Those Other Christian Writers

If I were to take a straw poll of everyone reading this blog, most would give ACFW an enthusiastic “thumbs up.” We appreciate the information, training, and camaraderie we share in this organization of evangelical Christian writers. We feel at home here.  However, here’s an important fact we might overlook:

Not all Christian writers are evangelicals.

Some are devout Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox Christians while others come from mainline Protestant denominations. They may have beliefs quite different from ours, but they write for the glory of Jesus Christ. For example, this month Christian Theological Seminary will sponsor a Christian writers’ conference in Indianapolis in which none of the conference leaders will be ACFW members. I doubt that any of them would call themselves evangelicals, yet they are all best-selling Christian authors.

We should not ignore or shun these other Christian writers. Let’s remember what happened when Jesus’ disciples complained that some unaffiliated preachers and healers were working in their territory. Jesus told them to treat these other Christians as Christians nonetheless. (See Mark 9:38-41; John 10:14-16.)

Here are some ways that I believe we can respond more constructively to Christian writers who are not like us:

Seek opportunities to learn from them. Other writers can teach us a great deal about the discipline of writing, techniques for marketing, and so one. We don’t have to agree with their theology to learn writing skills. (If you’d like to know more about that conference in Indianapolis, follow this link.)

Visit their worship services. Be a keen observer of differences between their manner of worship and  your own. It’ll help you appreciate how these writers think. It’ll also enable you to create more authentic characters from these traditions.

Affirm the diversity of God’s family. Unbelievers pay close attention to what we say about other Christians, and so do those we talk about! Instead of criticizing their beliefs or behavior, let’s express wonder at the breadth of Christ’s love. We can say, “I’m so glad the Lord brought us together. I believe we can learn a lot from each other, don't you?”

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.