From the Director

There is a great deal of truth in the maxim, “Those who fail to learn from the mistakes of history are destined to repeat them.” One example that bears repeating in our day is a decision made by the clergy of New England in 1662. Faced with declining attendance in their churches, the ministers agreed to lower the standards for church membership. “Credible evidence of a new birth” was replaced by mere assent to the doctrinal statement of the church.

The answer to the widespread spiritual barrenness that resulted over the next fifty years came in the form of the First Great Awakening. Men such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield began to boldly preach the doctrines of justification by faith alone, the necessity of the new birth, and the connection between truth and holiness. A sweeping revival took place in which thousands of church members were genuinely converted.

Could it be that the modern evangelical church in America has become so focused on making the message of the church relevant that we, too, have substituted intellectual assent for genuine repentance and regeneration? Most serious-minded believers would agree that our church rolls include a large number of unconverted members. The record of the First Great Awakening teaches us that passionate doctrinal preaching must not be ignored if we are to see a reversal of the prevailing declension within the walls of the church.

I pray that this issue of Heartcry! will stir us all to prayer and action in the cause of biblical revival.

Byron Paulus
Executive Director