The Atheist Preacher Should Get Out

It was recently reported that a Dutch church assembly decided that a pastor, Klaas Hendrikse, had views that were "not fundamentally differ from those of other liberal theologians in the Protestant Church.”

Hendrikse claims to believe that God does not exist and stated those claims in a recent book.

He explains, “To me God is not a being, but a word for what can occur between people.” He has since been loosely referred to as “the atheist preacher,” although he has not declared himself a total non-believer. His theological gobblety-gook sounds much like that of former Beatle John Lennon who once wrote a song which included the line, “God is a concept by which we measure our pain.” What does it all mean?

Outside of an "atheist preacher" being an oxymoron, how can a man serve a church and minister in the name of a Being he claims does not exist? What does this "preacher" even have to preach? Unbelief?

Then he should get out of the church.

More disturbing than the existence of an "atheist preacher" is the fact that his governing body decided that it was perfectly acceptable for this man to remain as a preacher in his denomination. The fact that an unbeliever remains a minister in the church and church leaders see nothing wrong with this says volumes about the state of the church in the Netherlands.

Could such things happen in the American church?

No, surely not!

Don’t be so sure!

John Henry Jowett came to America from England and became pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City in 1911. It was said that church attendance there had dropped to 600 and rose to 1,500 after he came as pastor. Lines up to half a block long formed, waiting for unclaimed seats.

Once, a student came to Jowett one morning and told him that he was troubled with religious doubt. " In fact," said the student, " I regret to confess that I don’t believe in God!"

"You don't believe in God!" said Jowett.

"No sir," said the student, hoping that the great man would clear away his difficulties.

Jowett’s reply was crushing. " Believe in God, sir, said Jowett, " by to-morrow morning, or leave the college!"

Mr. Hendrikse, believe or leave!