Today we are talking about leaving a church.

There are times, of course, when you may need to leave a church due to moving from one city to another. But is there ever a time where you should leave your church to attend another one?

In the West we sure like our choices. Churches are often seen as different products on a shelf - you get to pick which one you like. If the one you picked turns out not to be exactly what you wanted - that's fine! Leave and try something else out.

But is that the Biblical way of thinking about the church? Should you leave a church because the music isn't to your liking, Billy in the third pew down from you is a jerk, or the "Associate Pastor" is a bit cringe? The Bible doesn't seem to think so.

However, there are appropriate times to leave a church. In fact, there are necessary times to leave. What are good reasons for leaving a church? And if you sense there is a good reason to leave a church, how do you proceed?

If you are a pastor: how do you handle someone leaving a church? What are some pitfalls you should watch out for once a parishioner says those fateful words, "Pastor, we need to talk"?

We hope this episode is insightful and encouraging for you. Please rate the show and share with your friends and family!

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

Today Matt and I answer an email we received from a listener about some of the differences between us and Anglo-Catholics.

What distinguishes Anglo-Catholics from High Church Anglicans? Where did Anglo-Catholicism originate, and what was/is its purpose and role in the larger Anglican tradition? We also discuss how we think the 39 Articles should be interpreted and what it means for Scripture to be "prime" authority.

We're working backwards from talking about preaching and the sacraments to the importance of going to church in general. In this episode we discuss

- what happens to you when you go to a local church,

- why going to church and listening to a sermon is different (and more important) than listening to a sermon from years ago

- how movie theater churches have changed people's thinking about the church (in a bad way)

- the "marks of a true church"

- and why saying, "we are the church" is not a reason to stop going to an actual church

Matt and Jon were not able to meet together this week, so here is a wonderful sermon on serving God's people through tribulation. We hope it's encouraging for you in your ministry!

We are finally finishing our discussion on the Lord's Supper! If you haven't listened to episode 35, then go ahead and give it a listen, because it introduces our topic and walks through the various views of what happens at communion.

In part 2 we discuss what it means to partake of the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner, why we believe baptized children of believers should be allowed at the table, and why some Anglicans call the "table" an "altar."

Here is a recording of our continuing series on the 39 Articles. This week Matt looks at Articles 16-18 on human free will, predestination, and election.

This week Matt and Jonathan leave the typical format of the pod and respond to the current controversy surrounding Alistair Begg's advice to a grandmother to attend the wedding of her grandson and his transgender partner. We discuss Begg's original comments and then his recent sermon doubling-down on his counsel to this woman.

Is there any context that allows a Christian to attend an LGBTQ wedding? How can you continue to be a witness to your friends and family if they feel like you reject them? Are there only two options: either go to the wedding or cut your family off forever? In this episode we do our best to offer a grace-filled yet biblically consistent answer to these questions. The fact of the matter is this: Alistair Begg, though a wonderful pastor, has not clarified the issue for Christians. Rather, he has blurred the subject and, perhaps, unwittingly confused already conflicted Christians.

This week we continue our discussion of the sacraments and examine the Lord's Supper. We don't get to everything we wanted to talk about, so we are making this Part 1 on the topic of Communion!

In this episode we look at the different views that Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and other Protestants have regarding the Supper, we talk about the importance of all the elements (including the words of institution), and we tell you why partaking in Coke and chips in your home on Sunday is not the Lord's Supper.

We hope you enjoy this episode! If you do, please consider subscribing, leaving us a rating/review, and sharing this podcast with your friends and family. And, as always, if you would like to reach out to us about anything, please email us at cranmerfellowship@gmail.com.

Last week Matt and Jonathan discussed the primary task of a pastor - preaching the word of God. This week they continue walking through the essential tasks of a pastor by addressing the first of the two sacraments: baptism.

What is baptism? Why did Jesus command that we baptize people? Does God do something in a person when they are baptized? Why do Anglicans see a comparison between circumcision in the Old Covenant and baptism in the New Covenant? And, last of all, why do we baptize children of believing parents?

We welcome questions and even counter-arguments! So if you'd like to engage with this episode, you can email us at cranmerfellowship@gmail.com.

As always, if you find this podcast helpful in any way, consider subscribing, leaving us a review, and sharing it with your friends and family - especially those who may be thinking about entering into ministry.

Welcome to the first episode of 2024! We know we are a week late, but we hope this episode is encouraging for you.

Today we discuss the job of preaching the word of God. We discuss the difference between preaching and teaching and try to persuade you that preaching from a manuscript is the way to go.

In this episode we continue our walk through the 39 Articles. We are working through Articles 13: Of Works before Justification, 14: Of Works of Supererogation, and 15: Of Christ alone without Sin.

Covenant Theology is concerned with the promises God has made to all people for all time. This week Matt and Jon sit down to discuss these promises that God laid down before the foundation of the world. We discuss God's plan of salvation and whether or not God has any distinct plans between physical Israel and the church.

Matt and Jonathan have a busy week, so this episode is this past Sunday's sermon on Acts 13:42-52.

Enjoy!

In this episode, Matt and Jonathan are joined with Bishop William Love to discuss his call to ministry and his experience in the Episcopal Church - including his discipline for not complying with TEC's teaching on same-sex marriage.

In this episode Matt and Jonathan discuss what authority a pastor has in the church, how a pastor is to carry his authority, and where the pitfalls might be that could lead to a pastor abusing his power.

If you like the pod, please leave us a review and share it with your friends and family - especially those you know who are considering pastoral ministry.

In this episode Jonathan interviews his co-host, Matt Kennedy, on his life before Christ and ministry, his time at a liberal seminary, and the early years of pastoring Church of the Good Shepherd.

If you like this podcast, please leave us a review and share it with your friends and family - especially those who may be thinking about pastoral ministry. And don't forget to check out our pastoral training program, The Cranmer Fellowship, at ⁠thecranmerfellowship.com⁠.

Welcome back to the podcast!

This week Matt and Jonathan sit down to discuss how Anglicans govern the church. What is different about Anglican church governance from congregational-led or elder-led churches? Where do we Anglicans get the idea of the threefold order of ministry (bishop, priests, and deacons)? And what are the upsides and potential downsides to Anglican polity?

Reach out to us at cranmerfellowship@gmail.com, or you can follow and DM us on Instagram @cranmerfellows.

This week is a sermon from the Rev. Matt Kennedy on James 5:13-20. We pray that it will encourage you in your faith!

This week Matt walks us through Articles 11 (Justification by Faith) and 12 (Good Works) in the 39 Articles of Religion.

Are you currently wrestling through how justification and good works fit together? Do you need help in how to explain to your church the distinction between justification and sanctification?

We pray that this episode is both enlightening and encouraging for you!

This week is a sermon by Matt Kennedy on Genesis 11:1-9