Spreading An Urban Gospel

There was a good article in the Chicago Tribune today about Rev. Timothy Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhatten, entitled Spreading An Urban Gospel.

An important lesson that Keller said he had tried to convey is that the hard sell rarely works in the city. Becoming a Christian in a place like New York, he said, is more often the product not of one decision but of many little decisions.

"One decision might be Christianity is more relevant than I think," he said. "Or, here's two Christians that I don't think are idiots."

His church's main goal, Keller said, is to teach pastors how to truly love the city, rather than fear its worldly influences. Unlike many evangelicals, Keller advocates an indirect approach to change.

"If you seek power before service, you'll neither get power, nor serve," he said. "If you seek to serve people more than to gain power, you will not only serve people, you will gain influence. That's very much the way Jesus did it."