His book On the Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry caused quite a stir! Tennent believed the deadness of the churches was in part due to so many pastors having never been converted themselves. Presbyterian Gilbert Tennent was heavily influenced by Frelinghuysen and brought revival to his denomination. He preached the need for conversion, a profound, life-changing commitment to Christ, not simply perfunctory participation in religious duties. When Theodore Frelinghuysen, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, came to begin his pastoral world in New Jersey during the 1720's, he was shocked by the deadness of the churches in America. The philosophical rationalism of the Enlightenment was spreading its influence among the educated classes others were preoccupied with the things of this world. The same spiritual malaise could be found throughout the American colonies. The children of the original immigrants were more concerned with increasing wealth and comfortable living than furthering the Kingdom of God. Many of the early Puritans and pilgrims arrived in America with a fervent faith and vision for establishing a godly nation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |