Tom Ascol: "The Good Shepherds: The Role of Elders in Handling Error in the Church

.
MP3 Available Here

Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida, the Executive Director of Founders Ministries and Editor of the Founders Journal , will address the theme: "The Good Shepherds: The Role of Elders in Handling Error in the Church".

Today's theme, "The Good Shepherds", is also the title of the chapter Dr. Ascol contributed to the invaluable new book, "Risking the Truth: Handling Error in the Church", edited by Martin Downes, minister of Christ Church Deeside in North Wales. This book is a collection of interviews on handling truth and error in the church. Contributors reflect on this issue in relation to the minister's own life, pulpit ministry, local church leadership, seminary training, denominations, the impact of the academy, Evangelicalism, contemporary trends, history, creeds and confessions, and doctrines that are currently under attack. There is also personal reflection on these matters, lessons drawn from experience, and practical advice. The interviews are introduced by a primer on heresy and false teaching, and concluded with a chapters on why "Being Against Heresies is not enough" and "What really matters in ministry: directives for church leaders in Acts 20." Other contributors are Carl R. Trueman, Tom Schreiner, Michael Horton, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Derek Thomas, R. Scott Clark, Guy P. Waters, Kim Riddlebarger, Ron Gleason, Sean Michael Lucas, Iain D Campbell, Gary L. W. Johnson, Conrad Mbewe, Geoffrey Thomas, Joel Beeke, Robert Peterson, Michael Ovey.

"This is a book that promotes reflection. By introducing you to a number of leading Christian thinkers, it gives you a read that is interesting, informative and stimulating. It provides you with a treasure-chest of historical, theological and practical insights as it airs issues that are confronting the worldwide church and its leaders at the present time. Christian pastors, leaders and academics who neglect this book will be very much the poorer intellectually, spiritually and practically." --- Stuart Olyott ~ Pastoral Director, Evangelical Movement of Wales

"What a novel way to approach this most vital of subjects! Given that theological reflection is human thought about the Scriptural revelation of a tri-personal God, I have always believed that the personal element has a place in all of our theologizing. The subjective should not-indeed cannot-be removed from theology. And here we see the way that some of the most important theological minds of our day personally grapple with how truth is to be defended. This mesh of subjectivity and Christian apologetics-in which objectivity is so vital-makes for both compelling and profoundly instructive reading." --- Michael A. G. Haykin ~ Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

Founders Ministries is a ministry of teaching and encouragement promoting both doctrine and devotion Founders Founders Ministries is a ministry of teaching and encouragement promoting both doctrine and devotion expressed in the Doctrines of Grace and their experiential application to the local church, particularly in the areas of worship and witness. Founders Ministries takes as its theological framework the first recognized confession of faith that Southern Baptists produced, The Abstract of Principles . They desire to encourage the return to and promulgation of the biblical gospel that their Southern Baptist forefathers held dear.

Tom Ascol received a BS from Texas A & M University and the MDiv and PhD degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary . He is editor of the books Reclaiming the Gospel & Reforming Churches and Dear Timothy and has contributed articles and chapters to numerous publications.