Why Bother with Church History?
“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their
fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.”
In these opening verses of Psalm 78, the psalmist calls upon God’s people to remember His glorious acts of deliverance and the wonders of His might. Psalm 78 is one of the longer Psalms—seventy-two verses which recount Israel’s history from the Exodus to David’s monarchy. God obviously wants His people to remember where they came from and what He has done for them.
Maybe you love to study church history, or maybe you don’t. I’m certainly in the former group, but that wasn’t always the case. The more I studied church history, the more I saw its importance and the wonderful encouragement it can be. Rural pastors are confronted by many concerns which probably seem a lot more pressing than studying history—thin budgets, waning congregations, feelings of isolation, etc. Every pastor understands that these issues are certainly important. Yet, I propose that it’s precisely in these situations that church history shines brightest! To neglect church history is to cut ourselves off from a vast source of pastoral wisdom and encouragement during the most difficult times of our ministries.
A Greater Legacy
Church history can help show the rural pastor that he is part of a legacy that is far greater than himself. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking our work is insignificant, but church history forces us to lift our eyes beyond our own four walls and see that we are a part of God’s perfect will for His church. From Irenaeus battling Gnostic heresy in the second century, to John Wycliffe preaching in the English countryside, to the Puritans planting churches in the wilderness of the New World, church history testifies that God delights to use faithful voices, great and small, to advance His eternal kingdom! This is our legacy. Be encouraged!
Hardships
Church history reminds us that God remains faithful even during the greatest hardships. The stories of faithful ministers—Augustine wrestling with sin, Martin Luther testifying at the Diet of Worms, John Bunyan preaching from prison, Patrick Hamilton preaching the gospel as his persecutors set fire to his flesh—all confront the pastor with this truth: ministry has always been hard, but Christ has always been faithful. In each case, the gospel continued forward and God used their testimonies to accomplish His glorious work of growing His church.
Guarding Sound Doctrine
False teaching does not skip over small towns. In fact, it often flourishes where sound, Biblical teaching is sparse. We stand upon the shoulders of our brothers and sisters from generations past. We should know what they fought for and how they fought for it, because the fact is, there really aren’t any new heresies. Instead, we see old heresies that have been repackaged under a different name.
Certainly, the church’s foundational line of defense against false teaching is faithful devotion to teaching and preaching God’s Word. However, church history is an invaluable tool to be used in this fight. The pastor rooted in both the Word and church history stands like a mighty oak against the winds of false teaching. He can easily smell the recycled teachings of Gnosticism or Arianism because he has studied the church’s past battles and knows how they were won.
As pastors, part of our calling is to be theological guardians. We teach the historic Christian faith, which the many who came before us also taught. We can confidently say,
“This is the truth. Here we stand. We are not the first to believe it, and we will not be the last!”
Pastoral Models
Every Christian needs mentors, and this, of course, includes pastors. Unfortunately, the rural pastor may struggle to find good mentors in the faith due to his isolation. Throughout church history, we find many pastors who offer living pictures of what it means to shepherd faithfully in obscure locations and difficult circumstances. We can turn to the pastoral, devotional warmth of the Puritans. We can meditate upon the Confessions of Augustine. We can be instructed by the doctrinal clarity of the Reformers. Let these mentors disciple you today in your ministry.
Take Up the Torch
Church history tells us who God is—His ongoing work in the world around us, His work of redemption, and His work of providence in how He preserves His church. We see His triumphs in the conquest of the gospel as His people continue to preach it across the earth. We study church history so that we might set our hope in God and not forget what He has already done, just as Psalm 78 points out. It’s not just history for history’s sake. The goal isn’t to just learn about the facts and the prominent figures. It’s to learn about the works of God so that we might set our hope in Him and His continuing faithfulness. With all its ups and downs and all its positives and negatives, church history helps us to set our hope in the Lord.
Dear rural pastor, your work matters. Your flock is precious. Your calling is noble. And, you do not stand alone! We have a great wealth of witnesses accompanying us. Their voices are written in creeds, sermons, letters, and martyrdoms. Take up their stories. Let their courage shape you, their mistakes warn you, and their convictions strengthen you.
Studying church history is not a hobby for seminary theologians—it’s a lifeline for shepherds in the field. When you open the books of the past, you will find not merely information, but brothers and sisters, mentors and martyrs—all pointing you to Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep. You are not the first to tread this path, and by God’s grace, you will not be the last. The mission is difficult, but Christ is with you to the end of the age.
Cameron Cowburn
Cameron stepped away from a career in medicine as a Physician Assistant and became the pastor of the Gold Church in 2020, and is currently furthering his studies at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife Heidi and their three young children. When not working on his pastoral duties and school work, Cameron spends his spare time golfing, hunting, playing guitar, spending time with his family, and indulging in his nerdiness with The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.
