Strangeness of the Month Club
Our motto: Christians Say the Strangest Things!
by Kent B. True

The policy of Christian periodicals can be a tricky business, as we find out at this month’s club meeting. Editors have to make tough decisions. I’m guessing the editor of this periodical has sweated a few drops of blood over printing what I am writing now!

Seriously Strange
Mark A. Taylor, "From the Editor"
Christian Standard, May 25, 2003

It seems that Mr. Taylor (I guess he is sort of the Sheriff Taylor of the Christian Standard now that he is the editor) is under the gun from a reader. His crime? Mark sometimes calls ministers "pastors." I’ve heard some say that "pastor" is a term more appropriate for the big, bad boss of a Baptist church, but we won’t debate that one here.

Sheriff Taylor, I mean Mr. Taylor, has a ready defense for his seemingly loose phraseology. "If we say we are not a denomination," he offers, "then we must not insist that every congregation among us talk identically. Our heritage claims that ‘in opinions’ we will grant ‘liberty.’"

What happens if, in the opinion of someone, "we" are a denomination? I have heard it said. Will we respect that opinion? This can get complicated.

He continues, "And it is obvious that believers equally committed to God’s Word and restoring New Testament Christianity have different opinions about what to call paid church staff members." So, we are informed that the "policy at Christian Standard is to call local church staff members what their congregations call them."

Personally, I would like to be called "King of All I Survey" but so far, I have no takers.

But I have heard church staff members called things that should not be spoken in the presence of women, children, or small animals. Thus I am not so sure about the policy at the Christian Standard. Not being an editor, it sometimes hard to understand all this periodical policy business.

Given the Taylor Doctrine, I suppose we should look for some "Reverends", some "Right Reverends", and some "Right, Right Reverends" to be coming soon to a Christian Standard near you. Perhaps a "Your Holiness" can add to the diversity, and then an "Apostle" or two can round out the roster.

After all, it is just a matter of opinion, and you never know what a local church might decide to call its staff members.