For at least 15 years there has been a vibrant community of individuals from across the Church of God who have shared together in an online discussion group. This group has evolved over the years, beginning with the technology early-adopters who dialed in with their 1200 baud modems long before the Internet became a household word. Since then the listserve group moved around to various online locations, and most recently has been a Yahoo! Group. There are currently over 100 members in the group, representing the broad diversity of the Church of God. I have been part of this discussion (even if just a lurker at times) for almost all of this time.
This week, ChoGtalk (as it is now known) experienced a major crisis. This is not the first time the group has faced a major internal challenge. In fact just a few years ago the previous group moderator shut the group down because of the highly charged discussions that were turning destructive.
The latest crisis came about as a result of a recent discussion concerning women in ministry leadership. In the end some attitudes and words were expressed that were far from helpful and, in fact, precipitated hurt feelings. The group moderator quit, as did some others. The group still exists, but is in a very fragile state.
Why am I sharing this dirty laundry here?
I believe the problems that have confronted ChoGtalk this week illustrate two important issues that confront the larger Church of God Reformation Movement today:
1. We still struggle with women as pastors. As someone who has long been an advocate of women in ministry, this is particular frustrating for me. I have been proud to be part of a movement that has had a much more open view toward women in leadership than what is common in much of conservative Christianity today. I know that chauvinism is still rampant in our society and that it carries over to the church at times, despite the radical inclusivity of the Gospel. But, to see us struggle with this still after 127 years is disheartening. I remain convinced that this is because a large proportion of our movement has bought into the Evangelical worldview, hermeneutics and subculture that have severely distorted the message of Scripture and the heritage from which we come.
2. We find dialogue difficult. Despite our rhetoric on Christian unity, we generally do not practice what we preach. As I posted several months ago, we have tremendous diversity in the Church of God. But, there are large segments within our movement that have trouble accepting these variances among us. Some seem to believe that doctrinal and social conformity supercede our unity in Christ. As a result, open and honest discussion is hindered. Truth itself is, therefore, often a casuality of this rigidity.
The Church of God has, at its roots, a strong foundation, and I remain committed to this movement. I pray that we will continue to strive together in a spirit of love that will allow us to grow and impact the world for Christ. Along the way we must confront those things about us that keep us from being all that God wants us to be.
This week, ChoGtalk (as it is now known) experienced a major crisis. This is not the first time the group has faced a major internal challenge. In fact just a few years ago the previous group moderator shut the group down because of the highly charged discussions that were turning destructive.
The latest crisis came about as a result of a recent discussion concerning women in ministry leadership. In the end some attitudes and words were expressed that were far from helpful and, in fact, precipitated hurt feelings. The group moderator quit, as did some others. The group still exists, but is in a very fragile state.
Why am I sharing this dirty laundry here?
I believe the problems that have confronted ChoGtalk this week illustrate two important issues that confront the larger Church of God Reformation Movement today:
1. We still struggle with women as pastors. As someone who has long been an advocate of women in ministry, this is particular frustrating for me. I have been proud to be part of a movement that has had a much more open view toward women in leadership than what is common in much of conservative Christianity today. I know that chauvinism is still rampant in our society and that it carries over to the church at times, despite the radical inclusivity of the Gospel. But, to see us struggle with this still after 127 years is disheartening. I remain convinced that this is because a large proportion of our movement has bought into the Evangelical worldview, hermeneutics and subculture that have severely distorted the message of Scripture and the heritage from which we come.
2. We find dialogue difficult. Despite our rhetoric on Christian unity, we generally do not practice what we preach. As I posted several months ago, we have tremendous diversity in the Church of God. But, there are large segments within our movement that have trouble accepting these variances among us. Some seem to believe that doctrinal and social conformity supercede our unity in Christ. As a result, open and honest discussion is hindered. Truth itself is, therefore, often a casuality of this rigidity.
The Church of God has, at its roots, a strong foundation, and I remain committed to this movement. I pray that we will continue to strive together in a spirit of love that will allow us to grow and impact the world for Christ. Along the way we must confront those things about us that keep us from being all that God wants us to be.
