Passion

"I believe compassion for the needy is a precursor to passion for the spiritually lost. ... We will never gain passion for the lost until we personalize the lost."

 

- Ronald Duncan at the North American Convention of the Church of God, June 28, 2006

Our witness in Anderson

Here's what one resident of Anderson thinks of our North American Convention:

... the Church of God is in town. Anderson (for some odd reason) happens to be the world headquarters for the Church of God and every summer in June they have this huge, week long convention where members from all over the world come to Anderson and crowd our resturaunts and drive horribly down our streets. The only people who tolerate them being in town are store owners because business goes up. Sorry, I just needed to rant.

 

Growth

"What you and I have to worry about with the challenges, with the fragileness, with the things that we're facing in the Church of God Reformation Movement - all we need to worry about is: Are we growing as He designed?"

 

- Jeannette Flynn at the North American Convention of the Church of God, June 26, 2006

General Assembly day one

Through the power of webstreaming I was able to watch the first day of proceedings of the General Assembly in Anderson. (Archived video is available HERE).

 

For the most part it was standard General Assembly fare, like the annoyance of reading written reports that were distributed in advance. Some highlights included Ronald Duncan's direct report, and the discussion and resolution surrounding the future of Warner Auditorium.

 

There was also some minimal discussion concerning the location of the North American Convention. For more on this issue check out CHOGology where I elaborate on my position, followed by David Owens'.

 

Sanctification

"[Sanctification is] to have the heart and the will so skewed by God's grace that we always choose God's will. And when we do the full surrender to the Holy Spirit he allows the will to be strong enough to choose his will all the time. ... It has to do with how we live, and think, and plan, and behave. That is holiness."

 

- James Earl Massey at the North American Convention of the Church of God, June 25, 2006

Reformation

"A reformation is in a terrible, perilous time when the reformers can no longer be reformed." 

 

- Arlo Newell at the North American Convention of the Church of God, June 24, 2006

NAC video

Here's an update on yesterday's post concerning video of the North American Convention:

 

1. Streaming video was NOT available for last night's (Friday) service, much to my frustration. No explanation was provided, although it appears to me that because it was a multimedia presentation sponsored by Anderson University (and there was no preachin') it is not part of their video streaming and archiving. More clarity would have been appreciated.

 

2. A link is prominently placed on the main www.chog.org page for the live streaming of the remaining evening services.

 

3. And good news! Yesterday I suggested that the General Assembly should be webcasted as well. I received an e-mail today that it will be beginning Tuesday morning at 8:00am (EDT) at http://churchofgod.chog.org . This is a tremendous step for the Church of God and should bring greater awareness of the workings of the GA to the larger constituency. One problem, however. Living on the west coast I'll have to get up at 5am!

 

North American Convention

Today begins the 120th North American Convention of the Church of God in Anderson. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this year. This is especially disappointing since last year's experience was exceptional and rejuvenated my interest in returning again. I am already planning for next year.

 

While I cannot be there in person I am glad to see that live and archived web streaming of the evening services will be available at the NAC 2006 website. This at least allows the rest of us to look in at what is happening, but of course does not substitute for being there in person and taking advantage of other activities and connecting with friends. UPDATE 06/25/06 - Now they have added the morning services as well.

 

I wish that they would also provide web streaming for the General Assembly sessions that begin on Tuesday. Of particular interest this year, the GA will be addressing the future location(s) of the North American Convention. Hopefully, there will be collective wisdom that sees the event move around the country so that more people can experience it. (See my previous comments on this topic HERE).CORRECTION 06/24/06 - In actuality the GA will be only dealing with the future of Warner Auditorium (see report HERE). The recommendation is to sell it along with all the campmeeting property to Anderson University. Warner Auditorium would be demolished, and the Ministries Council would have over $3.4 million available that would free them up for ministry instead of property management. The NAC location will not be directly dealt with this year, although it should, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the report is tending to bias for remaining in Anderson.

 

If anyone reading this is at the NAC, please leave some comments here telling us your impressions of this year's event.

 

Introducing CHOGology

I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in a new blog, CHOGology, which will be driven by two contributors, David Owens and myself. In some ways this new blog will be similar to CHOG Blog because of its emphasis on Church of God issues, but has a unique spin in that it will be more in the form of a dialogue between two writers. Of course, I will maintain this blog as my own personal rant space.

 

I invite you to check out CHOGology and to subscribe to its feed. David and I have already posted some introductory remarks, and soon will begin to engage in some specific topics.

 

Are You Sure You're Right? - Life

This post is part of a series based on chapters from the new Church of God book by Jerry Hickson, Are You Sure You're Right? (For more information see my review).

 

Moving from the previous chapter on the link between Evangelicalism and American civil religion, Hickson goes on to address a topic that naturally flows from this relationship. Chapter 7 is entitled "Has the Right to Life Gone Overboard?" and specifically reacts to the moral debate surrounding the controversial death of Terry Schiavo in 2005. During this time many Evangelicals were equating this issue with their strong pro-life views.

 

This chapter is more than an abstract argument. Hickson shares his own painful story surrounding the death of his fourteen year-old daughter, and then enters into a discussion on our views of both life and death. From this he also suggests that the Church of God has a somewhat different perspective than Evangelicals, mainly because of our emphasis on divine healing and rejection of bodily materialism.

 

The points Dr. Hickson makes are sound, but at the end of the chapter I am left unsatisfied. In many ways the discussion seems incomplete and not fully developed. I wish he would have devoted more attention to the limited vision of the pro-life movement, especially as it is promoted by Evangelicals. Unfortunately, Evangelicals tend to be inconsistent in their application of valuing life and as such are often not pro-life enough. Abortion seems to get all the attention (and it is a major problem in our society) but unfortunately, apart from highly charged Terry Schiavo case, Evangelicals are typically silent on a broader range of life issues in our world. Tragically, so is the Church of God, even though our heritage would suggest otherwise.

 

Are You Sure You're Right? - Americanism

This post is part of a series based on chapters from the new Church of God book by Jerry Hickson, Are You Sure You're Right? (For more information see my review).

 

"What's the Difference between Christian Faith and American Religion?" provides a provocative title for chapter 6 of Hickson's book. Here he reveals one of the more sinister aspects of Evangelicalism: the alignment of the Christian church with American nationalism and politics. This has especially become a problem in recent years with the Christian Right's fervent support of the Republican party and its policies.

 

Dr. Hickson points out that the adherence to an American civil religion "runs contrary to the Church of God heritage" (p. 73). He then goes on to explore the influence of the Anabaptist movement on the Church of God, including our early stands on pacifism. Over the years, however, we have become much more diverse in our views on war, and in my thinking, also influenced more by the political aspirations within Evangelicalism.

 

Overall, the relationship with our worldly government is not a clearly demarcated position within our movement. Certainly the roots of many of our early pioneers coupled with our holiness orientation have affected our practice. But, I contend that we are somewhat susceptible at this point. It's easy for us to get dragged into the political wars that our conservative Christian brothers and sisters are waging.

 

Hickson provides some good counsel:

"The Church of God must avoid becoming a political hack for either the Right or the Left. We are called to stand for righteousness and to speak prophetically without becoming entangled with political organizations and agendas" (p. 81)

 

"Holiness requires us to come out from all unrighteousness. Where our government rules in righteousness, we do well to commend its policies. Where our government or a political party is in conflict with God's will, we are constrained to obey the King". (p. 82)

 

What Church of God leaders are reading

Last week I received a packet of books and materials pertaining to the upcoming Strategic Planning Conference of the Church of God in Nashville, July 23-25. I am a registered delegate representing the Central California Association.

 

Delegates are being asked to prepare themselves by reading two books so that we address "the strategic questions facing the Church of God resulting in how the church carries out its strategic goals". Special study guides have also been prepared.

 

For those of you not attending the conference, here are the two books that we are reading. You may want to get ahold of these yourselves so that this dialogue can extend beyond the conference.

 

The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World, by Ronald J. Sider. Excellent book, from what I've already read. Sider soundly attacks the hypocrisy of American Christianity, and emphasizes sanctification and its practical implications. Strong message that should easily resonate with Church of God readers (although why aren't we writing books like this?).

 

Well Connected: Releasing Power, Restoring Hope Through Kingdom Partnerships, by Phill Butler.

 

 

Are You Sure You're Right? - Education

This post is part of a series based on chapters from the new Church of God book by Jerry Hickson, Are You Sure You're Right? (For more information see my review).

 

I found chapter 5, "Is a Call All That it Takes to Be a Pastor", the most frustrating section of Dr. Hickson' book. While his discussion is valid it is out of place in the book since it has nothing really to do with the relationship between Evangelicals and the Church of God. Instead it reflects one of the author's deepest concerns (as he is a college professor), and I suppose he figured that he should take advantage of his book being published and therefore include this chapter.

 

The point Hickson, is trying to make is that we struggle with the requirements necessary for someone entering into career ministry.

Within the heritage of the Church of God we find a paradox concerning ministerial education. Since the very beginning, leaders in the Church of God have often held ministerial education in low regard. Others established Bible college and liberal-arts colleges with a vision for formal ministerial education. (p. 58)

Apart from the inappropriateness of this chapter within the context of the entire book, Hickson has correctly identified an unresolved tension within our movement. We uphold the ideal of Spirit-directed leadership, and we resist the rigid human structures common to many denominations. But, as a result of our reactionary stances, we hinder ourselves from developing the well-equipped leaders that we desperately require.

 

I, myself, have some very strong opinions about and recommendations for ministry training and preparation, and hope to expand on them someday in a separate blog post. But, for now, I will state that I am somewhat dismayed over the low standards that we have set for those entering career ministry. Unfortunately, we have many pastors that have an inadequate education, minimal leadership skills, and/or a high degree of personal and relational immaturity. Seminary degrees or tougher credentialling standards will not magically make everything better, but these are all components that can contribute to enhancing the process. Ultimately, it may require some new paradigms on how we develop pastors.

 

Are You Sure You're Right? - Women

This post is part of a series based on chapters from the new Church of God book by Jerry Hickson, Are You Sure You're Right? (For more information see my review).

In his book Jerry Hickson highlights numerous examples of how the culture of Evangelicalism has crept into the Church of God. To demonstrate this point he has focused on particular beliefs with which we have conflict, but now in chapter 4 he illustrates an area where our beliefs have not changed as much as our practice. "Might the Best Man for Your Church Be a Woman?" is all about the issue of women in pastoral ministry.

Dr. Hickson points out that, especially in our first fifty years, the Church of God openly accepted women in ministry. This has clearly distinguished ourselves from much of Evangelicalism, and is another example where we actually are more closely aligned with more "liberal" churches. But, "Since 1940, the Church of God has failed to live up to this heritage as the number of women called to serve as pastors has fallen dramatically" (p. 46) mainly because "Church of God people have been influenced by certain evangelical thinking to betray our heritage in this regard" (p. 47). Hickson goes on to provide a Scriptural outline affirming women in ministry.

It is my observation that this shift is not really the product of a clear change in doctrinal position. I think that most people within our movement still believe that women are eligible for ordained ministry, but in practice are very reluctant to call a woman to be their senior pastor. As Hickson points out, this incongruity is often "because long-standing church tradition so strongly argues for male dominance" (p. 52). This provides a perfect illustration of how holding a correct doctrinal position does not necessarily translate into the right actions and practice.

On the one hand, I am very proud of our position regarding women in ministry. But, on the other hand, I am frustrated that we have succumb to the social and religious (i.e. Evangelical) pressure around us, and have made it extremely difficult for women to exercise fully their spiritual gifts and calling within the church.

This must change.

Slow Change?

I received the May-June 2006 issue of Communion this week. Heading the newsletter for the last several months is Jeannette Flynn's series on cultural change and how it affects us as a church. (You can read my previous postings on this series here: Change of Culture, Our Culture (version 1.0), and Transformational Change?)

 

In this latest installment Flynn provides an overview of how cultural change occurs, pointing out the differences between cultural drift, developmental change, transitional change and transformational change. The latter is the most radical, requiring a shift in assumptions and actions.

 

True enough. I am learning through my own personal experience and observation that slow, gradual change is rarely effective. Jesus' own life and teaching reveals, however, that God is in the business of dramatic, radical change. Often our churches have settled into a comfort zone that closes out this possibility.

 

Flynn is a brilliant person and contributes much to the Church of God. But, the SLOW nature of this discussion is not helping us address and deal with change. In fact, the plodding nature of this discussion actually sends the message that change must be cautious and far from urgent. One article every two months doesn't cut it. Sure she's set up a blog, but apart from an introductory post from December there has been silence from Jeannette.

 

If we are serious about change we need to move beyond a casual conversation and toward engaged dialogue and action. This is necessary for true transformational change.