The new year ushers in resolutions and a time to start fresh. But the beginning of a new year means the close of another, offering us the chance to look back and reflect on the good, the bad … and the downright absurd.
(Chelsen Vicari – Juicy Ecumenism) In 2018, we here at the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) published hundreds of articles on everything from the most encouraging news stories affecting Christianity to some of the most concerning. That’s our job, our mission.
Curious, I dug back through the IRD archives to find out what stories specific to the Evangelical Action program resonated most with our readers. Here are our top 10 most-read Evangelical news stories of the year:
1.) What in the World is Happening at Moody Bible Institute?
In January 2018 serious allegations began to surface around the evangelical Bible school Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Allegations centered upon the school’s questionable spending practices and wavering Biblical orthodoxy. From a school-provided luxury suite for a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, an anonymous letter shared by disgruntled faculty, to the abrupt firing of a beloved Moody radio host investigating reports of unorthodoxy, one cannot help but be concerned.
2.) Andy Stanley’s “Unhitch” Comments and Refashioning Christianity
Megachurch pastor Andy Stanley’s provocative “unhitch” comments came during an April sermon series titled “Aftermath,” which is mostly a plea to people who’ve rejected the faith to reconsider.
During the third installment in the series, Stanley told his North Point Community Church congregants that “the Bible did not create Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus created and launched Christianity.” He is correct, of course. But for some reason, Stanley goes on to assert, “Your whole house of Old Testament cards can come tumbling down. The question is did Jesus rise from the dead, and the eyewitnesses said he did.”