This past June, in the wake of the adulteries of PTL’S Jim Bakker and InterVarsity’s Gordon MacDonald, the senior editors frankly discussed what role the church played in this downward spiral and when, how, and if fallen leaders should be restored to responsibility.
Former senior editor Gil Beers remarked that the church “doesn’t know whether it should watch over the spiritual and moral condition of its leaders, or simply wink at their periodic indiscretions—and hope they go away.”
The rest of the editors agreed, and felt the church needs to come to grips with its responsibilities not only to sustain spiritually and nurture—but to restore biblically as well. On this last point, “elder statesman” Kenneth Kantzer was particularly eloquent.
He was so eloquent, in fact, that following the meeting he was asked to expand upon his “impromptu outline” for the benefit of our CT readers. His incisive thinking on this critical—and often confusing—issue begins of page 19. And on page 23, Mennonite seminary professor David Augsburger expands on Dr. Beers’s concern about the watching/winking church.
The Church in Korea. Pepper gas, kimchi, megachurches, and many, many interviews went into the formation of the special 16-page supplement beginning on page 29, “Will Success Spoil the South Korean Church?” It represents the second time in as many years that the Christianity Today Institute has looked in depth into the life of the Christian church in a foreign land.
Next stop: Egypt.
HAROLD B. SMITH, Managing Editor
