Frederick Faith Debate

A listener writes:

“Hi Troy.  I’m interested in knowing how one takes hold of Christ in the heart in a way that transforms.  I’ve been stuck in this place for a long time, wanting the ‘penny to drop’, but that hasn’t happened.  I don’t have intellectual problems with the Bible….it’s that my heart hasn’t been melted in a way that results in joy, peace and a change of nature.  I’m not looking for an experience, but a genuine heart change and I don’t think it’s happened….I think I’d know if it had.  I know all ABOUT God, but can’t seem to connect with Him, personally.  I long to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but never have and it’s way past time.  He seems abstract and distant to me and I know that’s not right because He is, in reality, neither of those.”

The full letter, along with the response from the show, is shared during this episode.  The concerned listener also wrote, “I can’t imagine that I’m the only one having problems with this.”  She’s correct.  So, it is our hope that this show will be helpful to you, as well as to her.

There is no panel for this particular show as Troy Skinner (930 WFMD Host/Moderator of The Faith Debate) flies solo for the week.  Incidentally, there is a video link mentioned during the show.  Click here for that link.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The previous show looked at intramural questions facing the Christian church.  This show the focus turns to intermural questions, again using the National Day of Prayer as a case study.  How inclusive should it be?  For example, should people of all races be invited?  Both sexes?  Don’t worry, the questions get harder!  What about those  with divergent sexual “orientations” or “gender identities”?  How about people who don’t have legal standing to be in the United States?  Or skinheads and white supremacists?  Or “militant tree huggers”?  These examples are offered “tongue in cheek”, of course.

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Dr. Eliezer Valentin-Castañón.  Senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a real and serious question for Christ’s church.  As a case study, this shows looks at the National Day of Prayer.  Each spring a number of Christian church leaders gather with political leaders all across the nation to pray and encourage common values.  What faith traditions should be included and/or excluded from participating in National Day of Prayer events?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Dr. Eliezer Valentin-Castañón.  Senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should views of a coming “rapture” from a great tribulation separate people within the church?  How about definitions for understanding the “Millennium”?  Or accepting that the gift of tongues is for today, or not?  Or debates over baptism of adults by immersion and baptism infants by sprinkling?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Dr. Eliezer Valentin-Castañón.  Senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To be “in” does there need to be agreement that there is one eternal God Who has created the entire universe?  And/or that Jesus was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life; that Jesus is God  – and a man who died and rose from the dead; that Heaven and Hell exist; that all people are sinners needing a Savior; that Jesus is the only way to a restored relationship with God?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Dr. Eliezer Valentin-Castañón.  Senior Pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church in Frederick.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This has to do with what’s called apologetics and evangelism.  The importance of knowing the truth about the Gospel is what, exactly?  The reasons why some people never convert to Christianity are what, do we think?  What hinders a person from converting?  What can Christian believers and leaders in the professional ministry do to help turn around the bad taste, the bad thoughts, that so many of our neighbors have?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Ace Ray.  Longtime pastor who has spent time in the Carolinas, in DC, and in Maryland.  His is now Pastor of a new church in Frederick called The River International (meeting at North Frederick Elementary School).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The church’s response to those who are incarcerated is what?  Should be what?  What are the spiritual, social, economic, and relational dynamics?  How does this play itself out in the prisons themselves?  How does it play out in the communities where former prisoners are working to plug themselves into the economy, the culture, the church?  How does it play out in individual, personal, lives?  How does it, and how should it, play out?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Ace Ray.  Longtime pastor who has spent time in the Carolinas, in DC, and in Maryland.  His is now Pastor of a new church in Frederick called The River International (meeting at North Frederick Elementary School).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How important, really, are godly leaders in churches?  We’re not asking about the lead pastor, but about the other leaders.  The elders, deacons, board members, committee chairs, and even paid office staff.  Is your church careful, thoughtful, and prayerful enough about filling these positions?  What happens when we get this wrong?  What happens when we get this right?

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Ace Ray.  Longtime pastor who has spent time in the Carolinas, in DC, and in Maryland.  His is now Pastor of a new church in Frederick called The River International (meeting at North Frederick Elementary School).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the spiritual climate in Frederick?  Local pastors, on several occasions, have said that advancing the Gospel of grace in Frederick County is like “plowing pavement.”  This is not a common word picture, in any context.  Yet, several pastors… separate from and independently of… one another, have use this exact same phrase.  That’s pretty striking.  What does it mean for the church in our community, and what does our panel think about it?   Jon Switzer is the Founder of BRIDGES, connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.  And Ace Ray is a longtime pastor who has spent time in the Carolinas, in DC, and in Maryland.

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Ace Ray.  Longtime pastor who has spent time in the Carolinas, in DC, and in Maryland.  His is now Pastor of a new church in Frederick called The River International (meeting at North Frederick Elementary School).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is the Book of Science a valid source of truth alongside the Bible as a book of revelation?  Post-modernism has practically given up trying to find any truth in science or Scripture.  Should Thomism, the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas, be revived to provide answers that post-moderns have given up hope of finding?  Will Aquinas’ “negative theology” of metaphors and analogies satisfy?  Should Scripture be interpreted figuratively, depending on the context?  This and so much more is being tackled by…

The panel:

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

Jonathan Switzer.  Past-President of Frederick’s Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship, Founder of “Frederick 48”, Founder of Crossroads Valley Church, and most recently Founder of BRIDGES: Connecting needs and resources in Frederick County.

Haydn Booth.  Self-described layman of the Roman Catholic Church, Thomist, and lover of Christ.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.