The Pastor’s Perspective
By the Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia
September 2007

Hello and welcome to the Pastor’s Perspective. The Pastor’s Perspective is something that I developed over a decade ago in Dayton, Ohio. It is pretty much what you would expect it to be, a forum that gives air to my opinion and analysis of many of our current issues and events. The goal is to view the themes of our time through the lens of scripture. I have written this column long enough to comment on the O.J. Simpson trial, the impeachment of President Clinton and the attack on the nation on September 11, 2001. I have eulogized my grandfather and announced the births of my sons through this forum. In the years to come I will share my reflections, thoughts, opinions, visions and dreams with you. I hope that you enjoy the experience.

I fully expect that, on occasion, I will step on your toes. Please forgive me in advance, and know that this is indeed part of my expectation in writing these articles. My years of experience have taught me that an American Baptist congregation will (if healthy) embody many diverse viewpoints, political perspectives and personal experiences. Personally I have always thought of this as the inherent strength of Baptists. While most people seek to assert homogeneity in groups and organizations, those who follow Jesus Christ are given the freedom to express their faith as they choose. This means that while Democrats and Republicans in Washington and Columbus may have difficulty working together because of our strident political times, at First Baptist Church we can move past our partisan differences while we praise and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course moving beyond our expectations and partisan opinions is not an easy thing to do. We all have our sacred cows, but as William Easum once wrote, “Sacred Cows make the Best Hamburger.” The task of skewering our sacred cows is an important prophetic responsibility. It allows us to move beyond the complacency of how its always been done and to the task of successfully working out our faith in fear and trembling. Moving beyond our idolatrous impulses assists us in discovering what new trail Jesus is calling us to blaze.

My understanding is that First Baptist Church of Greater Toledo is proud of our trailblazing heritage. There is, of course a reason why we are called “First” Baptist. This was a trailblazing church in the Toledo area with a proud tradition of local and national leadership. I am humbled that God has called me to this Church and I take my responsibilities as your new pastor seriously. For this reason I will make every attempt to shake off complacency and to chart a biblically-based, Spirit-led and Christ-centered course as your 18th senior pastor. My goal is not to be unique or to do things because they are novel. It is my goal, however, to find the most successful way in which to deliver the message of Jesus Christ to the people of the Toledo area. This may mean that we will do some new things; it also may mean that we will revisit some old strategies for growth and communication.

Let me emphatically state that my goal is not to argue you into compliance or to attack your opinions. My goal is to make you think and reflect on the issues that we face in today’s world. It is my desire that the church be a place where ideas freely flow and fellow believer’s evidence diverse opinions in order to further the kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth. The Bible speaks of iron sharpening iron. This is what happens when followers of Jesus calmly articulate their diverse opinions in a welcoming and challenging environment. Of course, we are not to simply argue our beliefs (for anyone can believe any manner of madness to be true) but to seek the truth in scripture and reality. We are to use our minds to consider what scripture, history, science and reason can show us. We are to use everything in our arsenal to discover the truth and then do our best to share that truth with the world.

The Truth that animates us as a Church, of course, is our belief in Jesus Christ, God the Son, as our Lord and Savior. As Christians we believe that Jesus is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, was born to the Virgin Mary, lived a perfect life of obedience to the Father, performed miracles and showed us how to live, and then died on a cross outside of Jerusalem in order that we might have our sins forgiven. When we accept His death as a moment of personal transformation and forgiveness; when we see His resurrection as the hope that shows us our own future life beyond death, then we are Christians. It doesn’t matter whether we think that communion contains the real physical presence of Jesus in the elements or is just a service of remembrance and hope. It doesn’t matter if we read the King James Version or the New Living Translation. It doesn’t matter if we praise God with our hands in the air while swinging to a heavy back beat, or worship the Lord to the dulcet tones of the pipe organ and choir. It doesn’t matter if we put a “W” bumper sticker on our car or voted “Kerry - Edwards.” It doesn’t matter if we wear Michigan blue or Ohio State red. And most importantly it doesn’t matter if you agree with me or disagree with me. The only thing that has any eternal ramifications is what we believe and do concerning Jesus Christ.

Now, you may ask, why I am telling you this. I am telling you this in order to properly determine the value of my opinions. Some of them are eternally valuable. When I preach salvation in Jesus from the pulpit or share Jesus in the newsletter, I pray that we are in lock-step agreement. Other topics are less essential, as we may share differing opinions on immigration, the war in Iraq, or the main-stream media. I can honestly say that, though I may believe strongly that I am correct, I will gladly agree to disagree with you. What I will not do is silence the prophetic voice of the Church in these troubled times.

The difficulty of what I do in this forum is that our willingness to comment exposes us to criticism and the risk of being wrong. The great theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer understood this risk, but believed that it was a worthwhile if it helped us to reach people for Jesus. He stated, “The church must be able to say the Word of God, the word of authority, here and now, in the most concrete way possible, from knowledge of the situation.” We must rely on the grace of God and the love of the church in order to risk our good name and reputation for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing the power of God’s grace and love gives me the courage to take this risk.

Our search for the truth is important to us and to the world around us, for many have incorrectly received the impression that followers of Jesus Christ are unbothered by reason, logic or truth. They see the Church as a monolithic and dangerous entity that is blind in our faith and unreasonable in our assertions. I will do my best to prove otherwise. I am unembarrassed by my faith and commitment to Jesus Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit through scripture, but I will also make every endeavor to make the case for Jesus in a well-reasoned, articulate, and timely manner.

It is my prayer that you will enjoy these conversation starters. I hope that you will share them with your friends and family. I hope that they will give you an opportunity to begin this grand discussion with those around us. Most importantly, I pray that everything that we do at First Baptist Church will glorify Jesus Christ and draw people to Him and to those who seek to accomplish His will in the Greater Toledo area.

Looking Forward to Our Continued Conversation,
Rev. Daniel W. Bellavia