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Independent Church
[Denominations]An independent church is a Protestant church that does not belong to a denomination; each congregation manages its own affairs and makes its own decisions. Because such churches do not identify with any particular denominational tradition, they are also called "nondenominational churches."
Evangelist Pastor
[Church Offices]An evangelist pastor is a pastoral title used chiefly in the constitutions of Presbyterian denominations. It refers to a pastor sent by a presbytery to preach the gospel in an area without a church and to establish new churches there.
Early Morning Devotion
[Christian Life]Early morning devotion is a devotional practice in which an individual, alone in the early morning, reads the Bible, reflects on its meaning, and prays. It refers to private devotional life, as distinct from the early morning prayer meeting, at which believers gather at church.
Romans 16:20
[Bible Verses]A promise and benediction that Paul adds near the end of his Epistle to the Romans, after urging his readers to beware of those who cause divisions. Because its language about the defeat of Satan recalls Genesis 3:15, the verse is frequently cited, and it is also widely used in sermons on spiritual warfare.
Rabbi
[Bible]Rabbi is a Hebrew and Aramaic title of respect meaning "my teacher." In the New Testament Gospels, disciples and others use it to address Jesus and John the Baptist.
Zionism
[History]Zionism is a political and national movement that arose in Europe in the late nineteenth century, seeking to establish a Jewish national state in Palestine (Zion), the land of the Jewish people's ancestors. It led to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.
Sacrament of Confession
[Worship & Rites]The sacrament of confession is a sacrament of the Catholic Church in which a believer confesses his or her sins to a priest and receives forgiveness through the priest's pronouncement of absolution. Most Protestant churches do not recognize it as a sacrament and instead emphasize repentance through confessing one's sins directly to God.
Bride of Christ
[Doctrine & Theology]The Bride of Christ is a biblical image that likens the church to a bride united with Jesus Christ in a marriage covenant. It expresses the love between Christ and the church, the church's purity, and the eschatological consummation of their relationship.
Amish
[Denominations]The Amish are a Protestant community that separated from the Anabaptists of Switzerland and Alsace in the late seventeenth century. They emphasize believer's baptism and separation from the world, and they are known for their plain dress and limited use of technology.
Donatist Controversy
[History]A schism and controversy in the North African church of the early fourth century over whether sacraments administered by clergy who had renounced the faith during persecution were valid, and over how pure the church must be.
Adullam
[Bible]Adullam was a Canaanite and later Judahite town in the lowland (the low hill country, or Shephelah) of Judah. It is best known as the site of the "cave of Adullam," where David hid from Saul.
Easter Vigil
[Worship & Rites]The Easter Vigil is a service held on the night of Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, in anticipation of the resurrection of Christ. It proceeds through the Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and it is especially valued in liturgical traditions such as the Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches.
Moral Influence Theory
[Doctrine & Theology]The moral influence theory is a theory of the atonement holding that the heart of the atonement lies in Christ's death on the cross revealing God's love, which moves human hearts and leads people to repentance and love.
Topical Preaching
[Doctrine & Theology]Topical preaching is a method of preaching in which the preacher first selects a topic and then gathers various Scripture passages related to that topic to build an argument.
Ordination Examination
[Christian Life]The ordination examination is a qualifying examination administered by a Protestant denomination to assess a candidate's theological knowledge, faith, and fitness for pastoral ministry before ordination as a pastor. It is also called the pastoral ordination examination.
Mission Sunday
[Christian Life]Mission Sunday is a Sunday set apart by a church to remember home and foreign missions, to pray for missionaries and mission fields, and to receive a missions offering. Its date and frequency vary by denomination and congregation.
Laity
[Church Offices]The laity are the ordinary members of a church, as distinct from clergy such as pastors and evangelists. In Korean Protestant churches, officers such as elders, kwonsa, and deacons are usually counted among the laity as well.
Installed Pastor
[Organization & Polity]An installed pastor, a term used chiefly in Presbyterian churches, is a senior pastor who has been called by a congregation and installed by the presbytery to serve that church without a fixed term. The office is distinguished from that of a temporary (stated) pastor, whose term of service is limited.
Sanctification
[Doctrine & Theology]Sanctification is the Protestant doctrine that a Christian who has been justified is actually made holy in thought and conduct through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 3:17
[Bible Verses]Acts 3:17 is a verse from Peter's sermon in Solomon's Porch. In it, Peter says that the people of Jerusalem and their rulers, who delivered Jesus to death, did so "through ignorance." The verse is often cited in discussions of the relationship between ignorance and guilt, its connection to the call to repentance, and the question of Jewish collective responsibility.