Does Apologetics Belong in the Church?
The short answer is yes. As a pastor of a local church, I have a firm conviction that Christian apologetics should be closely tied to the church.
One of the things that I appreciate about William Lane Craig is that in addition to his work with Reasonable Faith, he also teaches Christian doctrine in his local congregation. That is a good model.
My own experience of Christian apologetics was shaped by my involvement within my congregation. I saw needs represented in the people I was in Christian community with and I responded accordingly.
At the same time, I understand why some pastors don’t know how to include or integrate Christian apologetics into their ministry. There are so many other things to do and apologetics may not be a part of the pastor’s skill set.
There are plenty of ways to make the connection. One is to offer a “You Asked For It” sermon series where the pastor responds to the congregation’s questions. Another is to release people within the church to offer apologetics-related events. The pastor doesn’t have to do anything.
Turning to apologists, I encourage you to connect your ministry with a local church. There are some excellent apologetics para-church ministries but there is a danger when apologetics gets too far away from congregational ministry. Find ways to tie your apologetics ministry to what God is doing in a specific congregation.
Christian apologetics is great, but keep it connected to the church. That is where it belongs.
