This article is based on a talk I gave to a group of Alberta pastors on why the conversation about Alberta’s independence matters to the church. While this address was written for pastors, may it be an encouragement to you as well.
Why the Church Matters to Independence: A History Lesson
Before addressing why the conversation about independence matters to the church, it must be acknowledged that the church matters to the conversation on independence.
It can be easy to forget that Christians talking about independence has happened before. Earlier this month, hundreds of millions of Americans celebrated their independence from the British crown. I want to consider the role of the church in that push and eventual success in gaining independence.
The War of Independence began in 1775. The evangelist of the Great Awakening, George Whitefield, died in 1770. While simple math will demonstrate that Whitefield was not alive to during the War of Independence, historian Jerome Dean Mahaffey, in his work The Accidental Revolutionary: George Whitefield and the Creation of America argues that Whitefield laid an important foundation. His preaching united the colonies, giving them a common experience. His emphasis on the new birth, liberty in Christ, and individual salvation was a direct affront to the hierarchy of Anglicanism and the status quo. While Whitefield did not “preach politics,” he revived an interest in Calvinistic theology emphasizing the sovereignty of God, human depravity, the lordship of Christ, and the glory of the gospel.
Preaching matters in the arena of political ideas, even though preaching is not overtly political or partisan. For example, John MacArthur, known for his expositional preaching through books of the Bible one verse at a time was recently eulogized in the New York Times. The article called him a culture warrior. For those who know MacArthur, this was never his intention, but the faithful exposition of the truth will certainly affect culture.
As colonialists felt the economic burden imposed by England with little recourse by way of political means, talk of independence increased. This conversation did not escape the notice of the church. While many churches sought to remain neutral on the issue, historians estimate that about 1/3 of the colonial clergy actively supported the Revolution. Calvinistic ministers made up most of this group. In fact, the British reportedly called the Revolution a “Presbyterian rebellion” because of the support of the Presbyterians in the middle colonies. However, support among the Congregationalists, another Calvinistic and Puritan group in New England was even higher.
Why was independence more readily adopted by Calvinist ministers? The theology of the reformation, exemplified in Calvin, Knox, and their spiritual descendants the Puritans, emphasized divine sovereignty, human depravity, and the right to resist tyrannical authority. These believers understood that God is the ultimate authority over human rulers and there are consequences when governors violate their covenant with the governed. What also was important was the heritage from Calvin in Geneva, Knox in Scotland, and the Puritans in England to establish not just a righteous church, but a righteous family and society. They were fueled by a desire to see God’s saving work in all areas of life.
While the churches in the colonies were not the driver of independence, they were indispensable to the movement. They provided the ideological and theological foundation of resisting tyranny for the good of the people. They provided the moral legitimacy, grounding things like liberty and property rights on the teachings of God’s word.
Of course there were those who disagreed with these ministers about colonial independence. The loyalist clergy, particularly Anglican ministers, appealed to Romans 13 to call people to submit to governing authorities. Of course, this call to obey Romans 13 typically stops after verses 1 and 2, which calls the governed to submit to governors while neglecting verses 3 to 4 which reminds the governor of his submission to God as one of God’s deacons. All these verses must be considered in the discussion for or against independence.
What did the clergy who supported independence do? They do what preachers do: preach. They preached sermons on the issues facing their people, giving theological justification and calling for a response. They utilized the organizational structure of the church. Churches have local autonomy with elders presiding over the people who are among the people and know the people. Should not a community demand the same for its civic rulers? They held out hope, preaching optimism. If God changes hearts, grants the new birth, then he also makes homes new, and societies are reformed. They desired to see a new society where peace and righteousness ruled.
Ministers then, like today, wield significant influence over their congregations moral and political views. Because of all this, the churches were highly influential and encouraged many people to support liberty and the independence of the colonies to govern themselves. They taught the biblical concept of liberty through a local and limited government. The church mattered in the push for independence.
Why Independence Matters to the Church?
Now I want to consider another question, albeit related, why does independence, and specifically Alberta’s independence, matter to the church?
1. It Matters to the Church’s Theology
The church is the pillar and buttress of the truth (1 Tim 3:15). The church upholds the truth, defends the truth, and proclaims the truth (2 Tim 4:1–2). Therefore, it is important that the church, especially its leaders, understand the truth and can apply it to the issues of the day (1 Chron 12:32).
What do the Scriptures teach about nations, resistance to tyranny, good government, freedom or liberty? The current cultural climate demands that the church—pastors in particular—give answers to these questions from the word of God.
Remember COVID? Did that time not drive many believers to the word and to the testimony? Did that time not sharpen our thinking on Romans 13? Did that time not challenge our understanding of government authority and its limits? Was sphere sovereignty or Erastianism in your vocabulary before that time?
Likewise, talk of liberty, independence, injustice, and a broken confederation, will force the church to sharpen its theology and settle convictions in accordance with the teaching of God’s word. Thankfully, we have a rich heritage of godly men who left for us their writings and examples as they navigated similar circumstances. The church in Alberta must do the theological heavy lifting, revisiting history, exegesis, systematics, and biblical theology. This is not a time for a wait-and-see approach. The church must lead, sharpen its theology, and then proclaim it with clarity and conviction.
Pastors, read, study, write, discuss, speak. You can’t wait for your favorite American pastor to give guidance. He’s not talking about this. Sharpen your theology so that you can be an approved worker of God, without shame (2 Tim 2:15). Do theological retrieval. Do historical retrieval. Do exegesis.
2. It Matters to the Church’s Members
People in your church are talking about Alberta’s independence. This is not a side issue for the “small fringe minority…holding unacceptable views….” Even legacy media is talking about it. If people in the church are talking about it, then they are also listening to what others say about it—particularly what other Christians are saying about it.
My articles during COVID were read by many people, not just my own church, but other Christians in other churches who were looking to scratch an itch that no leader in their community was willing to touch. If a church is not talking about this, then their members will go to social media, legacy media, or another pastor to seek answers to their questions and formulate their own opinion.
Some parents never want to talk about sex with their children. It makes them uncomfortable. They feel ill equipped, inadequate, and they certainly don’t want to answer questions that may come up. And so what do kids do in that environment? They talk to their friends, or worse yet, they Google it. Do you want your children to ask Google about sex? Of course not! Do you want your church members to get their political ideas from Google?
Pastor, if an issue matters to your church members, it matters to the church and it should matter to you. Your church members are looking to you for direction. They are looking for you to lead them according to the word of God. They are looking for careful consideration, not a gut-instinct approach. Shepherd your people to think biblically about today’s issues. Get out in front of current events and give direction now so that you’re not doing the harder work of correcting bad views later.
3. It Matters to the Church’s Mission: The Great Commission
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave the church a mission: to disciple the nations (Matt 28:19–20). We are called to do this in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2), meaning that there are times when the people around us welcome the message and other times when they are hostile to it. The independence movement in Alberta is one of those times when people around us are more open to hearing the good news of our Savior.
Christian influence in the culture has waned in the last several decades. This fact is not only lamented by Christians but even vocal atheists like Richard Dawkins.[1] We’re facing a time of growing concern for the future of liberty, prosperity, and morality. People are noticing that these good things are the fruits of Christianity. What an opportunity to proclaim to the province that it is not just Christian virtue that’s needed, it’s the Christian gospel that’s needed. The life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the fountainhead of change in individuals, homes, and society at large. Here is a prime opportunity to declare the gospel and press home its consequence in the good things people desire in a culture.
People are still being baptized at our church who became Christians based on how our church navigated COVID-19. Those years became an incredible occasion to emphasize the gospel of Jesus Christ. Recent cultural interest in liberty, masculinity, and morality have provided incredible opportunities to obey the Great Commission.
Pastor, make disciples by telling people who long for the fruit of Christianity the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ.
But there’s more. An independent Alberta would also grant new opportunities for the gospel. It can’t be denied that Alberta is far more conservative than the rest of the country, and not just fiscally but socially as well. An independent Alberta would take steps to shift education, media, and law into a more conservative and Christian direction. Why is this important for the gospel? With more Christian and conservative influence, the message of the gospel finds more fertile ground.
There has been a confusion surrounding nominal Christianity. Is nominalism or “Christians in name only” bad or good? We should all agree, nominalism is bad in the church. The church must be a people, not just with an outward conformity, but an inward transformation, being born again from above. But what about nominalism outside the church and in the wider culture? In this case, nominalism is like dry brushwood waiting for a match to be struck. The great revivals of the past have taken place in cultures with a biblical knowledge among the people—in other words, nominalism. Would it not be better to share the gospel to a people who know about God, his word, his law, and his Christ than to a people with no categories for any Christian doctrine? A culture that has an outward form of Christianity is a culture that has been pre-evangelized and ready for a loud voice to wake them from the dead through the power of the Spirit.
Pastor, push for cultural changes toward Christian virtues for the sake of gospel proclamation.
4. It Matters to the Church’s Mission: The Great Commandment
It cannot be forgotten that the church’s mission to the world is not just evangelism, but we have a mission, a duty, to love our neighbor. The push to end abortion, prevent gay marriage, reform education, and gain independence are all good for our neighbor, whether Christian or not. We have a calling to love other people and seeking a free, prosperous, and moral society is loving to our neighbor.
What kind of home do you want for your children? A Christian home of course, filled with Christian virtue and biblical teaching. Why? Because we love our children and this is what would be best for them, body and soul. So what kind of home do we want for our neighbor? What kind of society would be good for our neighbor? The best society, no matter color or creed, is a Christian one. Therefore, loving our neighbors in Alberta is to work to reform our society with a Christian ethos. This is best for their prosperity, their families, their future, and yes, even their souls’ good.
We should not fall into the trap of sinful pietism where we care nothing about the body but only the soul. Or fall into the other trap and only care about the physical without the spiritual. Neither is loving our neighbor as we ought. Christians can dig wells, build orphanages and preach the gospel! It’s not either/or. It’s a both/and. Consider George Mueller; it was his great commandment work that grounded and gave opportunity to his great commission work. The Great Commandment and Great Commission are not mutually exclusive.
Pastor, push for cultural changes toward Christian virtues, like a local and limited government, out of love for your neighbor.
5. It Matters to the Church’s Enemies
The Bible teaches us that we are engaged in a spiritual war (Eph 6:12; 2 Cor 10:3–5). We can forget that the political battles are not just a battle between the left and right, liberals and conservatives, east versus west, but an ideological and religious battle lies under it all. The divide between Alberta and Central Canada is not just economic, it is religious. The pluralistic, multicultural, neo-marxist, globalist, woke agenda of the Laurentian elites is a direct affront to Christ’s gospel of the kingdom. These ideas, which press in on Albertans, are thoroughly antichristian. The secular religion of our day has its own gospel, its own original sin, its own prophecies, and its own heaven. This secular religion has made many proselytes for hell.
We’re not in a battle for the oil of Alberta but the soul of Alberta. The influence of government, education, and media from Ottawa will continue. These are the pulpits of this antichrist religion. As a parent, do you allow such an influence in your home? Why would we stand for it in our cities, counties or province? We are engaged in a spiritual battle and the enemy wants the church to be silent.
The enemy, in this war of words, has defined “Canadian values” to mean a mosaic of people with progressive, liberal, pluralistic, neo-marxist, LGBTQ pandering, climate alarmists ideals. To stand against these “Canadian values” is to have unacceptable views. You might even be called a Christian nationalist!
Voddie Baucham makes the insightful point that the label “Christian nationalism” was designed by the enemy to keep Christians from speaking biblical truth into culture. Most Christians have no desire to wear the label “Christian nationalist” and so they remain silent, keeping their faith private to their home and church—conceding to the core principle of secularism.
Pastor, Ottawa has no issue with foisting its antichristian morality. The enemy uses governments, especially big ones, to advance his antichrist religion and wage war against our Lord (Rev 13). We are engaged in a spiritual battle, and the church has a vested interest to tear down strongholds and resist the devil, both the body and soul of antichrist.
Conclusion
Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. We are in Alberta and ought to do the best for Alberta and all Albertans but our marching orders come from the only Sovereign, the King of king and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 29:7, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”
— Tim Stephens
