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Christianity Today, May (Web-only), 2009 |

What's Next for The Gospel Coalition

Co-founder Don Carson on the organization's growth.

Susan Wunderink | posted 5/12/2009 08:36AM

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We're not starting a seminary. We're providing some training materials, but so is any publisher, for that matter.

Tell me about international Gospel Coalition Networks.

One of the things we tried to make clear is that within North America, the regional chapters are in real space-time. They are not just in the digital world. They are people actually coming together for coffee and discussion and maybe regional meetings.

We have those already. For example, a TGC Bay Area that's having its first conference in May. There's a TGC Toronto that's forming. All of these will be accountable to us in some respect or other.

But when it comes to overseas chapters, we won't do that. I'm sure that in due course there will be The Gospel Coalition Network: Czech Republic. But we don't want to go in that direction. First, we don't want to project one more instance of American hegemony. Second, we realize that institutionally we're pretty committed not only to knowing the gospel well, but also to thinking through how to articulate it here in our space and time.

How on earth can we possibly have the pomposity to claim that we know how to do it best in Hong Kong? We recognize that those things are going to have to emerge from those areas.

Do you foresee more women being here, or more discussion on how women minister, at future conventions?

I think that you will find that what is meant by complementarian varies somewhat. We all agree that men and women are not simply interchangeable, that there are some distinctions that the Bible does lay down that we don't want to play exegetical games with. Sometimes it's just nomenclature. But there's another level of distinction as well.

In Anglican circles the diocese that is probably best known for being complementarian is Sydney. You know which diocese in the worldwide communion of Anglicanism has the greatest number of women serving in some kind of function in the local church? You guessed it: Sydney.

I think one of the things we need to learn better is how to incorporate and encourage women in all kinds of roles and functions and ministries that don't transcend what we still think are God-given mandates for structure and accountability. So we're not just saying no. I don't think that's wise or godly or good.

We're still working that stuff out, to be brutally frank. I don't think we've got it quite right.

I think many of us are concerned that we be seen to be not dominators but people who are encouraging everyone, men and women, to serve well, and who are learning the Bible well, learning to be able to handle it and teach others well.

Related Elsewhere:

Susan Wunderink wrote a follow-up on Liveblog about the 2009 Gospel Coalition Conference. Christianity Today profiled the Gospel Coalition in 2007.

Carson wrote "Directions: Are Christians Required to Tithe?" CT reviewed Carson's book, Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church.

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May (Web-only) 2009, Vol. 53

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Bill	Posted: May 25, 2009 4:24 PM


On the subject of women, I think the place to start is getting some women on the list of resources for TGC. Visit their website and you will find 47 resource people pictured: all of them are men! Amazing! Are their no women deemed worthy of being a resource?

Francis H. Geis

Posted: May 15, 2009 4:44 PM

I tend to agree with M. J. Spaulding that the article really said nothing. Carson's comments about TGC are ambiguous. By describing it as a "confessional movement," of which Baptists, Presbyterians and Anglicans are a part, we must assume it is broadly Reformed in its theological outlook; by describing it as essentially "complementarian" in viewpoint, it apparently still holds the unbiblical view "that while men and women are equal in being, they are different in roles" and that "just as the Son is eternally in subjection to the Father, so women must be permanently in subjection to men in the home and in the church"--the two grand heresies perpetuated by CBMW, of which John Piper and Wayne Grudem are leading lights. Personally, I have no desire to be part of a group that perverts the Gospel, denies the gifting and calling of the Spirit, and perpetuates the unjust subjugation of women (cf. Acts 2:1-47; Gal. 3:26-4:7 and 2 Cor. 5:11-6:2).

Paul	Posted: May 14, 2009 1:54 PM

I'm encouraged that complementarians are moving closer to "incorporate and encourage women in all kinds of roles and functions and ministries" but need to move quicker and wiser. The male-bent, anti-biblical egalitarian approaches to doing ministry in the church and the world have got a huge distance to travel. I've yet to see an adequate response to the likes of Tom Wright's http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm or "Discovering Biblical Equality" (http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Biblical-Equality-Complementarity-Hierar chy/dp/0830828346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242327254&sr=8-1) to name a few balanced and fresh perspectives.

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