September 2009

V o l um e 4 # 9
Wading River Baptist Church
P.O. Box 438, 1635 Wading River-Manorville Road, Wading River, NY 11792
(631) 929-3512; 929-6022
www.wrbc.us office@wrbc.us

The Search for Intimacy

Reflections on the Ephrata Cloister (Part 1)
“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband,
so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (2 Corinthians 11:2).

This summer, while on vacation, I visited
the famed Ephrata Cloister in Ephrata,
Pennsylvania. Maureen and I spent a fas-
cinating afternoon experiencing the history
of the Brotherhood, a Brethren sect that
flourished there in the mid-eighteenth cen-
tury. Our tour of the Cloister brought to
mind some spiritual concerns which con-
tinue to be relevant to evangelical Chris-
tians. This month and next month, I want
to share some reflections on two biblical
issues raised by the history of this settle-
ment.
First some history. The Ephrata Clois-
ter was founded by Conrad Beissel. Beissel
was born in Eberbach, Germany in 1691.
His father died before he was born and his
mother died when he was eight. Moving to
Heidelberg, he learned the baker’s trade
and associated with the Pietists (disillu-
sioned Lutherans who wanted a more ex-
periential religion than they found in their
own church). He was jailed briefly for his
religious beliefs, and upon release was en-
couraged to go to America, and specifically
to Pennsylvania, where the colony’s charter
guaranteed religious freedom. Arriving in
Boston in 1720, Beissel journeyed to Ger-
mantown, Pennsylvania. There he became
a weaver, and under the influence of Peter
Becker, a member of the German Baptist
Brethren, an Anabaptist group, moved to
the Conestoga territory (what is now Lan-
caster) and lived there briefly as a hermit.
In 1724, he was baptized and joined the
Brethren, and by virtue of his personal
charisma, powerful persuasive charm, and
natural leadership abilities, he soon be-
came an influential leader.
Conrad Beissel’s House
Beissel, however, developed highly
mystical views of the Christian faith. He
broke with the Brethren in 1728, and four
years later, moved the short distance to
Ephrata and there founded a colony which
drew adherents from the Brethren. By
1750, there were 300 residents there, di-
vided into three groups: the Brothers (celi-
bate men); the Sisters (celibate women);
and the Householders (married couples
and their families). Members of the colony
pursued a life of asceticism. They were
vegetarians. Their schedule was strictly
regimented, requiring long hours of work
and prayer but allowing little time for
sleep. The Ephrata Brotherhood is still
remembered for its printing press—their
printing operation was one of the most
important in America at the time. They
translated and published the Mennonite
1500-page Martyrs’ Mirror (still available
today). Beissel was a prolific composer,
developing a unique style of seven-part
unaccompanied hymn singing. The Breth-
ren were known for their unique style of
German calligraphy called Fraktur-
schriften. Following Beissel’s death in
1768, the community declined. The last
celibate member died in 1813, and the re-
maining Householders formed the German
Seventh-Day Baptist Church, which con-
tinued meeting at Ephrata until 1934.
Conrad Beissel was convinced of the
overriding importance of two beliefs: Sab-
batarianism (Saturday worship), and celi-
bacy (the superiority of the unmarried
state). This latter position was part of his
pilgrimage to join God in Heaven. Under
the influence of the German mystical pie-
tist, Jacob Boehme, Beissel believed that
the Christian was a virgin reserved for in-
timate union with Christ in Heaven, and
therefore should not engage in a marital
relationship in this life. His basis for this
belief was the words of Paul in 2 Corin-
thians 11:2: “For I am jealous for you with
a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to
one husband, so that to Christ I might pre-
sent you as a pure virgin.” Beissel’s “jeal-
ousy” at this point was the source of his
virtually dictatorial authority at Ephrata.
Beissel, however, diverged from the
mainstream Pietist movement to follow the
minority’s mysticism. This was not the
mysticism we see invading evangelicalism
today—a mysticism with its roots in East-
ern religions. Rather, it was the mysticism
of Post-Reformation Europe, a spirituality
which sought to move beyond the orthodox
creeds of a spiritually dead Lutheranism to
a more vital relationship with Christ.
Given the low level of spiritual vitality in
seventeenth-century Germany, we can ap-
preciate this passion. Beissel, however,
was an extremist who sought to achieve a
degree of intimacy with Christ nowhere
taught in Scripture.
A case can be made that Beissel’s
tragic loss of his parents and his difficult
continued on page 2
continued from page 1
upbringing by impoverished relatives can
explain, at least in part, his passion for
intimacy. He was starved of the experience
of deep, emotional love as a child, and
seems to have sought it all of his life. Fail-
ing to find it, he saw such intimacy as pos-
sible only in the next life, the full enjoy-
ment of that intimacy being accorded only
to those who had preserved themselves as
“chaste virgins” in this life.
Although Pietist spirituality is a relic of
history, the contemporary fascination with
Eastern contemplative mysticism shares
something of this same search for intimacy
with the Lord. Many professing believers
in evangelical churches have sought emo-
tional fulfillment in the Christian faith that
they have been denied in their dysfunc-
tional homes. Divorced parents . . . feuding
parents . . . parents too busy to care and
love . . . this is the tragic experience of
many younger followers of Christ today.
Emotionally starved, they have resorted to
forms of hyper-spirituality foreign to the
Bible.
Reflecting on this quest for intimacy,
what are we to conclude? How does a
Christian find intimacy with the Lord? Is it
a mystical experience neglected by most
Christians, or is it an impossibility in this
life? Let me offer the following two obser-
vations.
1. The biblical image of the church
as the Bride of Christ is a vivid symbol of
the corporate union of the church with her
Lord. This corporate union is the result of
The Wading River Baptist Church has
selected Michael and Debbie Bannon as the
missionaries of the month for September.
Coincidentally, Michael and Debbie will be
celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary
in the month of September, on the 8th. Of
their 30 years together, the Bannons have
been associated with World Venture for 28
years.
It was not until 1997 that Michael and
Debbie, through World Venture, began
working in Lithuania. We must remember
that Lithuania was under Communism and
Russian control until 1990 when Lithuania
became the first of the Soviet republics to
declare its independence.
Since then, the mission field has ex-
panded, forming a team called KTG, mean-
ing “The Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Their prayer requests continue to include
the union of each individual believer to the
Lord Jesus which follows faith in Him and
is outwardly symbolized through baptism
(Rom 6:5). The nature of this future union
is our being transformed into the likeness
of His resurrection (Phil 3:20-21; 1 Jn 3:2).
Beissel’s erroneous doctrine of celibacy,
specifically denounced by the Apostle Paul
as a “doctrine of demons” in 1 Timothy 4:1-
3, emerged as a result of taking the Apos-
tle’s obviously figurative description of the
church in 2 Corinthians 11:2 literally. The
church will be united to Christ as His Bride
in Heaven some day (Rev 19:6-9), but that
spiritual union does not require the rejec-
tion of marriage in this life.
2. Intimacy with Christ in the Chris-
tian life now is achieved through obedi-
ence to the Word of God. That’s what Paul
says in Romans 6, where having spoken of
the union of the believer with Christ in the
future, goes on to emphasize the impor-
tance of present obedience (Rom 6:16-22),
using the imagery, not of marriage, but of
slavery! John underscores the same truth
in 1 John 3:3, namely that those who have
the hope of future physical likeness to
Christ purify themselves now in the image
of His spiritual purity. But it could not be
more clearly expressed than it was by the
Lord Jesus himself in John 15:1-10. For
example, “Abide in Me, and I in you (v. 4) .
. . If you abide in Me, and My words abide
in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you (v. 7) . . . If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My
Missionary of the Month
Michael and Debbie Bannon
the KTG as it is now involved in a website
ministry, an English language camp for
teens, and international women’s Bible
study, an orphanage ministry, a “Good
News Club” for children, a Samaritan’s
love; just as I have kept My Father’s com-
mandments and abide in His love” (v. 10).
Thus, this union is a union of obedi-
ence; and God’s Word, the Bible, is the
pathway to the intimacy with Christ that is
available to every believer in the present
age. Jesus prayed to His Father: “This is
eternal life, that they may know You, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You
have sent” (Jn 17:3). Throughout Scrip-
ture, “knowing” is associated with the
marital union (Gen 4:1, 17, 25, and many
other passages). How is this intimacy
achieved? The Lord Jesus continued,
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is
truth” (Jn 17:17). This is the way that the
followers of Christ may be “in Him” and in
His Father (v. 21)—“I in them and You in
Me, that they may be perfected in unity”
(v. 23).
There is no greater spiritual intimacy
than this. So to the Pietistic mystics of the
past like Conrad Beissel and to the con-
templative mystics of the present, the mes-
sage is the same. There is no mystery; the
intimacy with Christ that you crave is read-
ily available now, not through asceticism or
mind-emptying meditation, but through
consistent obedience to God’s Word.
Next month, Part 2: “The Reproach of
Christ”
− Pastor Ron Glass
Purse program, “Friendship” picnics, and
the distribution of Christian books/videos.
The Bannons’ prayers also include a praise
for an incredible two weeks of the English
camps for 172 Lithuanian teens, each with
a heart-wrenching story, where broken
lives were redeemed and a brand new life
given to those placing their trust in Him.
Other prayer requests would include
their daughter, Krista Bannon, who will be
attending a boarding school in Germany;
for continued financial support for all
events, rent of facilities, etc.; for the Ban-
nons’ Lithuanian language skills to im-
prove; for God’s wisdom in how to best use
computer technologies for evangelism and
discipleship; and, most of all, for Lithua-
nia’s authorities to permit an atmosphere
conducive to preaching the Gospel to the
people.
− Joan Tyska
2
 Let’s Get Acquainted with Ed Tolf
Upon meeting Edward Martin Tolf,
Jr., it would be reasonable to think Ed is a
native of the southwestern US due to his
love for that part of the country. Knowing
this, it is most surprising to see him find a
comfort zone here in New York. Even
more surprising is to find out he was born
in Chicago, Illinois, November 21, 1949,
and remained there for 23 years.
His father, Edward Martin Tolf, Sr.,
was a Captain for TWA and served in the
US Navy during WW II as a pilot. His
mother, Shirley Jean Tolf, was a wife and
mother to her only son, Ed.
His Christian parents provided an out-
standing environment for Ed that brought
him to know his Savior at age nine at a Free
Church Camp. He was active in the church
youth group throughout grade school and
high school and even into his college years.
He taught Sunday school as a high school
student and led a couple of Bible studies
while in college. Ed was the chaplain in his
fraternity while at Arizona State University.
He has attended Baptist churches as well as
Bible churches throughout his life. In
some of these churches, he worked the
sound systems. He was also a Boy Scout,
earning the level of Star Scout ― a level
reflecting participation, leadership, service
and self-directed advancement through
merit badges offered by the scouting pro-
gram.
Many summers were spent at his
grandparent’s home in Michigan on Gull
Lake. There he acquired many fond
memories swimming, water skiing, boating
and going to the Bible conference youth
group with his local friends.
As a young boy, he began developing a
cowboy image and took to the basement of
his home to target practice. Ed still likes to
target practice, but not in the basement any
more! And then there was the Saturday
ritual of watching the westerns on TV, from
the first one on through the last one. And
those were truly the days when Saturdays
were not filled with cartoons but with the
good ole westerns.
Then there were those winter family
vacations in Phoenix, Arizona that intro-
duced him to the “dude” ranch. It did not
take him long before he practically lived at
the stables, working from sunup to sun-
down volunteering to help with horses,
even cleaning their stalls. He rode 3 or 4
times a day, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week.
He only left the stables to eat lunch or to do
a few hours of school work. It is quite pos-
sible that it was at this time his love for the
Old West began developing, a fondness
that would eventually bring him into the
heart of the west where the west would
begin to settle in his heart.
His high school years were active with
a variety of activities. He played the saxo-
phone not only in the school band but also
in the high school jazz band. He was very
much athletically inclined and was the ath-
letic trainer for 2 years at his high school.
He also played tennis and football in high
school.
After graduating from Lake Park High
School in Medina, IL, Ed continued his
education at a variety of schools of higher
education. He first attended LeTourneau
College in Longview, Texas for 1 ½ years
before getting his Associates of Arts degree
from College of Du Page back in IL. He
received his Bachelor of Science from Ari-
zona State University and his Master of
Arts Degree from Trinity Southern Univer-
sity in Dallas, Texas.
His activities while in college contin-
ued in a pattern much like his high school
days. Ed was in a college jazz band, was an
athletic trainer for a year in college, par-
ticipated in intramural tennis and swim-
ming, and was also an ambulance atten-
dant for a semester at LeTourneau College.
While at Arizona State University and
attending a Campus Crusade for Christ
event, Ed met his wife, Denise, now mar-
ried this November 29th, 34 years. They
have 2 sons; William Edward Tolf, 30 years
old, and Edward Martin Tolf, III, 27 years
old.
In 1974, he joined the naval flight
training command as a pilot/officer, even-
tually flying DC-6’s and C-130’s out of Bar-
bers Point Hawaii & Guam throughout the
Pacific and Pacific Rim countries. 1984 to
1988 he flew P-3’s out of Whidbey Island,
WA while in the Naval Reserves.
It is not hard
to see that his love
for flying, most
likely initiated by his father, has spilled
over into his career as a pilot. His resume
is quite impressive, flying the Gulf Stream
aircraft as well as other turbo jets, multi-
engine and single-engine planes. Not only
did Ed fly in the US Navy, but for a corpo-
ration for over 21 years and for charter
aircraft owners for 7 ½ years. His most
recent employment is with Excelaire at
MacArthur Airport.
We can praise the Lord that Ed is a
cancer survivor! When he was in El Paso
in the mid 1990’s, he went through a tough
time with an operation, chemo and radia-
tion. He is now cancer free.
Ed has traveled the world over and has
lived in remote places, but has never felt
more at home than when he lived in Ari-
zona and Texas. In the 16 years that he
lived there, the southwest entered into his
very soul, never to leave him.
This would explain the “John Wayne”
image that one might see in him with his
cowboy boots and styles of the southwest.
He loves the tales of the old west and a
good John Wayne western. He likes to
horseback ride and to target shoot. He
would never turn down an invitation to a
Texan BBQ, especially if the grill was look-
ing like a pistol!
Ed takes a strong liking to Corvettes,
having owned a couple in his lifetime.
Other interests includes coin collecting,
wood working, real estate, home remodel-
ing/building, reading, swimming, water
sports and boating. Not surprisingly, he
loves reading western novels and has read
over 200 in the last couple of years.
Ed’s wife, Denise, found WRBC in the
yellow pages just two short years ago. In
that time, Denise has become the church
secretary and Ed has become a strong part
of the church’s fellowship. Both of them
have been a blessing to our church.
− Joan Tyska
3
 “Back to Basics” Senior Saints Luncheon
The “Back to Basics” Senior Saints
luncheon on August 1st was truly a basic
event: from the decorations, hymn singing,
food served, and to the devotions received.
Decorations were quite simple and
basic; black-eyed Susans, sunflowers and
marigolds were all arranged on dinner ta-
bles clad in flowery garden-print table-
cloths. Fruit bowls of fresh grapes and
cherries on the tables offered a decorative
as well as an edible item.
Dinner itself was basic and unusually
well received. After an appetizer of chicken
wings, a summer garden salad bar, though overlooked in how the Bible is interwoven
quite elaborate, was basic featuring as into our daily lives.
many garden-fresh vegetables as possible. Wanting to give the seniors a preview
A dessert featuring local fresh peaches fin- of WRBC’s A Sacred Concert scheduled for
ished the meal. Sunday’s church service the next day,
And what fun it was to go back to some Shannon, Sarah and Linea Piraino pre-
basic childhood songs and sing them with sented a basic concert of hymns to every-
renewed appreciation. What a surprise to one’s delight. A moment of deep apprecia-
learn that there were multiple verses of the tion for the Piraino family was offered at
old familiar songs like “Jesus Loves Me,” the end of their musical presentation.
“The B-I-B-L-E,” “This Little Light of Normally, “Trash to Treasures” would
Mine,” and “Kum A La.” qualify as a basic collection of old knick-
John Piraino, the devotional leader, knacks of the seniors brought in for an
stayed with the equal exchange. But for this luncheon,
theme and mysteriously anything but basic treasures
brought some appeared overnight to the pure delight of
basic thoughts the seniors. We thank the anonymous do-
concerning the nor.
Bible. It was Already plans are in the making for the
obvious that a next luncheon earmarked for the middle of
lot of research October. Keep a watch for the announce-
was revealed in ment of the date. We are looking forward
John’s presen- to seeing some new faces then.
tation, bringing
a new apprecia- − Joan Tyska
tion of some
basics that are

A Sacred Concert
“Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise” (Psalm 33:2-3, KJV).

musical praise through a display of some of
the awesome talents within the church.
The entire service was given over to these
most talented young people, prior to their
return to college. Shannon was
accompanied by her sisters, Sarah and
Linea. Chris Hallstrom narrated Scriptures
and footnotes throughout the service,
infusing the power of the Word of God and
the testimonies of the hymn writers into
the musical performance. The coffee hour
that followed this sacred concert allowed
for the congregation to acknowledge these
gifted musicians and to enjoy fellowship
with them.
− Joan Tyska

“To God Be the Glory” was not only

the opening congregational hymn of the
church service on August 2nd, but also a
reflection of the content of the service. The
featured musical artists, Shannon Piraino
(violin) and Steve Heuzey (piano),
presented to WRBC a service filled with

4
 “This Little Church Went to Market”
A Review of This Little Church Went to Market: The Church in the Age of Entertainment,
by Gary Gilley (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2005)
In the last few years, several critiques
of contemporary approaches to church
growth have appeared. One of the best I
have read is Gary Gilley’s brief book, This
Little Church Went to Market: The Church
in the Age of Entertainment. This is actu-
ally the first in a series of three “this little
church” books evaluating current trends in
evangelicalism (I will review the second
book next month). Gilley, a graduate of
Moody Bible Institute, has been pastor at
Southern View Chapel in Springfield, Illi-
nois, for thirty-three years.
This Little Church Went to Market
explores the phenomenon of “new para-
digm churches”—churches “identified by a
philosophy of ministry intentionally de-
signed to effect numerical growth” (p. 17).
These are churches which have adopted
methods based on market strategy, busi-
ness techniques, and demographics, rather
than on the New Testament. The author
gives particular attention to the Willow
Creek (Seeker-Sensitive) and Saddleback
(Purpose-Driven) models. Gilley contends
that they are committed to creating an at-
mosphere of fun, and that in fact fun has
replaced holiness as the church’s goal. The
primary means to this end are entertain-
ment, market-driven philosophy, and psy-
chology.
Evangelical Christianity has suc-
cumbed to an entertainment-oriented cul-
ture attuned to the dynamics of commer-
cial television. This, explains the author,
caters to that culture’s “insatiable appetite
for amusement”—a culture where the
foundational values of character and integ-
rity have been replaced by personality and
image. If entertainment is society’s stan-
dard, then how can the church compete in
the world’s marketplace unless it becomes
a “bastion of entertainment” (p. 31)? Be-
cause God designed Christianity to be a
“thinking faith,” insists Gilley, the antidote
to this trend is in-depth study and applica-
tion of Scripture.
The market-driven technique exempli-
fied by the Willow Creek Association fo-
cuses on “selling” its product by meeting
people’s needs. But, as Gilley points out,
this entails a destruction of the Gospel it-
self. New paradigm, market-driven
churches claim to have changed their
methods, but not their message. Gilley
rightly insists that this is impossible, since
method is intrinsically linked to message.
In fact, in this environment, the appeal to
felt needs has eviscerated the Gospel
preached in most churches, and Gilley ex-
plains the troubling dynamics of the con-
sumer-oriented message advocated by
market-driven churches today.
Perhaps the strongest influence be-
hind the new paradigm churches, however,
is the invasion of psychology, apparent
most conspicuously in the Seeker-Sensitive
appeal to felt needs. The biblical message
addressing sin, salvation, and sanctifica-
tion has been psychologized into a thera-
peutic message. At this point, Gilley high-
lights several contrasts between psychology
and Scripture (pp. 49-52), chief among
which is the fact that psychology is man-
centered (seeking his happiness), while the
Bible is God-centered (seeking His glory).
He traces the roots of this psychologized
“Gospel” back to Robert Schuller, who fo-
cused on giving the unchurched what they
wanted; and it worked. Gilley reminds us
that today “truth doesn’t stand a chance
against success” (p. 61).
Thus, American evangelicalism is no
longer committed to truth, but has become
a cult of self-fulfillment. Once again, we
are brought back to the naïve new-
paradigm mantra: “methods change, the
message stays the same.” However, the
message is shaped by the method. In mar-
keting, the product must be modified to
meet the consumer’s perceived needs. New
paradigm churches contend that the
unchurched have not rejected God, but
have rejected the church because it is ir-
relevant, boring, and fails to meet their
needs (pp. 68-69). Or, to say it another
way, “I believe” has been replaced by “I
feel” (p. 71). This is all a denial of the Bi-
ble’s teaching that the goal of a Christian’s
life is not self-fulfillment, but faithfulness
to the Lord.
In chapter 7, Gilley explores the influ-
ence of entertainment in greater detail.
The church has become conformed to the
world’s obsession with amusement largely
through its desire to experience God
through feelings. According to chapter 8,
however, genuine biblical worship is cen-
tered on truth, and that entails an intellec-
tual component. Truth is contained in
God’s Word, but today, “the Word of God is
increasingly taking a back seat to the
managerial and the therapeutic” (pp. 86-
87). New paradigm churches have lost
confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture
and have therefore abandoned the system-
atic expository preaching of the Word.
Truth has also been lost as the source of
musical worship in new-paradigm
churches (chapter 9). Genuine worship is
a response to divine truth, but contempo-
rary evangelicals are choosing their
churches on the basis of the music, ignor-
ing the biblical mandate that the authority
of Scripture should dominate our singing
(pp. 94-95). When it comes to music,
therefore, Gilley makes the case for
“swimming up stream against the fads of
the moment” (p. 102).
The author entitles chapter 10, “The
Gospel According to Warren,” charging the
pastor of the Saddleback church with
modifying the Gospel. Referencing The
Purpose Driven Life, he shows how War-
ren has distorted the biblical message of
salvation to one that amounts to “find God
and you will find yourself (purpose).” He
thereby “trivializes Scripture, belittles doc-
trine and replaces them with psychology,
mysticism and worldly wisdom” (p. 111).
Gilley makes a strong case for returning to
the foundation of the Bible (pp. 112-114).
This Little Church Went to Market
concludes by reminding the reader that the
truth of the cross has always been the of-
fense of Christianity. To remove that of-
fense is to abolish Christianity itself. To
show itself relevant, the church has always
been tempted to do just that, but a church
that is not appreciably different from the
world has “marginalized itself through
compromise” and is unnecessary (p. 116).
This is the direction of the new paradigm
church today—an apparently successful
church, but a compromised one; and it is
only a matter of time before it implodes.
Out of the inevitable ruin, we can trust that
God will raise up a stronger church, one
“more concerned about feeding the sheep
than entertaining the goats, a church that
knows the difference between worship and
amusement” (p. 117), a church that is not
ashamed of the Gospel.
Gilley’s book is short and to the point.
It is readable by members of the congrega-
tion, not just by members of the “clergy.”
Although the principles addressed here are
widely neglected today, they are of funda-
mental importance to the future of evan-
gelicalism. I highly recommend that every
believer who is serious about being or be-
coming a member of a God-honoring
church, and every leader serving in a Gos-
pel-preaching church, read this book, ab-
sorb the principles it expounds, and com-
mit himself to being part of a truly God-
honoring congregation.
Next Month: This Little Church
Stayed Home
− Pastor Ron Glass
5
Five evenings of Vacation Bible School can hardly be squeezed into one issue of the Beacon but hopefully pictures can be
worth a thousand words as each picture tells a story, a story of the many God Sightings, evidence of God in the daily lives of
the VBS volunteers and students of VBS. Each of the following pictures represents just a slice of the total. − Joan Tyska

Behind the scenes Sing & Play Swamp Stomp Rocky’s Preschoolers

Fearless kids, preschoolers, crew leaders and even a Mom!

6
 Snack Shack Sing & Play Swamp Stomp

Spotlight Drama

Gator Games

The Director – “Miss Katie” Bible Bayou Dockside Drive-In

“Skeeter” “Skirdita” “Skeeter”

Friends of the Bayou
Tech Advisor on Snack Break
7

During the week of Monday, August 3,
to Friday, August 7, WRBC held a camp
that we entitled “Bible and Baseball.” Six
days before the start of the camp, I called
Pastor Ron and said to him, “I need a
shoulder to cry on.” Why? Despite send-
ing out cards, advertising the camp in the
Community Journal, and prayer, only 4
kids had signed up. Pastor Ron exhorted
me to not lose hope; so as Monday, August
3, approached, I was mildly optimistic.
However, when all was said and done,
the camp far exceeded any of my or any of
the other staff member’s expectations.
Only 3 other kids signed up in the final
week, but with the participation of some of
our church family – both kids and adults –
the camp was an overwhelming success.
I gave an opening Bible lesson each
day by the bleachers and, at times, on the
field. On the first day, we evaluated the
kids’ skills. But from Tuesday to Friday, we
played doubleheaders. In five days, the
kids played nine full 6-inning games. In
between games, we went inside for snacks
Dr. Gary Gilley, pastor of Southern
View Chapel in Springfield, Illinois, and
author of This Little Church Went to Mar-
ket (see book review by Pastor Ron Glass
on page 5), has also written on the subject
of open theism. I will concisely review
Gilley’s four-part critique of open theism,
accessible through his church’s website
(www.svchapel.org).
As we studied together in Sunday
School on July 5, 12, and 19, open theism is
a description of God that emphasizes man’s
libertarian freedom―the ability to make a
choice for each one of a number of alterna-
tives, no matter how contrary some of
those options might be to a person’s char-
acter. Open theists insist that for such
freedom to be genuine, our decisions must
be immune from God’s interference.
The free will of man is the crucial pre-
supposition that open theists have held to
in formulating their doctrine of God, and it
is also the lens through which they exam-
ine the Word of God. Gilley explains,
“Open theism takes all the scriptural evi-
dence for the omnipotence, sovereignty,
control and foreknowledge of God, strains
Bible and Baseball, 2009
and refreshments, and also for the second
Bible lesson of the day. On Monday, Tues-
day, and Friday, our Child Evangelism Fel-
lowship missionary, Phil Ormsby, taught
the lesson. On Wednesday and Thursday,
Phil’s assistant-in-training, 17-year-old
Peter Hamblen, gave the lesson.
As most of you have already heard,
three kids – one boy and two girls – made
professions of faith. We praise God for
working on the hearts of these young peo-
ple. Let’s continue to pray for their spiri-
tual well-being.
Open Theism
it through the grid of personal freedom,
producing an image of God barely recog-
nizable by previous generations of Chris-
tians.”
Gilley labels the redefinition of the
knowledge of God as the “preeminent doc-
trinal shift” demanded by open theism.
Open theists limit God’s knowledge to the
past and the present―all that can be
known, they claim. Open theists deny that
God knows the future infallibly due to the
degree of uncertainty in human decision-
making. Consequently, God can anticipate
only the future of highest probability, and
He risks being taken by surprise.
The biblical testimony to God’s fore-
knowledge, particularly that within Isaiah
40-48, “pulls the rug out from under open-
ism,” Gilley writes. God repeatedly affirms
His knowledge of future events and His
sovereign control in bringing them to pass:
“Behold, the former things have come to
pass, Now I declare new things; Before
they spring forth I proclaim them to you”
(Isa 42:9); “My purpose will be estab-
lished, and I will accomplish all My good
pleasure” (Isa 46:10).
By the time Friday came, I don’t be-
lieve that any of us (adults included)
wanted to see the camp come to an end.
We really had fun! On Friday afternoon,
we went back to our house for lunch and
pool time.
I would like to thank all of the adults
who served in the camp: Carl Chapman,
Peter Albrecht, Phil Ormsby, Peter Ham-
blen, my wife Geraldine, Joan Tyska, and
our “drama players,” Jackie Hallstrom and
Sue Hart. I also extend my appreciation to
Bill Ambrosini and the Shoreham-Wading
River Little League for their generous do-
nation of baseball equipment.
Most of all, we praise God, because de-
spite my mild optimism, He allowed this
camp to exceed our expectations; “Now to
Him who is able to do far more abun-
dantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within
us, to Him be the glory in the church and
in Christ Jesus to all generations forever
and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)
− Steve Visconti
The publication of The Openness of
God by Clark Pinnock et al. in 1994 helped
propel open theism from a “stirring on the
fringes” of evangelicalism to a more main-
stream conception of God’s attributes.
Gilley identifies writer Philip Yancey and
theologian Gilbert Bilezikian as two popu-
lar figures who have packaged erroneous
open-theistic views in “attractive formats,”
enabling open theism to “sneak in through
the back door of the [evangelical] camp.”
Open theists would have us believe
that God is continually learning from and
adapting to our supposedly free decisions;
that we have entered into a “give-and-take”
relationship with God and cooperate with
Him to determine the outcome of history.
However, this exaltation of man’s freedom
comes at the great cost of God’s sover-
eignty, omniscience, and immutability―
three biblical attributes of God. Gilley con-
cludes by quoting from Psalm 50:21
(“You thought that I was just like you”)
in pinpointing a profound error of open
theism: “their God is too human.”
− Peter Albrecht
8
 September Bible Quiz Questions
1) Who found the book of the Law in the house of the
Lord?
2) Where is it mentioned, in the New Testament, that
David was a prophet?
3) Which sin is expressed by Jesus as being unforgivable?
4) What word means “the place of a skull?”
5) What does Jesus say defiles a man?
Bonus: Who said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and
the breath of the Almighty gives me life?” Hint: O.T.
― Felix Acerra
August Bible Quiz Answers
1) Bethany (NASB) or Bethabara (KJV) (John 1:28).
2) His being told that the Ark of God had been
captured by the Philistines (1 Sam 4:17-18).
3) Rainbow (Gen 9:13-15).
4) Abihail (Esth 2:15).
5) Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most
High (Gen 14:18-20, Heb 7:1-2).
Bonus: 1 Cor 15:45.
Submit the Bible reference and correct answers to:
office@wrbc.us. The correct answers will be
announced in the next newsletter!

September 2009
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 6:30 PM Bible 2 7:00 PM Prayer 3 8:30 AM 4 5
Study – Proverbs – Meeting and Exposi- Ladies Prayer−
Steve Visconti tion of Psalm 5 – Joan Tyska
(929-0344) Sanctuary (727-5998)

6 9:45 AM 7 8 6:30 PM Bible 9 7:00 PM Prayer 10 8:30 AM 11 12 9:00 AM

Sunday School Study – Proverbs Meeting (Psalm 6) Ladies Prayer Work Day – Gardens
11:00 AM Morning 7:00 PM – Board of 8:45 AM – 4:00 PM
Worship Service Deacons Meeting AWANA conference
1st Baptist Patchogue

13 9:45 AM 14 15 6:30 PM Bible 16 7:00 PM 17 8:30 AM 18 19

Sunday School Study – Proverbs Prayer Meeting Ladies Prayer
(Psalm 7)
11:00 AM Morning
Worship Service

20 9:45 AM 21 22 6:30 PM Bible 23 6:30-8:00 PM 24 8:30 AM 25 26 11:00 AM –

Sunday School Study – Proverbs AWANA begins – Ladies Prayer 3:00 PM Outreach
Chris Hallstrom Car Wash – WRBC
11:00 AM Morning
(886-1334) parking lot – Steve
Worship Service
Visconti (929-0344)
7:00 PM Prayer
Meeting (Psalm 8)

27 9:45 AM 28 29 6:30 PM Bible 30 6:30 PM

Sunday School Study – Proverbs AWANA
11:00 AM Morning 7:00 PM Prayer
Worship Service Meeting (Psalm 9)

Invite your family and friends to visit our website! www.wrbc.us

9
PO Box 438
Wading River, NY 11792

Wading River Baptist Church Our Purpose

1. To glorify God through sharing
the good news of salvation by God’s
sovereign grace through faith in His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. To nurture believers through a

strong program of Christian educa-
tion, youth ministries, and expository
Biblical preaching.

3. To provide an opportunity for

Biblical worship, service, and fellow-
ship.

4. To extend our ministry through-

out America and around the world
through participation in home and
foreign missions.

WRBC is affiliated with the Conserva-

tive Baptist Association of America
and the Conservative Baptist Mission
• For the Exaltation of God in All Things
to the Northeast.
• For the Proclamation of Faith in Christ
• For the Transformation of God’s People 10