evangelical Presbyterian Church  recently released a document entitled “A Pastoral Letter of Racial Lament and Hope.” The paper is a pastoral word to the denomination regarding racism and the EPC’s response to this very real and serious problem. The paper was disseminated to churches in the EPC for review as well as response.  The Stated Clerk of the EPC offered comments about the paper here.  Peter Chace, Kyle Bennett, and Nate Devlin all read the paper and  found it to be significantly problematic. They believe the paper reflects much of the wisdom found in the prevailing culture, borrowing substantially from the popular modern notion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and secular “anti-racisms” rhetoric. The paper seems to be yet another piece of evidence that the EPC continues its slide toward theological and cultural liberalism.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailYour system is perfectly designed to get you the results you are currently getting.  As Christians, we are called to think Christianly, but every once in a while Christians should think a little bigger, especially about the systems that we create or the conditions in which we live.  The world is full of unspoken and unseen systems that help govern the world and our lives.   As Christians, what do we think about the system around us, such as education or human sexuality?  What do we think about culture or tradition?  Hospitality or civics?    These systems are surprisingly powerful and they often shape us in unchristian ways.  Join Peter, Kyle and Nate as they talk about the systems that are all around us and how we as Christians should think about them.  https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailBeing a Christian in our world today is hard. It is made all the more difficult when Christians fail to think in a distinctly Christian way. Join Peter, Kyle, and Nate as they discuss Harry Blamires book The Christian Mind, what it means to think Christianly, and why Christian thinking is so important. https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailKyle, Peter and Nate finally explain what Parrhesia is and why it matters today.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailKyle Peter and Nate discuss what it means to pass on the faith to the next generation.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailKyle, Peter and Nate have a few thoughts about the coup document below:God’s plan for the congregation to take back Beverly Heights EPCWe the congregation of Beverly Heights EPC have become aware of a plan by our current pastor, Nate Devlin, and a small group of leadership including the elders, to move our church alliance from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to another denomination/ group called Theopolis. While the basic teachings of this group seem solid, there are other teachings that that are in conflict with our basic beliefs and the way that we worship. Nate and this group of leadership in our church has been quietly moving our church to this denomination/group without laying out a new vision for the church and presenting it to the church for their approval as when the church as a whole made the decision to leave the PCAUSA and alliance with the EPC. As past leadership from the church has become aware of this move towards Theopolis, they have been studying this movement and trying to make other members aware of the changes. Our feeling is that when a church group believes that they have some special connection to God that no one else can experience unless they follow along it is prideful; in this case prideful intellectualism and cult like behavior. Nate and this group are attempting to squash all attempts for past leadership to educate and warn current members of the general population. While the past leadership is trying to work within the confines of the Presbytery, that has been slow. Charges against Nate have been registered with the Presbytery. Now is the time for the general congregation of Beverly Heights EPC to take back their beloved church. Beverly Heights has a rich history of serving the neighborhood and a witness to our Precious Lord Jesus Christ.Here is a plan to set this in motion.1. Set up a trust fund for contributions to the church.2. Have as many members as possible contribute what they would normally give to the church to this fund. This is done, to limit funding to this group, essentially putting the church into bankruptcy. If there is no money, there is payroll, there are no programs and there is no school.3. This fund will then be put back into the church operating fund once the group is removed. We will need funds to rebuild.4. Have as many members as possible stop contributing their time and talents to the church. Again, making it difficult for the church to operate.5. Stage silent protests during the worship service; where a large group sits together, does not participate in any way, but spends the time with heads bowed in prayer for the church. This is done to make those that are still in the dark aware that there is an issue.6. Physically reclaim the church building and lock out this rouge group of believers. (This can be done is several ways which I do not want to list here in case one of this group gets ahold of this statement.)7. Seek legal and financial advice as needed from godly men and women.8. Offer forgiveness to those who were involved, allowing those that were involved to remain with the congregation as long as they recant their alliance to Nate, then church discipline by not allowing them to ever participate in any leadership role ever again. Beverly Heights Church has faced similar challenges in the past with a church split and the move from the PCAUSA to the EPC. Our dear church has come out on top every time and smelling like a rose. We believe that our hearts in in the right place and the Lord will guide us and make a way for us to reclaim this wonderful, God fearing and God honoring church. In doing this, we pray that the many wonderful, godly leaders that departed the church because of this movementhttps://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss a recent article in Christianity Today entitled  Above Reproach? Fewer Americans See Pastors as Ethical and the erosion of pastoral confidence in the culture.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan Mail“People's lives come to ruin not because they pursue intrinsically evil states,  but because they prize lower goods to the neglect of higher goods.” Byron I. Bitar, Classical Christian Worldview: Ethics  Worship is job number one.  But that viewpoint is not shared by the therapeutic church, which endeavors to make us feel good, nor by the missional church, which seeks to repopulate the church and perpetuate itself.  The worshipping church, however, seeks to glorify God and have a people formed after the image of Christ.   Such formation doesn’t always feel good, it's not always convenient and it’s rarely pragmatic, but the highest good for every Christian is a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Having a relationship with Jesus means regular and frequent worship of Christ, which brings us into greater and greater conformity to Christ.   So join Nate, Peter, and Kyle as they boldly proclaim what the point of our salvation really is.   https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIf evil pervades the church, you should not shrink back from breaking with the church organization, and you should not rest until Zion is revived. ~ Abraham Kuyper (1883) In this Special Edition, episode 3 of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the challenges within the local church, opposition they’ve faced in their home church, and why they are seeking to leave the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIf evil pervades the church, you should not shrink back from breaking with the church organization, and you should not rest until Zion is revived. ~ Abraham Kuyper (1883) In this Special Edition, episode 2  of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the challenges within the local church, opposition they’ve faced in their home church, and why they are seeking to leave the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIf evil pervades the church, you should not shrink back from breaking with the church organization, and you should not rest until Zion is revived. ~ Abraham Kuyper (1883) In this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the challenges within the local church, the opposition they’ve faced in their home church, and why they are seeking to leave the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan Mail"True religion, in fact, is a kind of friendship: it is friendship of character with God. In short, friendships of character bond us to God and to each other now and forever, and perfect our nature."  Byron I. Bitar, Classical Christian Worldview: Ethics  Does the church rightly understand friendship?  Does it possess an adequate theology of friendship?  Or is the church confused about friendship?  Has the category of friendship been coopted in the church by the “gay Christian” agenda? Theologian Wesley Hill claims in his book Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian that spiritual friendship is a helpful category for celibate “gay Christians” and a biblical means through which they can share and enjoy love.  Hill Writes, “I want to explore the way my same-sex attractions are inescapably bound up with my gift for and calling to friendship. My question, at root, is how I can steward and sanctify my homosexual orientation in such a way that it can be a doorway to blessing and grace.” Rosaria Butterfield, however, in her recent book, Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age, voices grave concerns about the “gay Christian” identity and the movement that has grown out of it.  She offers bold truth and asserts that Wes Hill and the “gay Christian” identity are in direct contradiction to Scripture. If Rosaria is correct, then the concept of “spiritual friendship” is also sub-Christian and adds confusion to the question of “what is Christian friendship?”     Understanding Christian friendship is the subject that The Parrhesians tackle this week.  So, join Kyle, Peter, and Nate as they proclaim bold truth about what it means to be friends with God through his son Jesus and with others in the church.https://theparrhesians.com/

Send us Fan MailIn December 2022, Peter Chace, Kyle Bennett, and Nate Devlin sat down to record Season One of The Parrhesian Podcast.  Sadly, those recordings were buried under the tyranny of other pressing matters in church and life.  They were buried but not forgotten.  The recordings resurfaced this week when Christianity Today published its 2024 Book Awards. Book of the Year was awarded to Christopher Watkin’s Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture.  When the book was released last year, it prompted a lively (critical?) conversation among the Parrhesians about critical theory and its challenges to and acceptance within the evangelical church.  Now that the awards for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture have been awarded, what better time to inaugurate episode one of the podcast?  We hope you find the conversation enlightening if not mildly entertaining.https://theparrhesians.com/