"Dead guys who were faithful"

Among the highlights of the week at the just concluded Seventh Day Baptist General Conference sessions were the presentations by Rev Brian Croft about reviving existing churches. He is interviewed in the current issue of Credo Magazine about "ministering to widows, pastoral blunders, and mentoring the next generation of future pastors." In Croft's presentation to us he mentioned books he would recommend to pastors. These, from the interview, were probably what he had in mind:

What are three or four “must-read” books on pastoral ministry and why?

The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges, The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter, Lectures to my Students by Spurgeon, and The Work of the Pastor by William Still…to name a few. The reason these authors are at the top of my list is because they are all dead guys who were faithful to the end. Moreover, they all write in such a way that they are not biased towards a modern day, consumerist, American culture. That is a helpful perspective for all pastors today.

Also in this issue of Credo Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church and 9Marks is interviewed about a new book, The Church: The Gospel Made Visible,  and, among other things, is asked:

[W]here does the rub lie for non-Baptists in your argument?

Certainly in my understanding of baptism. And these days, although Baptists are historically congregational, I think I’m in a minority among Southern Baptists in being self-consciously congregational, though all of our forbearers were.

I think there was a pragmatism in the 20th century, where large churches became CEO-run. I think the multi-service movement, and now the multi-site movement, have just encouraged more confusion in terms of polity. ....

Credo is new to me. This issue, about "Old Princeton" is full of interesting articles about personalities once associated with Princeton Theological Seminary.

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