“Tennessee Pastor Robby Gallaty (Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville) urges believers to hold the traditional Baptist line. He wishes he had earlier in life. Gallaty was raised in New Orleans in a culture where drinking was part of life. He started drinking alcohol at 15, became an ‘alcoholic’ and was in his second attempt at treatment before he found sobriety–and Jesus. Now sober for 16 years, Gallaty said he discusses alcohol in his preaching ‘all the time.’ He said, ‘I used to think I could drink in moderation … The problem is the line between buzzed drinking and drunkenness is a blurry line, and so I abstain completely from alcohol.’ He added, ‘I’ve never met a person drinking who becomes more holy as a result of it. I have seen people destroy their lives because of it though’” (“Baptists & Alcohol,” Baptist Press, Nov. 2, 2018).
For more about this subject, see “Christian Drinking Is a Bellwether Issue.”
