Unity in diversity: How can our church stand together?

Last Sunday we saw God’s sovereignty in Romans 8:28-30. Next Sunday we’ll be comforted by Christ’s assurance in Romans 8:31-39. And after that we turn to Romans 9-11, where Paul wrestles with Israel, election, and God’s mercy. These are big truths. They touch on God’s sovereign choice. They touch on human responsibility. They touch on the unfolding story of redemption.

At Benoni Baptist Church we call ourselves conservative evangelicals. By conservative, we mean we hold fast to the Bible itself. God’s holiness. And Christ’s substitutionary atonement. By evangelical, we mean we proclaim the good news. We cherish missions. And we celebrate personal conversion. You can read our statement of belief here: https://www.benonibaptistchurch.com/about-us.

Within these convictions we acknowledge our diversity at Benoni Baptist Church. We differ on salvation’s mechanics (we have Calvinists and Arminians in our pews). We differ on spiritual gifts (we have cessationists and continuationists in our pews). We differ on Israel’s role (we have covenantalists and dispensationalists in our pews). We differ on the end times (we have amillennialists and premillennialists in our pews, and a few folk between).

You don’t need to master every term to get the point I’m trying to make. We are diverse at Benoni Baptist Church. And yet in our diversity we love one another. We speak gently to one another. We listen carefully to one another. We keep the main thing the main thing. We stand together in united mission. We worship together in shared joy. We labour together in gospel service.

True unity is not uniformity. True unity is rooted in Christ. Rooted in grace. Rooted in love. As the watchword of Christian peacemakers reminds us, In essentials, unity; in non‑essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

But what about me? Your pastor? Where do I stand on these matters? When I preach, I preach from conviction. I am a Calvinist, believing God is sovereign over all things, including salvation. I’m a cessationist, not believing the signs and wonders manifest in the present charismatic movement align well with Scripture. I’m a dispensationalist, believing Israel and the Church are distinct in God’s plan. I’m a premillennialist, believing Jesus will return and reign for 1,000 years on earth.

These are not light views. They are bedrock convictions. Yet I hold them pastorally, knowing that faithful Christians hold other positions. Knowing we still sit together. Knowing our unity doesn’t rest on total agreement, but on shared love for Christ.

So what does this mean for you? It means you always have a place to ask questions, to voice challenges, and to grow together in Christian unity. It means we sharpen one another with Scripture while standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder in mission. United in purpose, warmed by love, and empowered by the Spirit, let us press on together to reach Benoni with the gospel, and equip all for life.