Reflections on 2007

It's that time of year when one reflects back on the past year and looks ahead to the one coming.

2007 was a very busy year for me personally. Settling in to my new position in the Pacific Northwest has been very demanded. This coupled with my new book project hasn't left much time for blogging. Yet, there has been considerable activity across the Church of God that is worth commenting on.

I am firmly convinced that we are positioned at a critical point in the history of our movement. There are certainly unique circumstances affecting us, but we are also highly influenced by the larger shifts that are occurring in the religious climate across North America. Someday we may very well look back to the first decade of this millennium as a major turning point for the Church of God. Either we will forge ahead in fresh ways with our collective calling, or we will continue sliding into oblivion.

Based on what I have observed in 2007, I am hopeful. While there remain large bastions of immobilized thinking and behavior across the Church of God, there are encouraging signs of renewal. Many of these indicators are subjective and intangible, but it is evident to me that a much more enduring transformation is taking place that is impacting our spirits and attitudes. Beginning with the Strategic Planning Council in August 2006, these shifts have been noticeable. This past year these observable trends continued, and were most evident at the recent Coaches Training event in Tampa, Florida. Specifically, we are seeing a renewed emphasis on spiritual direction and leadership. There is increased dialog on our very being as a movement, there is a greater realization of our need to be missional, and there is vibrant, new generation of pastors and leaders emerging.

I, for one, will be working to ensure that these trends continue through 2008. These are exciting times!

Worship in the Church of God - revisited

I have posted on worship in the Church of God before, but am prompted to do it again because of a recent article in Communion (Nov-Dec 2007, Vol. 8 No. 3) summarizing a presentation given by Jeff Hayes (from Warner Southern College) at the annual meeting of the Worship Society of the Church of God. Hayes challenges some commonly held notions in our movement, and provides some brief, but insightful correctives.

I support the renewed consideration of worship from within our peculiar historical and theological context. As a movement with certain distinctive emphases, it is expected that our worship express itself uniquely. In that regard the Worship Society has the potential to play an important role.

Nevertheless, I remain concerned that despite broadening advances we are still not grappling with the larger issues of worship from within our holiness paradigm. I have written on this before, and continue to believe that we have something unique to offer Christendom in terms of understanding and experiencing worship. This will require, however, much deeper theological engagement than we are now involved in.

A Coaching Culture

I just returned from four days in Tampa, Florida for a Coaches Training event put on by Church of God Ministries as part of SHAPE and CTI (Coaches Training Initiative). In addition to SHAPE and CTI coaches, many Area Administrators were also present. Approximately 100 leaders in total were in attendance at this gathering, entitled "Transforming the Culture by Being the Body of Christ." Four outstanding resource persons were brought in to lead the main sessions: Al Ells, Bob Logan, Milfred Minatrea, and David Ferguson.

This event was designed to bring together some of the most significant, potential change agents within our movement. The conviction is that life-change, and therefore cultural change within our movement, will only occur when we function relationally based on a strong missional foundation. Coaching is a specific skill-set that can enable this to happen.

But, all this talk about SHAPE and "coaching" is not just another program, slick methodology or current fad. What impressed me and others in attendance is the very deliberate emphasis that our North American leaders are taking regarding spiritual direction and leadership development. I remain convinced that with this significant change in attitude and approach we are on the verge of phenomenal missional impact.

Book Project

As my blog description indicates, I am passionate about finding meaningful ways to dialog about issues confronting the Church of God, including the need to find meaningful ways to express our emphases on holiness and unity. Unfortunately, these core teachings of ours have not been adequately articulated for the current time and culture.

For awhile now this concern has been a major preoccupation of mine. In fact, I have been formulating many of the ideas and discussions that have arisen and writing them down. Gradually a book has been taking shape.

Today I am publicly announcing this book project. Not that I am a great writer, or am even the best person to state these thoughts. But someone needs to do this and I hope it will contribute to further conversation within our movement.

The working title of my book is Praxis in Community: Rediscovering holiness and unity in the Church of God. While there is still much work to be done, I am making this known now because maybe it will encourage others to join in this discussion, especially since from time to time I will be seeking feedback here on this blog. Hopefully our conversations will contribute to this important objective.

Review on the Review

This past week I (finally) received a copy of Reformation Review, a new Church of God publication of Reformation Publishers. The first issue actually came out in September, but because of moving this year I never received it (Thanks to Wayne Warner for getting me a copy!). Normally it is being sent to each pastor in North America.

[CORRECTION 10/31/07 - Originally I indicated here that RR is a reincarnation of Reformation Witness. I have learned that this is incorrect. The latter will continue to publish. Some of the following content is also modified to reflect this new information.]

Review is billed as “a grassroots publication of the Church of God”. It certainly appears to be fairly diverse and definitely is not an “Anderson” product. The premiere issue features a wide range of writings, including a controversial article by Jerry Hickson that continues his message that the Church of God does not really fit into mainstream Evangelicalism. An article from an outside author, Dr. Larry Smith, is also included and worth reading.

The impetus for this publication comes out of the frustration over the recent demise of our official publication, ONEvoice. Reformation Review is trying to fill a niche that many feel has been neglected, that is doctrinal writing. The format is unique for us, printed now in a digest size. The overall appearance is a step up from Reformation Witness, but, in my opinion, still is lacking in layout and design quality.

It will be interesting to watch the development of this new periodical and its acceptance across our movement. I understand that the next issue includes some material from one of my blog postings. Hopefully, that doesn’t kill it!

"colorless permutation of Christianity"?

This week a new biography has been released on perhaps the most famous person ever associated with our movement, Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strips. Schulz and Peanuts was written by David Michaelis, and has already raised some controversy for its depiction of the cartoonist.

Of interest to me is a review in the New Yorker. According to the article, in the book Michaelis describes Schulz's Christian roots, and states that "the Church of God has no defining style of architectural tradition. It barely announced itself". The reviewer, John Updike, takes it a step further with, "It was to this colorless permutation of Christianity, founded in Indiana in 1881, that the young Schulz attached himself, becoming a tithing pillar and part-time preacher."

What caught my attention is the perception of outsiders of our movement, particularly as it relates to the arts. While the above quotes might seem somewhat unfair or over-generalized, I believe they are not too far off in recognizing that the Church of God has not been a bastion of artistic flair. Our pietistic and holiness background have certainly relegated the arts to the background. Much of our past architecture has been bland and utilitarian, and while music has been one of our passions, other forms of artistic expression have been largely lacking.

There is probably much more that could be said about this by those who would wish to analyze this historically, socially and theologically. Suffice to say here, it provides an interesting look at ourselves and our own culture by those peering in from the outside.

Confronting sexual temptation

This past June, at the North American Convention, the Area Administrators' sponsored a "Training the Trainers" seminar led by Dr. Al Ells of Leaders that Last Ministries. All ministers were invited to attend, although because of insufficient promotion very few were in attendance. Because of his extensive experience in this area, Ells was asked to address sexual misconduct and pornography as it relates to clergy. His presentation was very powerful, and one that every Church of God minister should have heard.

The good news is that Church of God Ministries had this event professionally video-recorded. I haven't heard if they will be advertising the sale of the DVD's, but they can be obtained by contacting Joni Burnett at Church of God Ministries. The cost is only $4.00. I was so impressed with the significance of this presentation that we will giving one to each of the pastors in our district! I'd encourage you to obtain one for yourself and a pastor you know.

Only in Arkansas

Fortunately, not an "Anderson" CHOG...

(Thanks to Ken DeMaere)

Lilly approves second SHAPE grant

I have previously indicated my enthusiasm for SHAPE, and its culture-transforming effect within the Church of God. Good news was just announced a few days ago: The Lilly Endowment has approved a continuation grant (a rarity for Lilly!) of $827,000 to allow us to further expand and integrate SHAPE across North America. Praise God!

I believe SHAPE is one of the critical pieces of the solution puzzle to address the challenges that many in vocational ministry are facing today (see "Burned" and "Burned II")

Burned II

Following up on my previous post, Burned:

Today our district had the opportunity to have Al Ells with us for a LAMP training workshop related to credentials and SHAPE. Al heads Leaders that Last Ministries, an organization that "equips Christian leaders to finish well". He has done extensive work recently across the Church of God, especially as it relates to SHAPE.

Here are some statistics (applying to all churches across the U.S.) that he shared with us today:

Within 5 years of graduating from Bible College or Seminary 80% have left the ministry.

The average tenure of a pastor in a church today is only 3 years.

The average tenure of a pastor's ministry career is only 14 years.

Are we getting the message yet?

Burned

This past weekend my wife and I took a mini-vacation to visit family and friends. It was good to get away and to see people we haven't seen in quite some time.

It was also disturbing.

Among the many people we visited were two couples who had been previously in Church of God ministry. Because of some negative experiences, they are now only loosely connected to a local congregation and, in both cases, outside our movement. There is still hurt, frustration and even disillusionment.

One individual served in what once was a strong congregation. Because of some serious flaws in the church's organization structure, coupled with just plain sinful attitudes, an unhealthy political situation developed which led to his departure. At that time, several years ago, my wife and I walked alongside them in this painful journey. It is distressing to see such gifted individuals still negatively impacted by all that happened.

The other person was even more disrupted by his experience. In his view, the district of which he was part let him down, never really validating his ministry. Today he has lost his heart for ministry, and it was apparent by his body language and speech that he is need of much prayer and healing.

On the same weekend, we also heard about another ministry couple we knew very well. Apparently their marriage has dissolved.

All these experiences in a short period of time provoke a wide range of thoughts and feelings in me. I am thoroughly disgusted with the way some churches have treated their pastors, and I also am alarmed that some ministers have not done enough to safeguard their personal lives and families.

We must work to change this. Nothing less than a cultural change within the church is needed, brought about God's leading, renewed theology, and healthier relationships.

Down but not out

Blogging has been very sparse lately. Life has been very hectic with travel and even some vacation time here and there.

I hope to get back to discussing some Church of God issues soon, but here are a couple of noteworthy items I have recently discovered that are worth sharing:

Jeffrey Frymire, in his "The Sabbatical" blog, has some interesting reflections on the Church of God.

Chris Joyner at Fairfax Community Church in Fairfax, Virginia recently preached a sermon, "The Social Challenge of the Gospel of the Kingdom", that is worth listening to. Encouraging to hear this perspective from one of our churches.

The Lover's Quarrel

Unfortunately it has limited distribution, but the July/August issue of Communion (published by the Kingdom Ministry Team of Church of God Ministries) is worth reading. In particular, take note of the reprinted article from 1992 by the late R. Eugene Sterner, "The Church of God: A Lover's Quarrel with the Church".

Sterner provides valuable insight into our movement's practice in relation to our high ideal of the church. Prescriptions to address our weaknesses are also given. The article is slightly dated, and the recommendations are not as bold as what I would suggest, but this still is an important voice in a much needed discussion. Reformation movements must constantly allow themselves to be reformed. This does not mean a fixation on navel gazing or negativity, but open and honest dialogue is always necessary.

Sterner himself was very optimistic for the future of the Church of God:

"Our basic heritage of openness to the whole truth and of fellowship with all Christians, our relative flexibility as a body, our gifted and intelligent leadership, and our growing proportion of informed, concerned laymen hold promise for moving into the future with relevance and significant witness."

Church of God schisms and splits

I stumbled across something interesting.

As some of you know (and others don't) the Church of God Reformation has many more offspring than just the "Anderson, Indiana" group of which we are part. Over the past 127 years there have been a number of divisions that have resulted in close cousins who share the same basic name, heritage and doctrinal ideals. But all is not well in the Church of God family, as many of these relatives rarely communicate, and when they do there is much misunderstanding. At least one group, Church of God Restoration, is even considered by many to be a cult.

What I discovered is an interesting chart created by Dale Rude (I have no idea who he is) that depicts schematically all the major schisms and splits (plus major Church of God leaders) that have occurred in the Church of God. It's a fascinating historical study, and itself speaks a strong message concerning our DNA and practice of unity.

LINK

Rude rhetorically asks: "The Church of God ... One Body Is?"

On campmeetings

This week I am at the Family Camp of the Pacific Northwest Association at our Double-K Christian Retreat Center in Easton, Washington.

Note the title: "Family Camp".

In truth, however, this is a version of "campmeeting", a long-standing tradition across the Church of God. These events have been an important part of our identity, especially in our early years. Almost ever region of the continent used to have a campmeeting, and our national one was dubbed "Anderson Campmeeting". But, over the years, campmeetings have faced many challenges, and are generally only a shadow of what they once were. Society changed, as has the social nature of our movement. The name change of Anderson Campmeeting to the North American Convention is a reflection of the transformations that have occurred.

Certainly, some campmeetings are still thriving. Our district neighbors in Oregon continue to have a very successful campmeeting, probably the largest regional one in the Church of God. And there are some very committed campmeeting junkies who attend year after year, some even visiting several across the country.

The reality, however, is that campmeeting participation is shrinking overall across our movement, and has less overall impact than it once did. Our own camp this week will see far less than 10% (probably closer to 5%) of our constituency in attendance even for one day. We have a good event, but its influence is not as significant as campmeetings of the past which drew in large proportions of movement adherents.

Further indications of some of the changes and pressures affecting the Church of God.

NAC in the media

While you are still pondering my "bold proposals" concerning the North American Convention (I appreciate the large amount of feedback I have received, both on the blog and elsewhere!), it may be interesting to take a look at some of the media coverage we received last week.

The Herald Bulletin newspaper in Anderson provides regular coverage during the NAC. This is not surprising since this event has such an important impact on the city. For the most part their coverage is good, providing human interest stories related to the convention. This year two stories caught my attention.

On June 25th they published an article, "Fewer numbers at convention affect nearby businesses". The story highlights the significant drop in attendance that has occurred over the years (something I've been saying) and the effect it has on local businesses.

The Herald Bulletin really scraped the bottom of the news barrel, however, on June 27th with this story: "Speaker uses racial insult at Church of God meeting". They reported James Johnman, director of Hispanic church planting, using the term "wetback" at a conference attended by FIVE people. Reading the entire article, this is truly a non-story and a perfect example of media looking for something sensational in order to sell papers.

NAC - Bold proposals

Now that the North American Convention is over I am reflecting on my experiences and the nature of the whole event itself.

For a long time I have firmly believed that the current format is not appropriate for the times and that a major overhaul is needed. I remain convinced of that. Having always lived at the geographic fringes of our movement I know what it is like to feel that the trek to Anderson is very difficult, if even not worth the effort at times.

I am encouraged to see some of the shifts that are occurring among us. There is a new sense of direction and we are finding ways to relate to each other in healthier ways. I also notice a much greater willingness to explore new methods and options.

Except for "Anderson Campmeeting".

This event has long been a defining moment in our history and corporate experience, so I am not surprised to see a reluctance to tamper with it. But, I believe that it is time to have some honest dialogue, and for our leadership to courageously examine new options that will best serve the church. Unfortunately, I believe there are many people living in denial as to what is really happening at the NAC.

Certainly the NAC is a positive, uplifting, and empowering event. But, the truth is that its role in the life of our movement is greatly diminished. At one time it was, along with the Gospel Trumpet and its reincarnations, a primary symbol of our common purpose and fellowship. For current generations this is much less the case. Attendance seems to be shrinking each year.

I fear that in the next decade we will be forced to confront these realities, and that the NAC may follow the same course as ONEvoice!, with no choice but to cancel it. Unless, of course, we take specific actions today to disrupt that trend.

After considerable thought I want to outline my proposals as to how we could convert the NAC into new, more response events that will touch a larger number of people:

1. Disband the North American Convention as an annual event that meets in Anderson. But, please keep reading.

2. Every second year (i.e. on even years) hold a North American Leadership Conference in Anderson that brings together pastors and other leaders for inspiration, training, and fellowship. The focused nature of this 3-4 day event would provide programs and resource persons of such a high calibre that it would be a significant draw for church leaders. Registration for this event would be based on distance from Anderson to help level the playing field on transportation costs. Those closest to mile zero would pay the most. Those furthest away would be charged no registration fee (or perhaps even receive a grant).

3. Every other year (i.e. on odd years) hold a Church of God convention in a major city in the U.S. The location would change every two years with the intent of moving it about the continent to give everyone a greater opportunity to participate at least once each decade. This would be a 3-4 day event and could be marketed as a part of a vacation opportunity for families.

4. Both of the above events would continue to provide webstreaming of major services to maximize exposure to those who cannot attend.

5. But what about the General Assembly? With the new governance polity the role of the General Assembly has been transformed even further so that now the need for an annual business meeting is not really necessary. The General Assembly could be convened at the Leadership Conference every two years. Let's be real honest here. As a means to conduct business the GA doesn't really work. An extremely small percentage of the total delegated membership ever shows up. In fact, if even 25% of the total possible membership ever showed up, Reardon Auditorium couldn't handle it. And the decisions are made predominantly by those living closest to Anderson. Having lay delegates is an honorable intention, but completely unrealistic. And, if the GA is really nothing more than a public relations event (which it is increasingly becoming) than there are probably other ways that these objectives could be accomplished. Perhaps a new, comprehensive communication strategy?

I think it is time for us to stop ignoring the realities of our current time, and to start taking bold, even radical, steps for the future. I believe that my proposal addresses the issues. If someone else has some better ideas I would love to hear them, but to this point I haven't heard anything being suggested that tackles these challenges.

What do you think?

NAC - Wednesday, June 27

It's hard to believe my week in Anderson is over. At least for me and the responsibilities I have, there is too much going on here, leaving me a little tired and certainly read to return home.

The General Assembly wrapped up Wednesday, and did so in less than one and one-half hours. The Strategic Visioning report was given, as I announced earlier, the new mission statement was presented: "Transforming Culture by being the Body of Christ." The statement is invigorating, but I am not convinced the strategic objectives developed are. A resolution on Non-Discrimination in Ministry was passed (almost unanimously), essentially calling us to minister to all people regardless of their immigration status.

The Wednesday evening service is typically the grand finale of the NAC, and includes an emphasis on foreign missions. For me, this year's version was somewhat anti-climactic. It's hard to replicate experiences and expected feelings year after year.

Overall, this year's North American Convention was a good experience for me. Upon reflection, the major highlights were some of the connections I made behind the scenes as opposed to the more formal events. That's not a bad thing, but reflects the need for fellowship and interaction that we need, both personally and within our movement.

NAC - Tuesday, June 26

Today began the General Assembly, our annual gathering to do the business of the larger church. I was asked to be a teller, so I arrived bright and early to assist in distributing packets, etc.

A fairly typical GA so far, with the usual agenda items punctuated with various advertisements and public relation gestures. Two things in particular stood out to me:

1. Attendance continues to decline. I've noticed this at the evening services but wasn't sure if the bad weather was having an impact. But, when I saw Reardon auditorium less than half full I knew that something more was going on here. I remember not that long ago when the main floor was almost packed for GA. Are more people staying home because they can watch the NAC on the Internet, or is there frustration with the business side of the church? Or, is it just plain apathy? Last year, roughly only 1/4 of our churches were represented at GA. I doubt this year was even that good. All of this suggests that we must revisit the role of our annual gathering and how it is delivered, and whether or not having an event-driven movement is still appropriate in this day and age. I hope to come back to this topic at a later date.

2. Ron Duncan gave a very straightforward and direct talk about giving to the World Ministry Advance budget. The trend is definitely downward and it is already having an impact on what can be done, and this will become even more pronounced in the future if things continue in this direction. We were told that roughly 1 out of 2 churches actually contribute financially, and that it is a small number (1/5) that actually keep it afloat, contributing 60% of the total budget. I am certain with these financial challenges there is a link with #1 above. Again, another topic for another day.

NAC - Monday, June 25

One of my personal highlights of the NAC is the day an outside resource person addresses our body. I believe that this is of tremendous benefit to us as a movement to have people from outside speak to us and perhaps say things to us that we wouldn't say from within. Over the past few years some significant speakers have been brought in and usually they have been very good.



This year's guest was Jim Wallis, head of Sojourners / Call to Renewal, a prominent evangelical social action organization. Wallis is a strong voice for social justice, both in action and through his writings and communication in the media and with world leaders. His book, God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It, is an invaluable Christian contribution to the state of politics in the U.S.



In the afternoon the School of Theology featured a panel discussion with Wallis concerning his new book: The Call to Conversion. Four Church of God leaders (Fred Shively, Jim Christoff, Cheryl Sanders and Arlo Newell) interacted with him on the book. I was especially impressed with Newell's comments, which were also distributed in writing to everyone in attendance.



After that experience I was looking forward even more to this evening's service. Wallis' voice is one we need to be reminded of within the Church of God. Speaking on the topic of "Equipped Relationally to Connect in Unity" Wallis spoke of unity (John 17) and clarity (Luke 4), and that we must fully live as Jesus did. He struck a chord with many of us tonight, and there were a number of affirmations through "Amens" and applause. Definitely watch this sermon from the video archives.



One final note on tonight's service. Curt Ferrell, one of our exceptional Church of God musicians, sang a powerful song entitled, "One Body, One Spirit, One Lord". I had never heard it before, and I am assuming that he wrote it (but am not sure). Nevertheless, this song clearly addresses the issues of unity that we face as a movement. I need to track this song down.