Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - July/Aug/87

Contributor - Rev. Will Kroon

Title - To Be Of Good Repute

Topic - Witnessing

In the Book of Acts we read that when the first deacons were elected, they looked for believers who were of "good repute". And as one continues to read the story of the New Testament Church, one notices again and again that the Bible writer mentions that the believers were "well thought of" by the people. In other words, Christians were respected by non-Christians. Somehow the biblical writer wants us to see that the promotion of the Gospel was aided by the fact that outsiders held the Christians of that day in good repute.

The importance of that emphasis was brought home to me again when the Jim Bakker scandal began to appear in our papers. Truly the world had noticed. Many staff members in our hospital began to make remarks to me about the immoral behaviour of this PTL evangelist.

I do not know enough about the PTL leaders to comment on what has happened to them, although I was impressed by the quick actions that were taken to remedy the situation. What I do want to point out though is that the world is watching the Church. It is watching how the Church presents itself amidst challenges, temptations and opportunities. It is the world that makes us aware that the immoral and shameful behaviour of some evangelists casts shadows on the lives and ministries of others as well.

The New Testament Church was aware that the world watches the behaviour of Christians. The Church had learned from experience that the world was impressed when it noticed how Christians looked after the needs of the elderly and the weak; it was impressed when it saw how the faithful stood firm in times of persecution and hardship. Well, the world is still watching the church and not just to criticize. I believe that unbelievers too, respect honesty, faithfulness and high moral standards. Even the most critical newspaper writer gives almost uncritical praise to Mother Theresa of Calcutta for her ministry to the dying. The Salvation Army has also won a similar trust and respect. And they are not the only ones that aye being respected. During the week that the Bakker scandal was making headlines, a well-known Canadian Church leader was being honoured at the 50th Anniversary of his ordination and at the 25th Anniversary of his role as bishop. Thousands of politicians, business leaders and representatives of the religious community paid $200 each to be present at the dinner given in honour of Cardinal Carter of Toronto. All this money was used for charity.

Why did our Prime Minster, two former prime ministers and a few thousand others honour this religious leader? The primary reason was that they respected him and held him in good repute.

Robbing the Elderly?

A Lay Pastoral Visitor came to me yesterday with a letter in his hand. I noticed that he was angry and deeply troubled. For several weeks he had visited a very sick patient whom he had known for some time. The evening before, that patient had asked this Lay Visitor to cash his pension cheque and to send a large part of that money to a certain Rev. Peter Popoff. He had carried out the patient's request but wandered why this dying man, who had no money to help pay for the trip of his daughter to visit him from Saskatchewan, sent such a large sum of money to this unknown clergyman. Well, he got his answer when he read the letter this dying man received from this Rev. P.

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