The future of the NAC

At the General Assembly this week delegates will be presented with the final report of the NAC Study Recommendation Committee. This is the result of several years of study and consultation.

Let me say upfront that I am highly disappointed with the report and its conclusions. This is a perfect example of what happens when you give a committee the responsibility of leading with vision. What we have with this report is a lowest common denominator compromise that ultimately reinforces status quo and the ongoing decline of the NAC.

The proposed recommendation is to maintain the NAC as it is (although with some possible minor tweaks) in Anderson, and to introduce simulcasts at satellite locations. For many reasons I believe it is unworkable and does not take into account the realities experienced by those of us at the geographic fringes.

What is needed is a fresh new vision not only for NAC but for our gatherings and inter-connectedness. Let’s be honest, NAC is dying and could die within a decade. This solution does not address any of this.

For an alternative proposal see my idea of five years ago.

Critical issues

As I mentioned in my last post, I believe that this North American Convention could be a pivotal moment in the life of our movement. Not because there is any one big decision facing us, but more because at this time in the life of the Church of God a number of key issues are converging on us.

Let me highlight a few:

1. Search for a new General Director. As you are probably aware, Ron Duncan will soon be retiring and a succession committee is in place for his replacement. There is much buzz about this across the Church, and especially here at NAC. Everyone recognizes that finding the right person is a monumental task requiring much prayer and discernment. This is complicated by the fact that there are conflicting visions of what we need in a new General Director. The discussions and feedback generated at this NAC will set the stage for the selection which will take place over the next year.

2. Challenges at Church of God Ministries. Complicating the selection for a new General Director is that Church of God Ministries itself is facing a critical time in its history. This is not really new, but the trends are looking more and more bleak as again there are varying perceptions and expectations across the continent as to the effectiveness and purpose of our central organization. This is partially evidenced by the continued financial struggles resulting from continued giving declines. The Ministries Council seems to be aware of all this, and this NAC is one of the primary occasions where this matter will be in our sights.

3. The future of the NAC. At the General Assembly the report from the NAC study committee will be presented. This will be the culmination of a broad-based consultation across the church as to the future direction of our annual gathering. What is presented, and ultimately decided, will have tremendous impact on our future connectivity and focus. Will it be status quo, or will a new vision emerge?

As with many of you, I will be watching to see how these issues unfold in the coming days.

North American Convention

It's that time of year again. I'm on my annual pilgrimage to Anderson for the major gathering of our movement on our continent. While it is an opportune time for fellowship, inspiration and teaching for me it also a time for meetings of various sorts.

As I've bemoaned on many occasions my blogging has been somewhat sparse over the past couple of years. But, being at NAC should afford many opportunities to reflect on all matters Church of God. I must take advantage of this. So, over the next few days I will take time to post on this blog whenever possible. My goal this year, however, is not to report on the NAC itself, but to comment on critical issues facing us.(For those wanting convention highlights follow my Twitter feed: @chogblog, and the general hashtag #nacchog) I am taking this approach because I believe that this NAC could be one of the most pivotal in recent history. More on this soon.

If you're here in Anderson l hope to connect with many of you in person. For the majority of you at home, I hope you are able to watch some of the streaming broadcasts online, and comment here to engage in the conversation.