John Piper

MINNEAPOLIS (ABP) -- A Baptist pastor and popular Calvinist author says it was no accident that tornado-force winds hit downtown Minneapolis the same week that the nation's largest Lutheran group was meeting there to debate liberalizing its policies toward gays.

John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, wrote in an Aug. 20 blog that powerful winds that ripped through the city Aug. 19 were "a gentle but firm warning" to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The storm, which has not yet been confirmed as a tornado, caused roof and water damage to the Minneapolis Convention Center, where the ELCA was holding its national convention. About 2,200 people were registered for the convention. People inside the building were taken to a safe location, and there were no reports of injury, according to the Associated Press.

Just across the street, winds damaged the steeple and shattered windows at Minneapolis' Central Lutheran Church, which was also being used as an ELCA meeting venue. About 120 people were inside, a church spokesman told the AP.

Piper cited Bible passages to make the case that official church statements condoning sin dishonor God, Jesus Christ controls the wind and that everyone faces calamity unless they all repent.

Piper said God's message to Lutherans is: "Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ and its power to transform left- and right-wing sinners."

On Aug. 19 the ELCA assembly adopted a statement agreeing to disagree on the morality of "lifelong monogamous same-gender relationships."

John Piper is chief spokesman for a renewed interest in Calvinism, which is taking root on evangelical campuses around the country. (Desiring God Ministries)

On Aug. 21, delegates were expected to take up another volatile issue: whether to change the church's existing policy that requires gays and lesbians in the ministry to remain celibate.

Piper, 63, is considered a chief spokesman for the resurgence of Calvinism among Baptists. Calvinism is the a name given to a Reformation set of doctrines emphasizing God's sovereignty over human free will. He is a popular speaker and author of more than 30 books. His best-selling Desiring God has sold more than 275,000 copies. 

Piper's Desiring God Ministries conducts four annual conferences: A fall national conference in Minneapolis, a winter pastor's conference and two regional conferences in other cities. 

Piper has led Bethlehem Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the Baptist General Conference, since 1980.

Piper's resurgent Calvinism is popular on a number of conservative evangelical campuses, including Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

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Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.

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