Yesterday (Tuesday, October 25, 2011) I was a witness at a trial for the first time in my life. I was a witness for Northmoreland Baptist Church (Pastor Howell) in the Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania area. The church is challenging a tax assessment of its multi-purpose room by the county. As I was sitting there, I was thinking that this was an honorable way or method for people to work out their complaints with each other. In some places in the world, this kind of disagreement would not be handled this way at all–in fact disagreement with authorities would not even be allowed.
My testimony was for the purpose of showing Baptist views of worship and that the church in question was using its facilities in a way consistent with Baptist theology and tradition. In doing so, I feel like I not only supported the cause of Christ for the church but also did my civic duty for the community.
