Read this encouraging note I received today from yet another former Calvinistic pastor and then watch the short video response below…
Dr. Flowers,
I have a bit of a bone to pick with you. You have put me in quite a quandary. I am a long time pastor at a “Calvinistic” Baptist church and I have been a Calvinist most of my life. About a year ago one of my church members, who is close with my wife, kept hounding her to listen to your podcast until finally she did. After a few months of listening to you she became thoroughly convinced that Calvinism was wrong. She then began insisting that I listen to your podcast with her. I refused. I told her you were deceiving her and that she should stop listening to you. We had many fights about this until finally she just stopped talking about it (which I found out later was advice you gave her).
I had all but forgotten about it until my birthday came around. She gave me several gifts, one of which was your book, The Potter’s Promise. She promised me that if I would read your book with an open mind then she would never bring this issue up again. I reluctantly agreed just to shut her up.
I finished reading your book last week which led me to binge on your podcast over the last 6 days. Wow. You have completely messed up my world! I cannot believe that I am even writing you this letter right now. I would have never dreamed that your book would have convinced me to recant Calvinism, but it has. I cannot believe I have not seen this before. I mean I have questioned some of the typical issues people have against Calvinism but I have always been quite certain the TULIP Soteriology was correct. I am even more certain now that it isn’t!
So, what am I supposed to do now? Resign my church? Recant publicly? Go back and try to fix everyone I misguided over the 16 years of my preaching ministry? See how you’ve put me in quite a quandary? Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful for helping me see this error, but I am quite perplexed as to what to do now. It’s like I’m seeing the Bible in a whole new light and I so badly want to start teaching my fellowship what I’ve been learning but, on the other hand, I don’t want to split the church or cause division among the brethren.
So, I guess I’m writing you for two reasons. One to thank you for your work and influence in our lives and also to ask you your advice as to how I should proceed from here? Is this something you have seen before? What have others in my situation done and could you even point me to them so I can talk about it with a brother who has been through this?
Thank you for your time and prayers!
(It was requested that I not share his name)
