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A Journey in Purity: A Theological Novel
The continuing story of a young pastor in his heart-breaking struggle to bring purity to the corrupt and impure church he is laboring in. From the initial, terrible events which force him to bring Jesus' requirement of church purity to their attention, through the final resolution of these trials, standing almost alone in the battle, Pastor Pointer applies clearly Biblical convictions about holiness and discipline in the church.
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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24 people want to read
About the author
Richard P. Belcher Jr.
45 books19 followersDr. Belcher is the Professor of Old Testament. He is an ordained minister in the PCA and pastored an urban nondenominational church in Rochester, NY for ten years before pursuing the Ph. D. This pastoral experience in an unusual and challenging setting gives him great insight into the practical, modern issues that will be faced by future pastors studying with him at RTS. He graduated from Covenant College and received his M. Div from Covenant Seminary. He also received an S.T.M. from Concordia Theological Seminary, and his Ph. D. is from Westminster Theological Seminary. He has served as stated supply for numerous churches in the area since coming to RTS Charlotte in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2013
It is a novel and yet I can imagine it was very real to someone. I expected it to be full of platitudes and wasn't. It is not long. Very uplifting, good story line and believable, consistent, logical. Eager to read his others.
February 4, 2013
I love these theological novels! This is the second one I read and it was hard to put down. Looking forward to reading the next one :)In this book Pastor Pointer battles impure membership in his church. He and his deacons embark on a study of church discipline.
February 9, 2013
A fun way to learn theology.
April 6, 2023
[SPOILER ALERTS AHEAD]
This was a difficult novel to read. I've been through what has felt like church splits and this book reveals, though in a 1980s prose style, the difficulty and pain that churches go through when dealing with a split congregation. Purity, in this sense, means to have a congregation that is aligned with the beliefs posed by the local church. In this case, the church had a very small percentage of the rolls attending who were faithful to the teachings of the leadership while a much larger percentage was not. Upon learning that the leadership (led by the pastor) was going to go through the membership rolls, the "opposition" decided to take matters into their own hands and run pastor and his faithful off.
The difficulty here is unfortunately an all-too normal reality. Those who hadn't been attending decided to understand what was going on only from their perspective, thus ignoring the reality of what the pastor was trying to accomplish, which was a congregation growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. His ultimate goal was to see those who hadn't been attending, many of whom weren't even believers, to commit their lives to Christ (not the church or the pastor, but to the Savior, himself), regularly attend services, and get back into the life of the church. However, according to Belcher's prose (an unfortunate name for a wonderful man, the author), the majority group (which Belcher calls "the opposition") felt their salvation was secure because of a mix of works and wrong theology. In the case of the first member confronted, she was a gossip, a liar, and an alcoholic who sought to buy off the pastor's ignorance through kind deeds and a positive disposition, only to reveal herself later as a false believer. This was to be true of almost everyone in the opposition group.
The story ends on a sad, yet hopeful note. The pastor and his faithful walk out of the church in the midst of a unethical congregational meeting and ended up starting their own meetings. The goal of the story is to illustrate the importance of having ethics and standards for membership in place from moment one and to uphold them without fail, aside from the need to maintain faith in Jesus.
Yes, 1980s prose. I even see this in leadership books from the 80s and 90s, yet their truths are timeless. Dr. Belcher, who has since go to be with the Lord, was a tenderhearted and kind man. I had the pleasure of having a short email exchange with him in 2013. I've since reached out to his son to express my condolences and my appreciation for his works.
This was a difficult novel to read. I've been through what has felt like church splits and this book reveals, though in a 1980s prose style, the difficulty and pain that churches go through when dealing with a split congregation. Purity, in this sense, means to have a congregation that is aligned with the beliefs posed by the local church. In this case, the church had a very small percentage of the rolls attending who were faithful to the teachings of the leadership while a much larger percentage was not. Upon learning that the leadership (led by the pastor) was going to go through the membership rolls, the "opposition" decided to take matters into their own hands and run pastor and his faithful off.
The difficulty here is unfortunately an all-too normal reality. Those who hadn't been attending decided to understand what was going on only from their perspective, thus ignoring the reality of what the pastor was trying to accomplish, which was a congregation growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. His ultimate goal was to see those who hadn't been attending, many of whom weren't even believers, to commit their lives to Christ (not the church or the pastor, but to the Savior, himself), regularly attend services, and get back into the life of the church. However, according to Belcher's prose (an unfortunate name for a wonderful man, the author), the majority group (which Belcher calls "the opposition") felt their salvation was secure because of a mix of works and wrong theology. In the case of the first member confronted, she was a gossip, a liar, and an alcoholic who sought to buy off the pastor's ignorance through kind deeds and a positive disposition, only to reveal herself later as a false believer. This was to be true of almost everyone in the opposition group.
The story ends on a sad, yet hopeful note. The pastor and his faithful walk out of the church in the midst of a unethical congregational meeting and ended up starting their own meetings. The goal of the story is to illustrate the importance of having ethics and standards for membership in place from moment one and to uphold them without fail, aside from the need to maintain faith in Jesus.
Yes, 1980s prose. I even see this in leadership books from the 80s and 90s, yet their truths are timeless. Dr. Belcher, who has since go to be with the Lord, was a tenderhearted and kind man. I had the pleasure of having a short email exchange with him in 2013. I've since reached out to his son to express my condolences and my appreciation for his works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2021
Love this book and this series! As always he stays entertaining and captivating while digging deep into the truth! Short chapters mean I can pick it up and put it down at any time and don't have to set aside an hour or two to dig down deep into theological essays and brain melting texts. I've managed a chapter while preheating the oven! Can never wait to pick it up again though!
March 25, 2019
This is a good book for every church member to prayerfully read and consider the gravity of church membership.
March 13, 2022
I enjoyed this one a little more than the first in the series.
October 7, 2022
Excellent book filled with theological insights couched in a gripping story. Not the ending I would've chosen, but a great book anyways.
May 11, 2014
Another theological novel by Richard P. Belcher. It follows our hero, Ira, as he tackles the thorny issue of church discipline in the Baptist church where he pastors. A story with components that some pastors may find all too real, it includes a well organized presentation of the theological argument for formative and reformative church discipline. I certainly recommend the book and look forward to reading more in the series.
January 4, 2016
Novels have never been something I enjoy reading as I find it to be a task I don't have time for, though this second in the series has been a joy. The story line is good, yet there is enough study discussion mixed throughout to keep me interested. This book on church purity gives every Christian something to ponder concerning salvation and church membership.
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March 16, 2016Fiction from a Reformed Baptist perspective. This one was about church discipline. I think I enjoyed the story just as a story a little better than the first.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews