My wife has roots in Restoration Churches all her life (she is 58) and I have been involved since we met 26 years ago.  During the past 5 plus years I have done a detailed study of Theology to help me understand more about how different churches have different Theological templates and beliefs. Dr. Byron Lambert was extremely instrumental in causing me to have this interest in Theology and Church history and he was a notable pillar in the Restoration movement.

Arminian churches (Restoration Movement included) have at least partially embraced the Church Growth Movement which in essence is a pragmatic system that does not believe the preaching the Word in and out of season is enough and that we can at least entertain people in door.  It would be very difficult for me to believe that true repentance can come without us knowing our true condition before a Holy God.  It seems like along with the Church Growth Movement comes a socially acceptable gospel that fails to truly convict us of sin and give us any reason to truly repent.

A Reformed seminary that I am familiar with has a triad credo concerning its preaching school that makes a lot of sense to me.  Their credo is:  To exalt the Savior, to humble the sinner, and to promote Holiness!   Why can't the Restoration movement learn anything from other churches?

I am not a 5 point Calvinist (yet) but their Doctrine of effectual calling is pretty hard to refute.

In my opinion the so-called Church Growth movement is "Arminianism gone wild".  Extreme Arminianism is "meaningless experientialism and extreme Calvinism is Dead Orthodoxy"!

Right or wrong the Restoration Movement is scared to death of much church doctrine or any creeds; (creeds actually came about to help alleviate heresies when the Bible was not readily available) but yet we all have heard.... "Where the Bible speaks we speak....." and this was from an early Pope!


I truly believe that The Holy Spirit is sovereign in bringing the lost to Christ. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, no one is saved. (sort of Calvinistic)!

What is the gospel?  We are dead in our sins, we are totally and completely lost not just a little off track, we have no hope aside from the saving work and atonement of Christ on the cross.  With the work of Christ we have hope of eternal life with God.