This episode is the recording of Matt's Pentecost sermon this year.

We hope it encourages you this week!

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Carl Trueman to our diocesan synod. During that time we were privileged to sit down with Dr. Trueman to ask him questions about his pastoral experience.

In this episode we talk about the call to pastoral ministry, earning and burning good will with parishioners, dealing with physical abuse in the church, balancing pastoral and scholarly work, and much more.

We hope you enjoy the pod!

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows.

In this episode Jonathan has the pleasure of sitting down with the director of Jews for Jesus in Jerusalem: Yoel Ben David.

Yoel talks about how he came to faith from orthodox Judaism, what it's like sharing Jesus in Jerusalem, and his heart for serving the church as an Anglican pastor.

We know you'll be encouraged by Yoel and his ministry! If you feel so inclined, please go to ⁠https://jewsforjesus.org/staff/yoel-ben-david⁠ and support his work over in Israel.

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

In this episode Jonathan sits down with Julian Dobbs - the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word in the ACNA.

Jonathan and Bp. Julian discuss dealing with the demands of responsibility in ministry. The more power / authority one has, the more responsibility weighs on ones shoulders. How do pastors and bishops live with such demands upon them?

We pray this brief episode will be a source of encouragement to you.

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

Today we’re discussing what the Bible is all about. Jesus said it was all about him (Luke 24) - does our preaching and teaching agree with him?

What does it mean for the Bible to be about Jesus? And how should a pastor pull this truth out in all of his preaching and teaching?

This week we're talking about being famous. No - not how we're famous... we have a bit of a ways to go yet. We're talking about the desire to be famous that most (all?) pastors struggle with. There's something in our flesh that makes us desire to be known - even when we get up to preach to 20 people.

Why is our culture uniquely inclined toward celebrity pastors? And why is fame such a temptation for pastors in particular?

And we talk about Mark Driscoll.

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

In this episode we are listening to one of Matt's sermons preached almost 10 years ago. The sermon is taken from 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 and explores what our new bodies will be like after Jesus' second coming.

We pray the sermon will encourage you this Eastertide.

In Christ,

The Cranmer Fellows

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!