9Marks Mailbag

Mailbag #58: Does the State or Church Have Authority to Marry; Counsel for Re-Writing Our Constitution

By Jonathan Leeman | 04.07.2017

— Who has the authority to marry: the state or the church? — Four brief questions from a pastor who’s rewriting his church’s constitution.

Mailbag #57: Pastors’ Limited Authority; Nominating Elders Who Will Move Soon

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.24.2017

—Do the Scriptures obligate believers to follow their pastor so long as what he commands is not contravened by Scripture? —Should we nominate someone as an elder who will be leaving the church soon? »

Mailbag #56: What Makes a “True” Church?

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.17.2017

— Is it okay to tell my church members, “You should never vote for a pro-abortion candidate”? — Would you say churches that don’t practice membership or discipline are not true churches?

Mailbag #55: Explaining the “Care List”; When a Member Marries a Non-Christian

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.10.2017

— Can you explain your church’s “care list”? — Does marrying an unbeliever warrant church discipline?

Mailbag #54: Personal Conviction v. Church Tradition; My Wife Doesn’t Want Me to Pastor

By Jonathan Leeman | 03.03.2017

— What should I do when my conviction is at odds with my church’s tradition (like baptizing young children)? — My wife doesn’t want me to be a pastor. Does that disqualify me?

Mailbag #53: Women Voting in Congregational Meetings; Pastoral Oversight and Youth Ministry

By Jonathan Leeman | 02.24.2017

— Does women voting in congregational gatherings violate 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 14? — How should children’s ministry relate to pastoral oversight?

Mailbag 52: Nominating Other Elders When I’m the Only One; American Flags on the Stage

By Jonathan Leeman | 02.17.2017

— How does nominating new elders work when I’m the only elder? — Does having an American flag on stage obscure the message of the gospel?

Mailbag #51: Requiring Attendance at a Second Gathering; A Member Who Refuses Baptism

By Jonathan Leeman | 02.10.2017

— Is it okay for churches to require members to attend a second gathering? — I discovered a long-standing member has never been baptized. What do I do?

Mailbag #50: Does Genesis 2 Call Women to “Help” All Men?

By Jonathan Leeman | 02.03.2017

— Looking at Genesis 2:18–20, would you say women are designed to help their husbands or everyone with a special focus on their husbands?

Mailbag #49: Home Groups Over Church; Pastoring an Unmarried Woman Who Wants to Adopt

By Jonathan Leeman | 01.20.2017

— Is it permissible for Christians to opt out of church in favor of home groups? — If an unmarried member of your church sought to adopt a foster child, what would you say?

Mailbag #48: How to Discuss Books as Elders; Advice for Husband & Wife Who Can’t Agree about Church

By Jonathan Leeman | 01.13.2017

— You’ve mentioned before the value of elders reading books together. What’s the best way to go about that? — Do you have any advice for a husband and wife who can’t agree on which church to go to?

Mailbag #47: Applying Paul’s “Able to Teach” Qualification; Confidentiality between Pastors and Members?

By Jonathan Leeman | 01.06.2017

— How gifted does someone have to be in order to be considered “able to teach”? — Can church members appeal to a kind of “pastor-member confidentiality”?

Mailbag #46: Tricky Membership Question about Immigration; Pastoring a Church with Lots of Divorcees

By Jonathan Leeman | 12.23.2016

— A woman who came to the United States under false pretenses wants to join our church. What should we do? — How should a pastor proceed when he inherits a church with several divorcees?

Mailbag #44: Applying “Husband of One Wife”; Leaving the Church but Attending Bible Study; Women Voting in the Church

By Jonathan Leeman | 12.09.2016

— What does “husband of one wife” mean? That a prospective elder must have never been divorced? — Someone who left our church still wants to attend our church’s ladies’ Bible study. Is that okay? — Does 1 Timothy 2:12 forbid women from voting in congregational matters?

Mailbag #43: Relationship to Excommunicated Members; Baptism & the Developmentally Disabled

By Jonathan Leeman | 12.02.2016

— How does your church care for an excommunicated member when they show up at church? — Can a person who wants to be a member of the church but is functionally at the level of a child be baptized?