Last time I commended A Weed in the Church for the important qualifications which it carefully (and commendably) states. But these qualifications in my view create difficulties for Scott Brown’s thesis. Let me explain why.
A Weed in the Church is arguing the case for eliminating age-segregated Sunday Schools and youth meetings. Here is one its concluding imperatives: “Bring the children into the worship service; eliminate youth programs; cancel Sunday School, children’s church, and the nursery.” (258). Why? Because age-segregated meetings are wrong. A few pages earlier the question is raised: “Can’t age-segregated youth ministry be reformed?” Scott answers this way: “To reform something you have to take it back to its biblical roots. Youth ministry as it is practiced today has no biblical roots, and no biblical affirmation, so how do you reform it?” (253-254)
Yet A Weed in the Church admits in several places that not all age-segregated meetings are wrong. “We are not suggesting that every function outside of regular worship must always include whole families.” (231) He also remarks: “… it is not our position that the whole family must always be together for celebration, instruction, or discipleship nor that a gathering is biblically ordered only when all ages are present, from babies to senior citizens. We do not maintain that all education in the church requires whole families to be present. For example, for gatherings inside the church, we do not believe that it would be wrong for elders in a church, with the blessings of the fathers, to teach matters of theology to young men in the church.” (61) Cf. also pages 63-65 for similar statements.
To these stated qualifications I respond, “Well said! The problem is that they contradict your thesis.” With the exception of the question of nursery (which I will discuss in a later blog), I agree that the meetings of the church for worship should not be age-segregated. I do not believe in children’s church. Children should be taken to worship and were clearly in the worship of the Old and New Testament churches. The questions for me are these two. May elders call meetings for ministry for members of the church other than its time of corporate worship? I think Scott would agree that they may. May such meetings be age-segregated? I say it with some surprise, but apparently from the above quotes Scott again agrees that they may!
I am not sure how Scott would like to respond at this point. It does seem clear to me, however, that he admits that meetings with a startling similarity to youth meetings or Sunday School classes may sometimes be appropriate. Is it then merely a matter of the frequency of such meetings? Is it a matter of the competence of those teaching in them? Fine! But then the issue is not whether such meetings are right or wrong in themselves, but whether they are conducted with proper regard for other biblical principles. And then the counsel to “eliminate youth programs; cancel Sunday School” seems both a little extreme and somewhat indefensible.
Dr. Sam Waldron is the Academic Dean of CBTS and professor of Systematic Theology. He is also one of the pastors of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Owensboro, KY. Dr. Waldron received a B.A. from Cornerstone University, an M.Div. from Trinity Ministerial Academy, a Th.M. from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. From 1977 to 2001 he was a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Waldron is the author of numerous books including A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, The End Times Made Simple, Baptist Roots in America, To Be Continued?, and MacArthur’s Millennial Manifesto: A Friendly Response.
