Big personal update: I am writing a book! It is on Charles Spurgeon (surprise, surprise) and his understanding of the role of benevolence, mercy ministry, and social concern in the mission and ministry of the church. This is the first book of it's kind. 1/
Though biographies of Spurgeon abound, the most we have on Spurgeon's view of mercy ministry is a chapter here and there. My primary audience is pastors and thoughtful/interested church members, and secondarily historians and university/seminary students. 2/
Though the book will include plenty of careful historical research and footnotes, I hope it will be broadly accessible and edifying to the average Christian. 3/
I'm working with a publisher (can't name them yet) and am about 2/3 of the way through the first draft of the manuscript (should be about 200-220 pages). I hope to complete the first draft by October, 2021. I plan to post updates along the way. 4/
I'd appreciate your prayers that I'd be fruitful in writing and that the finished product would bless and edify those who read it. I think Spurgeon has lots of lessons to teach us in this area! 5/5
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1/ I’ve seen a number of tweets speculating about CHS's views on social justice. I’m actually about to complete my dissertation on this topic from @SEBTS. Spurgeon’s views are hard to summarize, but a few things can be clearly affirmed,
2/ Number One: Spurgeon was an outspoken advocate for the disenfranchised, the poor, and the oppressed of his day. For most of the Victorian era there was no system of social welfare, and therefore care for the needy usually fell to personal charity or organized philanthropy.
3/ Thus Spurgeon led his church in pioneering dozens and dozens of benevolent ministries to reach the needy of his community in London. He founded ministries to help widows and orphans, prostitutes, police, the blind, the illiterate and uneducated, etc.