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I’ve Got a Confession to Make

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Written By Tim Brister

Tim has a missionary heart for his hometown to love those close to him yet far from God. He is husband to Dusti and father to Nolan, Aiden, and Adelyn - fellow pilgrims to our celestial city.

Ready?

Here goes.

I like Tim Challies.

And I endorse his book.

Even though he is a Canadian.

And no, he did not ask me to write this.

But seriously, all this jib-jab about Tim’s book release is immature and unwarranted. The fact that God has used Tim in such a way in the past five years through blogging, reading, and writing should be a cause for rejoicing, not credential-checking. I have had the privilege of getting to know Tim offline and in person since the first Band of Bloggers where I had him, JT, and Drs. Mohler and Moore on the panel. After the T4G conference, I spent the day riding around town, having lunch, and perusing bookstores with Tim and his pastor, Tall Paul (Martin). Since then, we have met on several occasions, including the 06 DGNC and 07 NA Conference as well as correspond via phone on a regular basis. I say all that to say Tim is a humble, genuine brother in Christ who is seeking to honor God and serve his fellow Christians with the gifts and talents God has given him.

The success of his book will not depend upon those who have endorsed it or the size of his blog; rather, it will be a reflection of what Tim has done day in and day out as a personal discipline and practice. Rather than engaging in knee-jerk reactions to fleeting controversies to build a readership, Tim has built, not only his blog, but also The Discerning Reader upon substantive reviews of books that Christians are currently reading. I have never seen Tim try to prostitute his blog for influence or promote himself for popularity. Rather, he has consistently sought to draw attention to other bloggers and use his influence to bring greater exposure to their lesser known blogs. No, he does not have the pomp of a Ph.D or the credentials of a megachurch pastor. To the contrary, I have found Tim to be a normal guy like you and me.

And that is why I find the criticisms so ironic. It is not from the elitists of academia challenging him, but his fellow bloggers and blog readers. If you ask me if I have read his book, I will tell you that I have not. But what I have read and watched is his life, and in my book, that’s credentials enough for me.

24 thoughts on “I’ve Got a Confession to Make”

  1. Timmy,

    I agreed heartily with everything in your post except this:

    The success of his book will not depend upon those who have endorsed it or the size of his blog

    Are you being serious? It should be as plain as day, to anyone, that Tim’s book is the product of his blog popularity and/or celebrity friends. By that I do *not* criticize him or his book, but rather point out that a publisher would’ve never given him the time of day without seeing the $ signs from his blog popularity, and the book would’ve never made it to the desks of any of those endorsers if it weren’t for his success stemming from his blog, and his promotion of their conferences by live-blogging –And that completely sidesteps whether the material is good or not (I personally believe that it will be a fine work).

    Personally, though the book is probably good, we know it will ultimately sell because of the endorsers…and not because it is profound. Heck, I’ve seen people ask smaller guys like Phil Johnson for endorsements, and even he has said that he doesn’t the have time and won’t take a look. But these others have more time? And we’re to assume that his live blogging conferences (helping promote) didn’t play a direct role in his work making it to their desks?

    By no means do I fault Tim in my comments; rather, I fault the sad, reformed community which is turning into a popularity contest, a marketing campaign in which consumers’ money is being preyed upon, a who-knows-who community, and a younger culture who lusts for superstar preachers while ignoring their own shepherds who God actually placed in charge of their souls.

    Do we not see that our people embrace the popular guy, or the guy who knows lots of cool people, while the more Godly, more humble, more equipped to teach guy gets unnoticed by everyone: his flock, the publishers, other bloggers, etc.? The partiality and lust for popularity should cause us to mourn and weep over the sad state of our ‘sound-doctrine’ circle of the church.

    Sorry for the rant. I do feel bad for Tim in some of the criticism he has suffered, but let’s be honest, his book came about from less than normal means, and will sell because of less than normal endorsements, and to no fault of his, that will bother some people.

    Much grace to you brother,
    Nathan

  2. Wow. I don’t get all the fuss. Can’t we just be happy for him? I’m astonished at the overtones of bitterness and envy in these discussions…from people who have received the most generous grace to be had in the universe. Could we just be done with the small-mindedness?

    Tim, I appreciate your good-spirited support of him.

    BTW, very appetizing new banner. Delicious.

  3. Agreed 100 percent, Timmy. I don’t know what the problem is, but I think a lot of it is jealousy. Tim has worked hard to build a successful, influential blog, and too many people with 12 hits a day don’t like him because of it. So sad and pathetic.

  4. Nathan,

    I am sure you know that I have written very candidly about the Reformed celebrity culture today. As I understand your argument, I think it is worth mentioned that Challies did not rise in blog ascendency due to the Reformed celebrities who have asked him to live-blog their conferences. Granted, they did not hurt his blog traffic, but the substance of his blogging has been from the beginning on reading and reviewing books (with personal commentary interspersed). I have been reading Challies since 2004, and the live-blogging deals did not come into considerable effect until 2006.

    Popularity is going to happen. It is what it is. But how one becomes popular is another thing. If Tim prostituted his blog and catered his content for greater interest and traffic, then that is something I could not agree with. But Tim is what he was before he became an author and live-blogger, and that is why I like him.

    While I do recognize there are some inherent problems with ways in which people are recognized (for instance, I do believe there is a Reformed inner circle in conferences, publishing, and the blogosphere), I do not think culpability lies at the feet of Challies. On the other hand, by nature blogging does create popular figures when their content becomes recognized in a broader community. Challies did not come around overnight, and to be fair, I think that needs to be considered.

  5. Tony,

    Exactly. Imagine. A lay person devoting his free time to reading books and offering reviews of them online. For all that is wrong with evangelicalism, if a fraction took the theological inclination Challies has for reading solid books, then a blue collar theology would be on the rise. We need such exemplars who are not always men of the cloth.

    Mark,

    Yeah, I like fruit. Lots of fruit. I’m glad you liked it! 🙂

  6. Hey Timmy,
    Wasn’t it Challies that directed me to your Blog? Hmm…..
    Just kidding, I couldn’t resist that one!! 🙂

    On a serious note, I wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve said. (Both in your post and comments). Afterall, there’s more important things of life that needs tending to, like dirty diapers. *wink*

    I must admit, I was surprised by your header change. Seems a little “girly” in my humble opinion. I’m still tinkering with your header for my site. That photoshop program is a little hard to figure out for me. I just need some time to play around with it.

  7. “And I endorse his book. Even though he is a Canadian.”

    Yeah. And I read your blog, even though you are from Alabama. Hmmmm.

  8. Timmy, good stuff. I wholeheartedly agree and second the things that you said about Tim. He has consistently used his blog to encourage and edify others, and that is why he wrote the book. At the end of the day if folks don’t like him they don’t have to buy the book or read his blog. Many of the comments on the B2W thread from those in an opposing CAMP smacked of a jealous crybaby. The sad fact is, Tim seems to exercise more discipline in reading the word and other edifying books then many pastors today.

    Have a good weekend Tim and enjoy the new baby.

  9. Thanks for this, Timmy.
    I was appalled to read what was written about Tim Challies (and his book) yesterday. To me this represents the dark side of blogging – where criticism and invective can be engaged in with little or no consequences. The really good bit about blogging is getting to engage with and learn from brothers and sisters in Christ who have similar interests. The bad bit is the picture of Christ which is sometimes betrayed by such squabbling and in fighting.
    Thanks for the encouragement and fellowship of your own site.
    God bless,
    Andrew

  10. Timmy,

    I think you missed my point, but I do understand your position. I explicitly tried to emphasize that my disagreement with your statement stemmed from things other than Tim personally and the content of his book. And yet, I’m still interpreted as having a problem with Tim. That’s blogs for ya. So let me be clear in that my comments above have nothing to do with Tim personally, or the content of his book.

    Nevertheless, since you and others emphasized Tim and his situation personally: if one interprets the Reformed community, blog success, prostituting blogs, and Tim’s situation/history/before-and-after-success as you detail above, then I see no disagreement. There are many reasons why these assumptions can be debated, but the public place is no place for this (let us strive to avoid slander and devouring one another).

    I am glad to see Tim’s book, and will rejoice in whatever measure it brings glory to our Savior (which I’m sure it will).

  11. I wish I hadn’t took the link to read the jib-jab. How disappointing to see such discourse. In one sense, it’s a good reminder that all those attempting/aspiring to be “professional” theologians are still human like us “blue-collar” students out here in the ether and we all still have a sin nature to fight. Praise God for his grace to put up with each and every one of us lowly creatures.

    So can the little one say “Roll Tide” yet? I’m working with my 4 month old to at least get the “woooo” down in Rocky Top by the time he’s 1. 😉

  12. Jacob,

    I’ve got lots of love for you Canadians. I will never forget the banter from our Hebrew class with Dr. Gentry and my first-hand exposure to “Eh?” and the very cool way of saying “about”. 🙂 You guys up north have two languages, and so does Alabama. Our second one just isn’t official and our pronunciation is equally as fun to listen to.

    Erik,

    I agree brother. Tim has conducted himself graciously as has been consistent with his interaction in the past. Contrary to some who have emphasized discernment without charity, Tim has done an praiseworthy of job of balancing grace and truth.

    Andrew R.,

    You’re welcome, and thanks for visiting here!

    Nathan,

    I am sorry if I missed your point. I suppose I read your comments wrongly. Nevertheless, I do not think I argued that you had a problem with Tim; rather, you had a problem about the why and how his book is getting published, and that is what I sought to address. You did not use any ad hominems as was in the case of Camp, but you did question the legitimacy of his book being published on its own merits, and I attempted to offer a defense for that legitimacy.

    Mark,

    No Roll Tide as of yet. But I imagine that is a little more difficult than the “woo” of Rocky Top. You Tennessee fans always have a way of making things easy. 🙂

    Ron,

    The funny thing is that growing up I was the only Tim I knew. Then I entered the blogosphere, and there are Tim’s everywhere. I guess Timmy helped a little in differentiation – for better or worse.

  13. I confess.

    I read Timmy’s blog.

    I even like it.

    Even though he’s a…(shudder)…coughBamaFancough…

    I can’t wait for the day when we stop judging people because they’re “popular” or “young, untested, naive, blue-collar Christians.” [tongue-in-cheek] Maybe then Deaf ministry can get a fair shake with all you “stupid hearing people.” [/tongue-in-cheek] (And yes, hearing people actually are generally known as that in my world! 😉 )

    Until then, however, I’ll just focus on teaching Baby Newell that Rocky Top thing. What a splendid idea, Mark!

  14. Stephen,

    I’m glad you like me, colors and all. 🙂

    I would have you and Mark know that our high school fight song was the same as Tennessee’s. I had to have played that song over 500 times. We also recorded a version of Rocky Top in our concert band for a CD release. That was just a portion of suffering I underwent as a student. 🙂

  15. I don’t think I have an opinion of how the Christian publishing endeavor should be held accountable and/or controlled by the local church. I do like the idea of blue-collar theology.

    The really disappointing thing in the link to the jib-jab is how grossly lacking are the basic processes of argument, and even more than this the grace that should be evident by being slaves of Jesus. Does bloggerdom just by nature attract such weird and dyspeptic spectators? It’s a sad commentary (no pun intended) to see the subject at hand in shambles because of misunderstanding and simple ego.

    Are there not ways to disagree that exhibit both grace and intellect? Maybe local churches should be involved in controlling and approving the blog comments of some of their members!

  16. “Maybe local churches should be involved in controlling and approving the blog comments of some of their members!”

    Ha! Well said.

    Is it just me or are the comments at major Christian blogs becoming more ungracious while, at some smaller blogs, issues of greater controversy are discussed more graciously. Will the larger blogs go the way of adrianwarnock.com and end up closing comments?

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