Frederick Faith Debate

In the acknowledgements, in the back of the novel titled “The Shack”, the author says that the book shows “the ways in which God works.”  The back pages of the book say that it offers “a magnificent glimpse into the nature of God.”  It also says that, “It offers one of the most poignant views of God and how he relates to humanity.”  In the story the main character has an encounter with God, or at least this is what the book intends the reader to understand.  But is it God?  The real God?  The biblical God?  On the show for part three of a four part dialog is the author of “The Shack”, William Paul Young.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Jonathan Switzer.  Founder of Crossed Bridges, a parachurch organization in Frederick.

William Paul Young.  Author of multiple novels, including “The Shack”.

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“The Shack” is a movie that raked in tens of millions of dollars at the box office.  Before that, “The Shack” was a book that topped the best-seller lists… now with well over 20 million copies in print.  “The Shack” has sold more copies than “The Godfather”, “Jaws”, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  More than “The Grapes of Wrath”, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, and “The Old Man and the Sea”.  Even more than “The Exorcist”, “Catch-22”, “The Cat in the Hat”, and “The Joy of Sex”.  This very successful (and controversial) author is William Paul Young, and he is welcomed to the show via a long distance telephone call.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Jonathan Switzer.  Founder of Crossed Bridges, a parachurch organization in Frederick.

William Paul Young.  Author of multiple novels, including “The Shack”.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past dozen years there’s been a fight in the Christian church.  This fight has not been merely along typical denominational lines, but has been more of a civil war kind of fight.  Evangelical versus evangelical.  Professing conservative Christian versus professing conservative Christian.  What’s been at issue?  “The Shack”.  It’s a movie, and before that it was a book.  The author is William Paul Young, and he joins the Faith Debate via a modern marvel called the telephone.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Jonathan Switzer.  Founder of Crossed Bridges, a parachurch organization in Frederick.

William Paul Young.  Author of multiple novels, including “The Shack”.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many probably have a mental image of what things must be like in European countries.  As limited as this view might be, guesses can still be ventured as to the politics, the economy, the scenery, and the religious climate.  But what do the people living over there think about the U.S.?  What is their view of America… the politics, the economy, the scenery, the religious climate?  This episode of “The Faith Debate” holds up a mirror to America.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Scott Wiersma.  Instructor at Evangelical Theological College in Tirana. Albania.  Associate Pastor with International Protestant Assembly, ministering in the Roma Outreach program, Spotlight English Clubs, IPA Youth Ministry, and as Coordinator of the Hospitality Team.

Suzi Wiersma.  Foreign Missionary to Albania since 2009, where she serves as the Women’s and Children’s Ministry Director, and provides home school teaching to the Wiersma children.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News outlets have reported  on Muslims by the thousands streaming into Europe.  Politically this has often been framed either in humanitarian terms or in terms of an invading force.  Politics aside, there is the reality of life within a mix of Islam and Christianity.  There are situations in Europe where Christians are the distinct minority.  What does this mean for the church?  What does this mean for the culture of such a location?  What is the state of Christianity overseas?

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Scott Wiersma.  Instructor at Evangelical Theological College in Tirana. Albania.  Associate Pastor with International Protestant Assembly, ministering in the Roma Outreach program, Spotlight English Clubs, IPA Youth Ministry, and as Coordinator of the Hospitality Team.

Suzi Wiersma.  Foreign Missionary to Albania since 2009, where she serves as the Women’s and Children’s Ministry Director, and provides home school teaching to the Wiersma children.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We love stories, and true stories are the best.  Don’t you appreciate movies that say, “Based upon a true story and actual events”?  Last episode, “The Faith Debate” began to hear true stories from foreign missionaries, and this episode brings more.  What are the most dramatic, most mundane, most fear-inducing, most-challenging, most rewarding aspects to spending years of your life ministering the Gospel of Christ to hurting people by actually living among them; raising your children alongside their children; learning their language, their customs, their dreams?

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Scott Wiersma.  Instructor at Evangelical Theological College in Tirana. Albania.  Associate Pastor with International Protestant Assembly, ministering in the Roma Outreach program, Spotlight English Clubs, IPA Youth Ministry, and as Coordinator of the Hospitality Team.

Suzi Wiersma.  Foreign Missionary to Albania since 2009, where she serves as the Women’s and Children’s Ministry Director, and provides home school teaching to the Wiersma children.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you attend a church, then you’ve likely heard your pastor mention the importance of overseas missions.  Perhaps you’ve even had missionaries visit your congregation.  Perhaps you’ve given financial support to foreign missions.  Perhaps you’ve even gone on your own short missions trip of a week or two or three.  But what’s the life like for full-time foreign missionaries… those who move their entire family to a third world country… and raise their children there?  On this episode of “The Faith Debate” we begin to find out.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Scott Wiersma.  Instructor at Evangelical Theological College in Tirana. Albania.  Associate Pastor with International Protestant Assembly, ministering in the Roma Outreach program, Spotlight English Clubs, IPA Youth Ministry, and as Coordinator of the Hospitality Team.

Suzi Wiersma.  Foreign Missionary to Albania since 2009, where she serves as the Women’s and Children’s Ministry Director, and provides home school teaching to the Wiersma children.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Words found in Leviticus 19, Matthew 25, Romans 13, and other books of the Bible are used by Christians when arguing their point of view on United States border security and immigration reform.  Are these passages being used accurately and appropriately?  Two Christian pastors help place some of these Scripture verses in context during this final episode of a four-part series.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Tim May.  Pastor at Pleasant View Church of the Brethren, Co-Host of “Mid-Maryland Live” (heard weekdays 3p-6p on WFMD)

Morgan Kochenower.  Pastor at Frederick Seventh-day Adventist Church.  (www.ariseforgod.org)

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Some Christian pastors say erecting a wall at the border between The United States and Mexico is an act of violence.  Some Christian pastors say enforcing border security with a wall is a biblically sanctioned activity of the state.  How has this issue been allowed to divide the people of God?   Two Christian pastors help articulate the considerations for properly understanding the roles of church and state, and the role of religious conviction in civic politics.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Tim May.  Pastor at Pleasant View Church of the Brethren, Co-Host of “Mid-Maryland Live” (heard weekdays 3p-6p on WFMD)

Morgan Kochenower.  Pastor at Frederick Seventh-day Adventist Church.  (www.ariseforgod.org)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some Christian pastors say that we find walls and other forms of border control exemplified in the Bible, so the state is doing its duty in enforcing immigration laws.  Some Christian pastors say increased border security comes at the cost of spreading the Gospel.  What’s the answer?  Two Christian pastors help us walk through the immigration debate in part two of a four-part series devoted to these questions.

The panel:

Troy Skinner.  930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate.

Tim May.  Pastor at Pleasant View Church of the Brethren, Co-Host of “Mid-Maryland Live” (heard weekdays 3p-6p on WFMD)

Morgan Kochenower.  Pastor at Frederick Seventh-day Adventist Church.  (www.ariseforgod.org)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.