Pastors, Theologians to Reaffirm 'Unadjusted' Gospel of Christ
Conservative pastors and theologians will convene in Louisville, Ky., starting Tuesday for a biennial conference to reaffirm the central doctrine of the Christian faith.
With the theme of "The (Unadjusted) Gospel," this year's Together for the Gospel conference is expected to draw thousands of pastors and church leaders who believe preachers need to proclaim the good news as it is.
"The good news does not adjust. It's always the same and it's always good," state T4G2010 organizers in the event's website. "Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, proclaims a message that's the same yesterday, today, and forever. So should we."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The three-day conference will feature prominent speakers including Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Southern California, Pastor John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, and Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, among others.
First held in 2006, the biannual event seeks to encourage pastors to stand together for the Gospel. The conference came out of a concern that many churches worldwide are misrepresenting or marginalizing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through the event, pastors aim to help each other reaffirm the central doctrine of the Christian faith.
"Compromising of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church's Gospel witness," asserts the T4G statement of affirmations and denials.
T4G leadership also notes the growing tendency among churches to "substitute technique for truth, therapy for theology, and management for ministry."
"As in previous moments of theological and spiritual crisis in the church, we believe that the answer to this confusion and compromise lies in a comprehensive recovery and reaffirmation of the Gospel – and in Christians banding together in Gospel churches that display God's glory in this fallen world," reads their statement.
In its affirmation of beliefs, T4G upholds the Bibles as the sole authority for the Church, and the Holy Scripture as "verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible, and totally sufficient and trustworthy." It also affirms the centrality of expository preaching in the church, the doctrine of the trinity, Jesus Christ as being true God and true man, salvation that is only by grace, and salvation that comes through believing and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
To open up the event Tuesday, Pastor Mark Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., will deliver a message titled "The Church is the Gospel Made Visible." Mohler, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical figures, will speak Tuesday evening and present a message called "How does it Happen? Trajectories toward and Adjusted Gospel."
The conference will end Thursday afternoon with C.J. Mahaney, who heads Sovereign Grace Ministries, speaking about expository faithfulness.
