Introducing: The Sola Panel

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The word ‘blog’, I gather, is a contraction of ‘web log’. I’ve been reading blogs on and off for a couple of years now, and it seems to me that ‘blog’ isn’t the only new word we need to describe what goes on in the ‘blogosphere’. Other handy words might be ‘binane’, ‘brudeness’ and ‘bwaste of beveryone’s time’.

But amidst the dross, flecks of gold shine out and gather grateful readers. For Christians, blogging has provided a valuable platform (‘blatform’?) for biblical teaching and encouragement. (See the sidebar for some of our favourites.) As I thought about the blogs and websites I return to most often, and pondered starting my own, it occurred to me that the kind of blog I’d really like to read (and write) would be:

  • thoughtful (offering a considered, crafted piece of writing rather than a dashed-off and/or rabid paragraph in reaction to the latest thing)
  • non-trivial (wouldn’t feature pictures of the dog, or what the author saw at the movies last night)
  • Bible-driven (in other words, it kept “What does the Bible say?” as the foundational question)
  • unashamedly Reformed and Evangelical (didn’t apologize for or seek to move on from classic Reformed Evangelical theology)
  • ministry-hearted (focused me back on evangelism, people and the daily work of ministering God’s word to others)
  • proactive (didn’t just react to the latest controversy, fad or someone else’s blog, but drew me back to what was important)
  • godly (in the way it dealt with issues, and in the way discussion and comments were handled)
  • of a consistently high standard in all of the above!

As I looked around, I realized not only that such blogs were relatively rare, but that I had no hope of starting or maintaining anything like that on my own. So I approached some mates to see if they felt the same. The response was enthusiastic, and the idea of the Sola Panel was born: a bunch of Reformed Evangelical friends who love the five ‘solas’ of the Reformation, and who want to work together to promote a Bible-driven passion for theology, holiness and gospel ministry.

We share a great deal as friends; in particular we share a biblical theology that has been shaped by our various connections to Moore Theological College. But the Sola Panel won’t have a particular party line, or any censorship. The Panellists all get to say what they like, and if we disagree with each other (which we inevitably will from time to time), we’ll discuss it in the comments or in the next post.

Speaking of comments, please feel free to add some! We’re hoping that the Sola Panel comments will be a fruitful place for interaction and discussion. There are only three rules for commenters:

  1. use your full name (your real name, not an alias)
  2. stay on topic
  3. be godly

Stick to these and you’ll have no problems. Transgress these, and your comments are likely to be quietly deleted.

We’re planning to post just one new piece each day, which we think is enough for us to handle, and enough for you to read. Sometimes we’ll stay on a particular topic for a while and knock it around between the Panellists. At other times (probably most of the time), we’ll just do our own thing and post on different topics.

The Sola Panel is new and exciting, and an experiment. We look forward to your feedback and suggestions as it evolves.

38 thoughts on “Introducing: The Sola Panel”

  4. Hi,
    I pray that the Sola Panel blog will do well,
    but it seems to me this comment in your introduction:
    “But the Sola Panel won’t have a particular party line”
    is straining credibility for an Internet audience and would be better said differently.
    Grace & peace,
    Terry

  5. Hi guys – congratulations and all the best for the new venture. I think it will make a real impact.

    Is there a woman who could join the chaps on the panel?

  8. MJ said:
    “Is there a woman who could join the chaps on the panel?”

    Chaps??!!

    I’ve seen it before – too long in pommieland and they start to go “native”
    8-)
    Terry

  10. Oh, please. If you’re going to call us sheilas, can you please spell it proper?

  11. Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

    Terry, you may be right about ‘party line’—there’s almost always a better way to say things! I was trying to convey that we will be writing as a bunch of like-minded friends, not as representatives of any particular Christian body or organization.

  12. Good stuff Matthias – love your work. Helps people outside of Sydney (in weird places like Lismore…) to be ‘well-fed’. Looking forward to munching.

  13. Nice work boys and girls.
    Will slot this one in to my busy blog reading, facebooking life.
    No censorship?
    Are you sure about that?
    Not even in the comment moderation?
    Will pray that God is glorified through this blog.

  18. Nice work. Shame you left out SMBC in your ‘Other Site’ section. Tut tut tut!

  19. well done Tony

    I had to laugh when you said its not about party line!

    If you are looking for some topics, I am wondering what is refomed and evangelical these days.

    re blogrolls and other sites – I found that you offend friends if they don;t see their blog linked.
    Also interested in how do you think this will effect the Briefing circualtion if it takes off ? (or is it already effected !!)

    looking forward to my daily dose

    Shane

  20. Fantastic, it’s about time. Any other ‘Christian’ forums that I have participated in on the net are either so heavily monitored you can’t navigate the pages or they are so invaded by ‘angry atheists’ that you become exhausted by continually sharpening your theological sword. It’s fantastic to be part of such a proposed high quality Christian blog. Bless you.

  24. Got here from Justin Taylor’s blog post about you guys on Reformation 21 blog. I will certainly subscribe to your RSS feed. Welcome to the blogosphere. Always encouraged to see more Reformed folk blogging, and I have a great deal of respect for Moore Theological College.

  28. Another great site to link to is the Girl Talk blog by Carolyn Mahaney & her 3 daughters: http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/

    (strapline ‘Conversations about Biblical womanhood and other fun stuff)

    It fits all the criteria you list for good sites above – and is specifically for women.  I’ve found it really helpful.

    I look forward to keeping an eye on your new blog.  You should advertise it in the Briefing!

  30. I love you folks in Aussie land.  Tony, it was great to meet with you among the folks for lunch after the Gospel Growth Conference.  Been really benefiting from your materials here in Canada.  I think that I am listening to Phillip almost daily as I drive around the city.  Been using your tracts in evangelism, and am starting to implement your gospel growth tools for discipling others.  Thank you for your ministry.  Your brother,

    Nick

  31. Is it a blog or is it a marketing opportunity for Matthias Media? Is it the Sola Panel Blog or the Matthias Media Blog? Honestly, a blog sponsored by a publishing group? With no party line except for a whole list of prior committments to a Sydney-sided view of Reformed Evangelicalism? Looks compromised from the beginning.

  32. Gim,

    Matthias Media is not about marketing and about making money.  They produce tools to get the gospel into people’s hands.  Most of the authors do not make money off of their products; it is a service to the church.  Knowing your perspective and stating your perspective clearly does not make one compromised, it makes one self aware, and straight forward.

  34. Just to be totally transparent, two of the panel earn salaries from Matthias Media (Tony and Gordon), although their income remains the same regardless of Matthias Media’s sales. One other author, Peter Bolt, gets royalties from Matthias Media for his book “Living with the Underworld”. So if Peter keeps mentioning his book, you can rightly be a bit suspicious.

    Oh, and I don’t think we’d be the only publisher in the world that sponsors a blog site. Though you’ve already seen that the panel will disagree with each other from time to time.

    And, yes, it is a marketing opportunity for Matthias Media. (Although, as marketing manager I was hoping for far more space on the site!) But marketing gets a bad rap. Marketing for us means making people aware of resources they can hopefully use to help them grow the Kingdom. Is that bad?

  35. Oh yeah, I forgot one. MTS gets some royalties from “Growth Groups” and “Passing the Baton”, and Ben Pfahlert works for MTS.

  36. If I have misunderstood your criteria,  I hope my comments will be deleted.

    As a convinced Romanist you may find my comments unhelpful, particularly if this is s just a blog to support each other in your sincerely held convictions about the very meaning of the Gospel and the ministry.

    With every good wish and prayer,

    Robert Ian Williams, writing from Old North Wales to NSW.

    PS: I have read the Hundred texts of TC Hammond.

  37. Thanks for the info. I think transparency can help in such matters. I suppose we shall just have to put up with regular links to more The Briefing and such ploys.

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