top of page
Thabiti Anyabwile
Writer
More actions
Oct 3, 2025
About
Thabiti Anyabwile has served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the Grand Cayman Islands and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition. He is the happy husband of Kristie and the adoring father of two daughters, Afiya and Eden, and son, Titus. He began serving as elder/senior pastor in August 2006. He served previously as an elder/assistant pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church (Washington, DC) and as an elder at Church on the Rock (Raleigh, NC). Thabiti holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in psychology from North Carolina State University.
Posts (11)
Nov 1, 2025 ∙ 14 min
Twelve Ways to Welcome Others with Different Opinions
Options for church unity are wider than we admit. After all, unity does not require uniformity. But if it’s true that unity does not require uniformity, what do we do when we find we are not uniform in belief and practice? And if the areas of difference are important rather than superficial, how do we keep that lack of uniformity from threatening or resulting in disunity? It seems to me these are the questions the church now faces and has been facing for a while. In congregations across the...
3
0
Nov 21, 2020 ∙ 2 min
What Are the Most Important Questions to Ask Before You Die?
This morning, I’m reflecting on the fact that I’m going to die soon. I don’t know how soon. I don’t know whether I’ll live to be 90 or just have 90 more minutes. But, I’m going to die soon. Even if I live to be 90, I’ll look back at my life and it would have been a vapor. I’m going to die soon. And you are too. I asked the people yesterday how they would be remembered at their funeral. It’s a good question for the preacher, too, not just the pew. I’m going to die soon, and I wonder how I...
4
0
Oct 31, 2020 ∙ 14 min
Twelve Ways to Welcome Others with Opposing Viewpoints
Dr. Thabite Anywabile, author for the Gospel Coalition, wrote twelve practical ways to love those who disagree with us: Options for church unity are wider than we admit. After all, unity does not require uniformity. But if it’s true that unity does not require uniformity, what do we do when we find we are not uniform in belief and practice? And if the areas of difference are important rather than superficial, how do we keep that lack of uniformity from threatening or resulting in disunity? It...
1
0
Jul 2, 2020 ∙ 2 min
Missions and Social Justice
I commonly hear Christians and non-Christians object to missions on the grounds that missionaries have sometimes been the tip of the spear for oppression and cultural subjugation. People cite the way Christian missions rode the wave of colonial domination in Africa and India, for example. The remedy, according to some, is that Christian missions be halted altogether or at least seriously re-examined. To be sure, there’s a place for re-examining mission practice. We need to learn from the...
2
0
Jul 29, 2019 ∙ 4 min
How Do You Know If You Are Prejudiced?
Though often well-intended, a commitment to being “color blind” becomes harmful when it fails to recognize the good ways God has filled the world with color. In other words, sometimes “color blindness” is a spiritually and psychologically unhealthy way to cope with the world as it is. “Color blind” ought not mean truth blind. Of course, people cope in various ways. Some cope by running. That’s the flight response, and there are all kinds of ways to flee. Some cope by slugging. That’s the...
1
0
Jun 13, 2019 ∙ 2 min
What Questions Should I Ask Before I Die?
Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching a funeral for the grandmother of a former elder of the church, a man I count as a Barnabas to me, and a dear, dear family. This morning, I’m reflecting on the fact that I’m going to die soon. I don’t know how soon. I don’t know whether I’ll live to be 90 or just have 90 more minutes. But, I’m going to die soon. Even if I live to be 90, I’ll look back at my life and it would have been a vapor. I’m going to die soon. And you are too. I asked the...
1
0
Apr 8, 2019 ∙ 6 min
How You Can Hijack Repentance
I’d like to list a few ways the biblical idea of repentance can indeed be “hijacked” or stolen. Unhitch Method One way to hijack something would be to unhitch the word from the meaning the way a hijacker might disconnect the cab of an 18-wheeler from the cargo carrying trailer behind. In this approach, “repentance” gets disconnected from the fruit of repentance. Think Matthew 3:8 and Acts 26:20. Genuine repentance produces fruit, new behaviors that match the turning toward God that is true...
0
0
Oct 31, 2018 ∙ 3 min
Humility: The High Cost of Unity
These days there’s a lot of talk about “unity” in the church. On the one side, there are Christians who insist that any talk of “race” and racism threatens the unity of the church. On the other side, there are Christians who insist that avoiding conversation and action regarding “race” and racism is itself evidence of disunity. In the former case, there’s great emphasis on biblical texts that teach our essential equality before God through Christ. In the latter case, there’s great emphasis on...
0
0
Sep 12, 2018 ∙ 4 min
Why Strife is Catchy
Feelings sometimes run hot in the blogosphere. That’s understandable given (a) some issues discussed, like racism, are already volatile and (b) we often don’t know the individuals we are engaging. Heat and anonymity combust, and often we end up understanding less than before the post or tweet was written. A lot depends on the state of our hearts when we first read a piece. Are we tired? Grumpy? Fearful? Angry? Sad? Discouraged? Weak? Gullible? We may not always be aware of our emotional and...
0
0
bottom of page