“These voices are not enemies but allies. The church doesn’t need fewer voices, the church needs a unified voice that covers the full range of Christian witness. Prophets must keep speaking hard truths, evangelists must keep reaching the lost, and shepherds must keep tending the flock. But each must learn to appreciate the others. Each serves a different need, and the church suffers when one is elevated at the expense of the others.”
(Michael Clary – American Reformer) Christians need to have a strong voice in the public square, but different voices are needed for different moments. My aim here is to identify three different voices of Christian cultural engagement – prophet, evangelist, and shepherd–show the pitfalls and opportunities of each and conclude with a call for greater unity on the Christian right.
For my purposes here, I’m assuming a faithful, Bible believing, conservative Christian audience. In other words, this is a friendly word to faithful leaders within my own circles. Continue reading