An Apology to Mark Galli

from Stand Firm by Matt Kennedy 

I am glad that Fr. Matt has issued this apology.  Mark was a parishioner at St. Mark's in Glen Ellyn, IL when I was assistant rector there.  Mark is a solid evangelical and thoroughly orthodox in theology.  ed.

Several months back in the midst of the Rob Bell controversy, I wrote a brief but scathing comment on an article by Mark Galli of Christianity Today. In it I called Mark's orthodoxy into question because he seemed to take a less firm approach to Rob Bell's universalism in this article and, in particular, this quote:

“We won’t be able to discern where the Spirit is leading if we don’t listen and respond respectfully to one another.”

At the time men like John Piper and Al Mohler were taking a lot of heat for dismissing Rob Bell's book out of hand (which they were right to do) and I interpreted Galli's words as contributing to that heat and reacted.

This was brought to my attention today as I was absentmindedly sifting through old posts. I read what I wrote and felt a great deal of shame. While I continue to strongly disagree with anyone who would take a soft or "listening" approach to any teacher promoting Universalism, my words and implications about Mark Galli were both uncharitable and wrong. I regret what I wrote because it is not true. He is obviously a brother in Christ and faithful through and through. There is no excuse for what I wrote and I apologize to him and to our readers.