Resurrecting Protestantism: Defending Denominations and Restoring America’s Divine Duty
Pastor's Notes for June 20, 2025
Protestantism is Dead, Long Live Protestantism!
Is Protestantism fading, or finding new life? In my latest American Reformer article, I explore the battle for America’s soul through our denominations, from the covenantal roots of Connecticut’s ecclesiastical societies to the Southern Baptist Convention’s stand against progressive capture.
As magisterial Protestantism wanes, I argue that the SBC, heir to New England’s rational federalism, holds the key to restoring a voluntary social order. Join me to see why defending denominations is defending America itself.
In This Article You Will Learn:
How Connecticut’s 17th-century church-town covenants forged America’s federalist framework.
Why the Southern Baptist Convention, with 12 million members, remains a bulwark against progressive agendas.
How evangelicalism’s rise challenges and could reshape traditional Protestantism.
Why losing denominations risks privatizing faith and eroding America’s social contract.
Why the SBC must lead a bold reconquista to restore America’s mainline denominations.
Read the full article to uncover the stakes for our faith and nation: https://americanreformer.org/2025/06/protestantism-is-dead-long-live-protestantism/.
Growing Politically Active Congregations
In this galvanizing podcast, I join a spirited conversation with Jason Douglas and Selena Rifkin about the revival of faith and civic duty in Connecticut, where our congregations are reclaiming their voice.
Leading Woodbury’s historic First Congregational Church, I share how we’re doubling in size and engaging the political sphere, from Hartford’s statehouse to Washington’s religious liberty hearings.
We dig into why denominational roots keep us grounded and how churches must flex their civic muscle to preserve our freedoms. Listen in to learn how Connecticut’s faithful are reshaping Protestantism’s future—one bold step at a time.
Key Discussion Points:
[00:03:04] I share how our Woodbury church, nearly closed in 2019, is now doubling in size by welcoming families seeking bold, unfiltered preaching.
[00:04:04] I explain why churches must reawaken their political voice, drawing from my fight against COVID-era shutdowns and state overreach.
[00:06:37] We debunk the myth that churches can’t talk politics, highlighting how Connecticut’s ecclesiastical societies bolster our tax-exempt freedoms.
[00:10:45] I reveal insights from a D.C. religious liberty hearing, challenging the misused “separation of church and state” narrative.
[00:26:17] We expose how Marxist ideas, cloaked as progressivism, have infiltrated seminaries, urging churches to resist cultural subversion.
[00:35:40] I warn how zoning laws like HB 5002 threaten historic churches, turning them into developer bait if congregations don’t act.
This Sunday at First Congregational Church Woodbury
Sermon: “The Duty of All Men: How Our Rights Are Guaranteed By Heaven”
Proper 7, Year C, Track 2
Psalm 22:18-27; Isaiah 65:1-9; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39
What happens when a society forgets its duty to worship God? In this Sunday’s sermon, we dive into the shift from Connecticut’s 1818 Constitution, which declared worship a duty, to the 1965 revision that frames it as a mere right. Is the state now the source of our freedom to worship, or is there a deeper obligation we’ve lost sight of?
Drawing from Isaiah’s rebellious nation, Luke’s demon-possessed man, and Paul’s message of freedom in Christ, this sermon will uncover the cost of autonomy without duty. When we trade God-given rights for state-granted privileges, do we risk becoming slaves to Caesar?
Join us in person for Sunday worship at 10 AM as we explore how Jesus restores our duty to worship, guarantees our true rights, and calls us to declare His mercy in a world that’s forgotten its foundation.
(Click here for address and driving directions to the meeting house.)