Speaking of Gatekeeping

Speaking of Gatekeeping July 30, 2015

Here’s one group that hopes to keep tabs on evangelicalism’s boundaries, but turns out — darn — it’s hard:

4. Report a church that doesn’t align with TGC’s Foundation Documents. If you find a church that doesn’t seem to be in alignment with TGC, we ask that you’d let us know. You can do so by clicking the “Report” link next to each listing. We value your input since TGC is not able to personally review each church in the directory.

The Gospel Coalition knows that discipline is important to evangelicalism. But it also likes to have as large a membership as possible. So it’s relatively easy to belong. And to be excluded you need to have someone report you. Even then, who knows what kind of process will ensue. Will Tim Keller and Don Carson fly out to interview the pastor and observe a worship service? Does the Gospel Coalition even have a travel-for-discipline budget?

The thing about denominations, they have mechanisms for this sort of screening. But evangelicalism, just like parachurch organizations like the Gospel Coalition, would rather attract followers than sort them out.

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