Dr. Waldron on the Family-Integrated Church Movement

[refbaptdude]

Dr. Waldron on the Family-Integrated Church Movement

Reformed Baptist Fellowship

 

[nasa30]

Interestingly, this was posted back on August 3rd by NCFIC on their blog as well.

Sam Waldron Speaking About FIC

 

[refbaptdude]

nasa30,

Of course the FIC blog was not in agreement with Sam. I hope and pray that the movement grows theologically and eventually abandons its errors.

 

[nasa30]

No, I did not say they agreed. They said

Here Dr. Waldron gives both praises and cautions for the family-integrated church movement. He praises it for various positions where he has sympathy toward the movement - that the leaders of the movement have rightly diagnosed some of the problems and provide a good critique of the modern church. He commends it for its doctrinal integrity and confessional orientation. However he maintains that "it has at some levels over reacted" by eliminating nurseries and youth groups and Sunday school, thereby creating an "artificial standard" for church life. Sam agrees with our position on Jr. Church and that children with understanding should be in the meetings of the church. However, he says that we go beyond Scripture.
I am thankful for Sam Waldron and others who benefit the church of the Lord Jesus Christ by desiring to conform church life to Scripture, as Sam does. I would like to point out, however, that Sam's concerns are stated in a common fashion using the words, "I think." It is one thing to say, "I think it is over reacting" and creating an "artificial standard," yet it is quite another to produce the exegetical evidence for meetings that are age segregated. The oft used term, "I think" by our critics, does not qualify as an argument. It is the "I think" and "I feel," and "It seems to me" mentality that creates artificial standards. These terms are the basis of pragmatism and personal preference and adding and subtracting from scripture. On the contrary, it is, "Thus saith the Lord" that creates sound doctrine for church and family life. The position of the NCFIC is no more extreme than Moses, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah, Joel, Jesus, Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, and the apostles, who, from everything we know about them, practiced age-integrated discipleship. For clarity, it has never been the position of the NCFIC that occasional meetings for young people are sinful or necessarily contrary to Scripture. We have, however, always argued for the illegitimacy of systematic, programmatic age segregation.

I just was pointing out that they posted it with the above comments.

 

[Jack K]

Dr. Waldron on the Family-Integrated Church Movement

Reformed Baptist Fellowship

Reasonable, insightful and well-stated. I agree with him.

 

[Kevin]

thanks for that link. I was looking for something on this topic today.