This Wednesday I’m pumped to join some friends at The Elephant Room. As a believer in debates (I wish the church would do more of them today), I dig the idea of leaders hashing out differences in public. This year is more controversial than the first ER as one of the participants, T.D. Jakes, has long been associated with Oneness Pentecostalism which denies the doctrine of the Trinity. I haven’t read or listened to much by T.D. Jakes, though what I have read is certainly not orthodox trinitarian theology. For more you can read his article in Christianity Today, “What I Believe About the Godhead.”
I understand why some people are concerned (and a few are freaking out) about Jakes’ invitation to this gathering, but I am looking forward to a dialog about this critical doctrine, as well as the other conversations. The church needs to do a better job talking to one another, than just about one another. And when talking to one another we need to be willing to say directly that something another advocates is unwise, wrong, dangerous, or even heretical. I will be posting my thoughts on how it all goes down after the event.
