Once more into the fray with celebrities

I'm reading Engaging with Lloyd Jones and came across this quotation from Donald Macleod regarding Dr Lloyd Jones written in October 1983.  Macleod is dealing with the kind of hagiography that arose around Lloyd Jones. The Dr died when I was 5 years old so I grew up i South Wales with ministers trying to sound like him and endless anecdotes of 'the Doctor once said to me.......', anyway the point Macleod makes here is so valid to our age. One can only imagine if we had a preacher of the ability of Lloyd Jones today, the ministries and conferences and movements/ networks that would rise up around him.

 

Macleod writes that he was viewed 'not as an ordinary minister but as a different order of being' always treated with special deference. Macleod commented:

 

'This was not something he sought. It was thrust upon him. But he was wrong to accept it. he should have borne testimony by his example to the parity of ministers. He should have given others an opportunity to develop their gifts of leadership (for example by chairing the Westminster Fellowship). He should have taken positive steps to minimise evangelicalism's dependance on himself'. (page 24)

 

That last sentence is pure gold, of all the discussion in the last year of rock stars and conferences, this is probably the point that us cynics are trying to make.  If the Lord does ever put us in prominent positions we've got to take positive steps towards minimising people's dependence on us, whether that be if we are ministers or leaders of para church movements.

 

We do not trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save (Psalm 146:3) no matter how good they are.