The stance toward drinking alcohol within Christianity varies widely.
Some believe that Christians’ freedom in Christ allows for moderate,
social drinking, while others believe the best approach is total
abstinence.
Recently, the controversy of alcohol in the church was brought to the forefront when megachurch pastor Perry Noble was fired from his position at NewSpring Church for alcohol abuse.
Rev. Mark H. Creech, a columnist for The Christian Post, reports that
Noble was confronted by church leaders concerning his addiction, but he
refused to take the necessary steps to overcome it. Noble was
consequently fired from his position of leadership within NewSpring.
After being fired, Noble issued a statement admitting to his addiction, and has since checked into a rehab facility.
While Noble will likely be more cautious with alcohol in the future,
other megachurch leaders maintain that it is alright for Christians to
consume alcohol in moderation.
Mark Driscoll, who, like Noble, was forced to step down
from his position as senior pastor of a megachurch (but for different
reasons than alcohol abuse), and has since become pastor of Trinity
Church in Phoenix, Arizona, does not believes that the abstinence
position regarding alcohol “is a good one.”
Driscoll recently posted a video in which he argues that Jesus himself
made and drank wine. Driscoll also notes that the Bible contains
examples of God’s people drinking alcohol in worship to God.
Another voice in the discussion is that of Jamie Morgan, a pastor who
was a former alcoholic. Morgan is strictly against drinking alcohol and
recently posted “50 Reasons Why I Don’t Drink,” which garnered both positive and negative reactions.
Different pastors have different opinions on the subject, but no one
pastor’s opinion is likely to put to rest this ongoing debate.
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