Timothy Keller, the founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, shared his thoughts on doing ministry in New York. The minister stepped down from the pulpit in 2017.
Preaching in New York
In a series of tweets from his official Twitter account, Keller shared what ministers needed to focus on while preaching in New York.
Keller's insights reflected the culture of New York. According to Church Leaders, the series of tweets also held relevance for most church preachers.
The tweets focused on the necessity for faith leaders to be mindful of their demeanor when they preach the truth. He said that preachers needed to be aware of what draws audiences to them.
Keller encouraged those in the faith community to minister “to both Christians and non-Christians at the same time.”
Importance of Language
He also advised ministers to be mindful of the language they used. Keller advised using “language that is accessible."
The pastor discouraged faith leaders from using language that was not accessible or "unnecessary technical doctrinal-talk.”
Keller also urged his fellow ministers to speak “about non-Christians when they are not present exactly the way we talk to non-Christians when they are present.”
Welcoming Skeptics
The church website states that it welcomes skeptics to its church. The Presbyterian church addressed that belief can be difficult.
Keller acknowledged that human nature wrestles with questions and doubts about the Christian faith.
Mercy and Justice
He stressed that the ministry in New York needed to address the needs of mercy and justice.
The pastor added that the church also needed to fight against racial barriers. He urged believers to pursue a loving multi-ethnic community.
He also said that calls for justice needed to go hand-in-hand with active evangelism.
Keller maintained that the faithful should balance a focus on the Christian community. He said that it was important for believers to have "an integration of faith and work in the public sectors of society.”
The pastor also emphasized the need for Christians to practice servant-leadership. He urged his fellow faith leaders to be open to new ideas and criticism.
Keller said that practicing openness was better than "coercive, abusive, and top-down leadership.”
Redeeming Presbyterian Church
The founding pastor established Redeeming Presbyterian Church in 1989. He began the fledgling church with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons.
Keller led the church for almost three decades. The congregation of young professionals had a weekly church attendance of over 5,000.
He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Reason for God and The Prodigal God. Both books have sold over 2 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 25 languages.
Battle With Pancreatic Cancer
In a previous article with Church Leaders, Keller announced that he was battling pancreatic cancer.
He assured the public that he was feeling no symptoms of his diagnosis. The pastor also said that he would give regular updates on his cancer journey.
Keller spent the past years following his retirement speaking about the dangers of nationalism, prejudice, and partisanship of the church.
The pastor asked his followers to keep him and his family in their prayers as he began his round of cancer treatments.
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