Review: Signals at the Crossroads

Only now during my sabbatical have I had time to read and review Gilbert Stafford's Signals at the Crossroads, a new compilation of his previously released Church of God at the Crossroads and Vision for Church of God at the Crossroads, plus a small amount of new material from a book that was unfinished due to his death three years ago.

I wanted to read this since the first two books had created considerable discussion when first released eleven and nine years ago, respectively. I had read them previously, but in light of our ongoing identity crisis felt it would be valuable to re-visit them and to see whether any new insights could be gleaned. In addition, this book was given to participants of the recent Strategic Planning Conference and is again part of our dialogue.

When I first read the original two books I was less than enthused over Stafford's solution to the challenges we faced, despite his brilliance and respect within our movement. Ten years ago I had the opportunity to dialogue with him briefly over some of these issues, and while he has many valuable insights and contributions to make to this discussion I remain convinced that these writings do not really provide the path forward for us.

By his own admission, Stafford's focus is about "Church of God culture", that is, "the way we live together, our values,and the language of our faith. It is the way we go about being the church." (p. 6). His concern is that increasingly we are fractured in our self-understanding and practices. In his first two books he identified some of the challenges we face as a movement, and outlined a number of practical suggestions as to how we could re-frame ourselves as the Church of God.

Most people who have read these Crossroads books would tend to affirm Stafford's diagnosis. We are a diverse group of congregations who seem to have less and less in common. And, some of his ideas are right on target. For example, his lengthy discussion on how we could bolster the credentialing process are very sound.

My concern, however, is that Stafford deals with the symptoms of what ails us as a movement without really ever getting down to the core condition. Culture is reflective of the much deeper beliefs, values and attitudes that we carry; and working to change our culture would  not necessarily change who we are. He hints at this in a few places,  but it is easily missed amidst his proclaimed focus. For example, he acknowledges that "the sense of being part of a unified Church of God with common mission is missing" (page 17), but this is the last sentence of one of the chapters, and it is not picked up on again. In my thinking, this is at the core of what is missing among us, and until we deal with issues of this magnitude our culture will remain anemic.

While I remain ultimately disappointed with what I find in Signals at the Crossroads, it is still a book that is worth reading, even if to share in some discussions that may be taking place right now by those who have read the book and are grappling with its implications.

Berlin

Two weeks ago I was able to spend a few days in Berlin, Germany during my Europe trip, which constituted part of my sabbatical. My interest in Berlin, specifically, is because of XZ Berlin, a unique missions project co-sponsored by Global Missions and the Church of God in Germany. XZ Berlin is highly significant as it represents a new frontier in our mission efforts. Berlin has become one of the most dynamic cities in Europe and is marked by a very diverse and robust culture that reflects the influences of post-modernism and a rapidly growing detachment from its Christian roots. In the midst of this a team of Germans and Americans have immersed themselves for the purpose of bringing Christ. This includes U.S. missionaries Kelly and Rhonda Phillips, and Aaron and Nicole Varner. Regional Coordinators for Europe, Patrick and Jamie Nachtigall are also centered in Berlin.

This is no typical missions project. Instead of starting a typical church service and inviting people to it, the group is setting out to network within central Berlin, building relationships and extending their witness wherever they can. Their methodology is simple, but what is really needed in this context. In some ways, the manner in which they live and function is reminiscent of the Church of God mission homes of a bygone era.

There is much we can learn from XZ Berlin as they continue this important outreach and experiment with various forms of ministry. Culturally, Europe tends to be a trend-setter, and there is good evidence that North America is also moving down this path of post-modernism, where the current approaches of the church are becoming largely ineffective. Some of our cites (such as Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto) may already be suitable locations for similar efforts. Unfortunately, however, most U.S. Christians are not aware of the cultural shifts happening around them, and in denial about the need for new models and approaches.

This is a definite bright-spot in our movement that we need to be learning from; and watching, supporting and praying for.

Initial reports

Today the Strategic Planning Council wrapped up in Nashville. I wasn’t there, and I have not yet been briefed by the delegates from our district, but I have heard from a few individuals who were in attendance. Obviously we need to get a full report, but from what I have picked up from some who there the reviews are mixed at best.

Apparently, they had some excellent speakers who challenged the delegates, and the opportunities for fellowship are always enriching. But, I also heard concerns about the whole process, which did not really address some of the real, pressing issues that we face (including some of the ones I mentioned). Some were just plain frustrated with the breakout sessions and how the discussions were handled and ultimately processed. In any case, it sounds like there were some important affirmations regarding leadership development, and some emphases on evangelism.

While I truly pray that this gathering will bring positive results for the Church of God I have some serious concerns about the process itself. I really question whether it is possible to bring together a wide range of people from across the continent for less than 48 hours and expect to accomplish serious, effective strategic planning that is going to facilitate Kingdom expansion? Brainstorming and dreaming, yes. But, strategic planning that will shape our direction?

Anyone who was there want to comment or provide us more information?

My wish list

Tuesday the Strategic Planning Council begins in Nashville. As I mentioned in my previous post, I won’t be at that this one due my sabbatical. I have heard some interesting ideas expressed in the past few weeks from others concerned about what could result at this gathering. For example, on Twitter last week @epfry responded to my call post with the following provocative list of key issues for our movement to address: “We pay lip service to females but refuse them leadership … We've confused berating our youth as discipleship … We reverted to the past instead of building upon tradition … We dared call ourselves a peace church yet refuse to be prophetic … We are at best reactionary to a postmodern society”

Here are some of the key outcomes that I hope will emerge this week:

•  A call for the Church of God to recover its role as a movement within and for the sake of the larger, universal church.
•  A serious commitment to begin church-wide dialogue on restating our message of holiness and unity for this age.
•  A plan for meaningfully connecting our churches and leaders despite our broad geographic, cultural and theological diversity.

I urge all of us to pray as our leaders meet.

Our future

Next week Church of God leaders from across North America will convene in Nashville, Tennessee for the Strategic Planning Conference. This event usually takes place every five years or so and is an opportunity for direction setting for Church of God Ministries and our national efforts.

Due to my sabbatical, I will not be attending this year. Nevertheless, I will certainly be praying for the event and watching with keen interest what emerges out of it. As with many of you, I have a deep love for the Church of God and deeply desire to see our message flourish and take hold.

I am particularly interested in this year's conference because I am convinced that we are at a critical juncture in the story of our movement. In the coming weeks I will comment on some of the issues that we are confronting, but for now let me say that I believe we have lost our soul and are struggling to find it. In the process, we have fractured into various directions which threaten to significantly change who we are and our effectiveness in carrying out God's work.

Along with delegates to the conference, I am reading Gilbert Stafford's book, Signals at the Crossroads, an up-dated edition of his previous two Crossroads books and the inclusion of some new material that was never completed before his death. I will provide a more detailed book review here soon, but for now I can say that I am still not convinced that Stafford provides the solution.

Will you be attending the Strategic Planning Conference? If so, what will you be looking for? If not, what do you believe are some of the critical issues that we face at this time?

I look forward to this conversation as it unfolds.

Sabbatical

Today I begin a sabbatical from my normal routines as part of a regional pastor and overseer. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that the Pacific Northwest Association has built into my employment agreement to make this happen. I am also encouraged that increasingly, across the Church of God, churches are recognizing the value of providing a sabbatical for their pastors.

I have several realistic objectives planned for my two months of respite. A minor one is to get back into a regular pattern of blogging. This past year has seen a dramatic increase in my workload and expressing my ideas and reflections in writing has taken a back seat. While I have no intention of making this an obsession, I look forward to occasions when I can share some of the thoughts I am having about our movement. This seems timely, especially with the Strategic Planning Conference coming up in a few weeks.

Hopefully, a few of you are still following this blog and will engage in some of the issues I raise.

Heading to NAC

It's hard to believe we're in late June again, which means time to head to Anderson for the North American Convention of the Church of God. As our primary national gathering this is an important event that both reflects and speaks into the life of our movement.

For the past several years I hare reported my own experiences and reflections from NAC. I will do that again this year, but with a twist. I will post on this blog, but not necessarily with daily posts as I have done in the past. Instead I will highlight significant observations during the event. In tandem with this I will be tweeting frequently on the smaller, more instantaneous moments and to interact with others. I encourage you to follow me @chogblog. (For others tweeting during NAC please use the #nacchog hashtag for easy sharing).

This is a critical time in the life of the Church of God (something I hope to blog on more in the coming weeks). I will be watching and praying for what happens in Anderson over the coming days.

Truth Matters

Blogging has taken a backseat in my life the past couple of months due to a full life complicated most recently by a move to a new house. Nevertheless, there are several issues brewing in my mind, many of which I want to develop into blog posts.

The recent announcement of the launch of Truth Matters has prompted me to get back into the fray.  A little over one week ago those of us listed as ministers should have received an email detailing the launch of the new periodical that appears to be replacing Reformation Witness, the voice of Pastors' Fellowship through Reformation Publishers. But, TM is more than just another paper magazine. In an attempt to gain wider distribution and to minimize costs it is now sent out as a PDF. On the surface TM appears to be an effort of Pastors' Fellowship to update its mission for the 21st century. But this also fulfills the desire of a small, but vocal constituency for a more doctrinally-oriented publication that they do not believe is reflected in the new Communion together newsletter/magazine produced by Church of God Ministries.
 
Probably the most significant aspect of TM is that Jeannette Flynn is its editor. Jeannette is a highly respected figure in our movement and brings a higher level of credibility to this publication.  Her influence is already reflected in the first issue where a wider range of writers is presented.

I do, however, have a couple of concerns.  First, I was thoroughly disappointed with the depth of the writing. Most of the articles were far too short and shallow in their discussion. If truth matters (and it does!) it is critical for us to have a much higher level of theological engagement. Unfortunately, I suspect we are often more content to present ideas on a surface level, which reflects the organizational navel-gazing of a movement that has lost some of its fire.

My other frustration is related to the overall presentation of the magazine.  The design and layout still look like a trip back to the 70's, which is hardly going to reach a wider and younger audience. Likewise, the dissemination of this in a PDF format may be a big step forward technologically, but only to the late 90's at best.  Far more effective would be a web-based format cross-promoted from email links, social networking, RSS feeds, etc.

In any case, Truth Matters is an interesting development as we seek to find ourselves as a movement.

Evolving structures

Last week I was in Houston, Texas at the annual gathering of Regional Pastors and Overseers.

Confused yet?

"Regional Pastors and Overseers" is the new phrase our association came up with to better describe our current roles within the North American Church of God. This will replace the meaningless "Area Administrator" moniker that we have used for several decades and provides a more accurate reflection of the type of work we do within our respective regions. Certainly, individual RPO's will still use their official titles as designated by their state or district, but this new designation is a intended to be a general description that can used to describe us as a group.

The real issue here, however, is not the titles we use. The bigger shift that is occurring across our movement concerns the role that regional organizations have alongside individual congregations and Church of God Ministries. This was an important part of our discussions last week, and will continue both among districts, RPO's and across the North American church as a whole.

The reality is that our structures our still evolving. For a movement that largely treats organization with suspicion, if not contempt, we are still trying to figure what the optimal structure looks like. We're not there yet, but I am at least encouraged that we are willing to explore this issue with an openness to continually make changes as necessary to serve better the common ministry that we share.

Marriage discussion

Earlier this week I noted the "Doctrinal Discussion" section of our new periodical, Communion together. My concern was that the conversation is one-sided, with no real opportunity for dialogue. Well, here's my two-bits on the latest article.

In the just released January/February 2011 edition there is a much-too-short article by Michigan pastor, Gordon Steinke, on "A Biblical Perspective on Marriage" (p. 16f). Based on the study from his doctoral dissertation Steinke challenges the conventional notion of male headship within the family by focusing on a pre-fall vision of creation and marriage. Certainly this is a provocative, if not controversial, position that challenges the conventional perspectives that have directed much of Christian theology. Equally powerful is his statement that "It is biblically and theologically inconsistent to teach male leadership in the home while at the same time claiming that God calls women to leadership roles in the church" (p. 17).

Overall, I personally tend to agree with Steinke's position. Much of the popular biblical view on gender relationships and marriage comes from a wooden method of reading Scripture that does not fully take into account the larger biblical narrative that emphasizes the radical social implications of the Gospel. Although offering a fresh hermeneutic, Steinke's teaching should be welcome by us in the Church of God, despite our increasing sell-out to cultural conservatism in recent decades.

My biggest concern with Steinke's article is that he tantalizes us with his position, but is not given nearly enough space to truly make his case. This leads me to question even more the suitability of Communion together for this type of "doctrinal discussion". The brevity of the argument will likely encourage negative reactions by those espousing more traditional views, and could leave many feeling frustrated. And, this is all complicated by not having anywhere for people to engage in this important discussion.

In any case, if you need to sound off on this article here is one opportunity for you in the comments section of this blog.

Communion together

For several years now, since the demise of ONEvoice! magazine, the Church of God in North America has been without a significant publication to convey teaching, inspiration and information. This summer, at the NAC, Communion together was introduced, and now four issues later it's time to evaluate our latest attempt at a periodical.

Unlike previous publications, stretching back to the Gospel Trumpet, Communion together is not really intended to be a broad-based magazine. Although available to anyone for download online, Ct is targeted specifically to church leaders (i.e. mainly pastors) who are automatically mailed a copy every two months. Each issue contains a wide-range of brief articles covering everything from missions, church ministry, doctrine, Church of God news and more. And it's all presented in a 24-page newsletter format with simple design. No gloss. Nothing fancy. But, it gets the job done in a straight-forward, easy-to-read manner.

It is inevitable that printed materials such as Ct will become obsolete as we move more and more toward electronic communications. In the meantime, however, Ct helps fills the gap for our need for better communication and teaching.

Nevertheless, there are shortcomings. In an age of social networks and blogs the value of interaction becomes even more critical than ever. Ct isn't setup for that type of dialogue. For example, recent issues have a section called "doctrinal discussion", but conversation is purely one-sided, with no opportunity for true discussion. As I will illustrate in a subsequent post, such interaction is needed for the true intent of Ct to be realized.

In any case, after four issues Communion together has demonstrated itself to be a valuable tool for the Church of God.

What are your impressions of Ct?

(Disclosure: I have an guest editorial in the latest edition of Ct. )

Politics and Holiness

Earlier this month, just a few weeks ago, the U.S. was focused on significant mid-term elections. With the country facing economic and international challenges these elections resulted in passionate engagement by a large number of our citizenry, including Christians.

I'm wary entering into the political fray on this blog. Nevertheless, as I reflect on the discourse and debates of the past several months I am very concerned how we as followers of Christ are responding to political realities around us. And, going a step further, I am more and more convinced that as holiness people we in the Church of God have not adequately applied our theology to our civic involvements. It is amazing to see how passionate many Church of God folk are about the political issues in our country. Often, it seems, many are more convinced that the solutions to our national woes are in political change than in the Good News of Jesus. Of course, we would all affirm the latter as being preeminent, but our practice often defies our stated beliefs.

The implications of a sound holiness doctrine should be profound, not only on our personal lives but on our social involvement as well. Unfortunately, however, we have understood this to mean that we should align with a particular political party (whatever it might me) and its policies in order to bring about God's intentions. Sadly, when politicians and their organizations fail us (as they inevitably do) our hopes are dashed, as is our witness in the world.

I certainly vote and have my own strong convictions about what needs to happen in our national, state, and local political arenas. I clearly recognize that as a citizen I must be engaged and involved in the issues around me. But, I have no illusions as to where my allegiance really is: citizenship in the Kingdom of God. 

If we truly adhere to holiness then we must come to terms with what it means to be separate from the ways of the world, and at the same time allow the Holy Spirit to empower us for mission within the world. I pray that we can enter into this discussion and practice within the Church of God.

Learning from TED

Over the past year or so I have been increasingly intrigued with TED, a non-profit organization that since 1983 has held conferences featuring some of the world's most eminent speakers. Today a number of spin-off conferences take place around the world on TED's foci: technology, entertainment, and design. TED has become so renowned that thousands of people pay six thousand dollars to attend these events to hear a marathon of 18-minute talks that are also posted for free viewing on the Internet, and whose speakers are not paid. So influential is TED that it has been called "the new Harvard".

TED is not a Christian organization. While there are many incredible presentations, there are some that certainly do not jive with a Christian worldview. Nevertheless, the success of TED has many lessons for us in the church.

TED's viral popularity indicates the shifting paradigm of how significant ideas are presented and discussed today. The implications for both events and education are profound. As we in the Church of God struggle to find meaningful ways to hold events such as the North American Convention and campmeetings, there are many transferable principles that we can adopt that could enable us to communicate more meaningfully within today's culture. Borrowing from our culture shouldn't be too big of a stretch for us since even our own movement readily adapted forms from the 19th century for the sake of the Gospel.

TED may be a good place to begin exploring new possibilities.

Book Discussion: Mosaic - epilogue and appendix

Sorry, I thought I had posted this several weeks back, but obviously didn't...

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

We have finally reached the very end of the book. Nachtigall's journey ends where it started, at the South Dakota cemetery where some of his ancestor's lie. But, this time he projects himself in the future talking with his own son about the state of the Church of God at that time. Patrick's son observes that "'Maybe it's because we all love the church so much that we want to hold onto it with all our might in our own little way'' (256)

While the epilogue is a fitting and effective literary conclusion, the ending leaves me wanting more. Throughout Mosaic Nachtigall has taken us on a fascinating journey across the Church of God and has exposed us to the tremendous diversity that is among us. But, in his effort to narrate the journey he has been careful, perhaps too careful, not to offer in-depth assessments, critique and solutions for what he observes. If the epilogue was the true terminus the book would be a disappointment. But, fortunately he provides us a 28 page appendix where he ventures beyond being a mere observer and allows himself to speak much more frankly with his own thoughts and opinions.

Reading Mosaic without the appendix not only leaves one dissatisfied but it prevents the type of discussion that we must have, facing the realities of who we are currently as a movement. I just wish Nachtigall would have been more bold to state his ideas, without having to almost apologetically relegate them to the appendix. He has very valuable contributions to make and it is important that he is heard.

In any case, the appendix is full of excellent analysis and proposals written in a Q & A format. There are also some notable phrases worth quoting, especially this one:

"The biggest discovery of my journey was that in many ways we are more relevant today than in the nineteenth century; we just don't see it." (265)

Perhaps this says it all. The Church of God has a tremendous heritage and a strong message, but we have allowed our diversity to be a stumbling block that is preventing us from reaching our full potential. I believe that Mosaic reminds us that our many differences should be celebrated and that we have an opportunity to rise above them to truly demonstrate Christ to world.

Thank you, Patrick!

Leadership Rally

On Wednesday I was in Vancouver, Washington for the first Leadership Rally of several that are planned over the next nine months across the country. General Director Ron Duncan will be hosting these events in an effort to gather broad input from the movement on important issues confronting our future and the work of Church of God Ministries.

Pastors from Oregon and Washington were invited to attend this rally, which was held in conjunction with the Ministries Council meeting that was also to take place. In total less than 50 people were in attendance, a small fraction of who was actually invited. The meeting was designed around roundtable discussions on several issues, including how we can best accomplish the Great Commission and Commandment, the biggest challenges facing the Church of God, the future of higher education, and general feedback for Church of God Ministries.

In the time allotted and the format limitations the day's results by themselves are unlikely to have any profound effect. But, it was a valuable experience, as it got people talking about critical issues and gave necessary input to Dr. Duncan from grassroots leaders. And, as more of these rallies take place in the coming months I'm sure that common themes and ideas will emerge that will provide the basis for stronger ministry.

Book Discussion: Mosaic - 7. what language do we speak?

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

Mosaic is a book about the diversity within the Church of God, and Nachtigall has worked hard to find every nuance of it that he could find. There are similarities in chapter six with the previous one (i.e. global diversity), but here the emphasis is on examples of where Church of God congregations are adapting and responding to the multicultural challenges around them. The reality is that "globalization is bringing the world to our doorsteps" (211) with the result that "trying to preserve a particular 'Church of God identity' in the midst of such challenges is not easy" (212).

This chapter's journey includes visits to a powerful Hispanic ministry in Albuquerque, New Mexico; inner city ministry in Corpus Christi, Texas; immigrant churches in the highly secular European cities of London and Paris; a true multi-cultural church in the Los Angeles area, and an Arabic ministry near San Diego. If you weren't convinced yet of diversity challenges in the Church of God, these examples should have changed your perspective.

Again, even though diversity is the major them in Mosaic, this chapter clearly confirms the case that it is much greater in our movement than we often recognize or acknowledge. One cannot read all of this without being rocked out of the comfort zone that most of us experience in our relatively homogenous church settings. On the one hand, to see the Church of God in so many different settings and ministries is exciting. But, on the other hand, it is scary as it reveals that the quest for a simple, uniform Church of God identity might be beyond our reach. Perhaps it will force us to find new and better ways to express our unity and united mission. And, I am convinced that this would not only be good for our movement but also fulfills God's big vision for the Kingdom and the church.

Book Discussion: Mosaic. 6. how far to the nearest church of god?

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

During the first week of August I was on vacation and I realize that I forgot to post the next chapter of my walk through Mosaic. Well, better late than never...

In this latest chapter Nachtigall continues his journey exploring the diversity across the Church of God. Many of these elements overlap, and geography is a prime example of that. While in many places congregations are spread out over broad regions, their particular locations also subject them to a unique cultural context which impacts the way they do ministry, thereby bringing out further diversity.

In Russia there is extreme isolation, but also the major challenge of ministering among a largely hostile Russian Orthodox dominated religious culture. The single congregation in New Zealand is alone on an island in several regards, including its presence in a largely secular surrounding. A visit to the Applachian hills of Kentucky reveals the unique form of the Church of God that has developed there and has influenced the broader movement through the Pastor's Fellowship. In Lebanon, the Middle East location has all its own challenges, especially working among Muslims. And in Pennsylvannia, as in numerous other places across the U.S., there are concentrations of Hispanics that are changing the local culture as well as the ministry of the Church of God.

The stories shared in this chapter are, for me, some of the most interesting in the book. Nachtigall depicts well the isolation that exists in various sectors across the Church of God and the implications it has for ministry. He accurately points out that we have "not always done a good job of making sure congregations have other Church of God congregations close by to support them" (174). And, we're not talking just about some of the extreme examples in this chapter, our connectivity is weak even in areas where geography should not be as big an issue.

So, what is the solution? The last section of the chapter features a "brilliant" interview with someone exploring the possibilities of the Internet (OK, I confess, I am featured here). My perspective is now no secret, but whether or not you agree with me the reality is that we do live in a time where "The Internet with its diversity and decentralized system is a reflection of our global, interconnected world" (204). This means that despite our scattered nature there are tremendous opportunities ahead of us if we are willing to take advantage of them.

I am hopeful, because as Nachtigall reflects, "the Church of God over the years has created a broad, decentralized network that allows people all over the world to be the church in a variety of ways. Diversity and decentralization have been part of our appeal and success" (205). Are we prepared to build on this in the future, or we will allow our differences and divergent nature to fragment us further? Sadly, I'm not sure the answer is fully clear yet.

Book Discussion: Mosaic - 5. the cross or the video screen

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

Chapter 5 is the longest chapter in Mosaic, and is indicative of the tangible struggles that many of our congregations contend with on a regular basis. Issues related to younger generations, education, and organization pale in significance to the "worship wars" that are felt in many churches. In short, "the traditional church ... is being challenged by new models that are growing quickly in the Church of God. The sound of the Church of God is no longer recognizable" (124)

To probe this, Nachtigall provides numerous examples, and of two major types. The first relates to what is going on here in North America, and in particular among newer, and often larger, congregations. The journeys to Olathe, Kansas, Phoenix, Arizona, and Fishers, Indiana reveal churches that are intentionally working to reach out to the unchurched people around them. And, often this means more unconventional and non-traditional means. But, what is uncovered are not churches soft on the gospel; rather those that are taking evangelism and discipleship very seriously. Certainly this has caused tension, but we are reminded that our movement was also originally "perceived as radical and unorthodox" (150). Because this is built into our DNA we really shouldn't be that surprised when it still happens, albeit in new ways.

But, for me, the most interesting part of this chapter is when Nachtigall shares the challenges faced in the Church of God congregations in other countries. Pentecostalism, in particular, is the biggest challenge for many, and our brothers and sisters in those countries, like the Philippines, are forced to be very deliberate in positioning the Church of God message. Success is being found in emphasizing our messages of unity and holiness that can provide a meaningful alternative to the seemingly shallowness of a much more emotion-based faith. In Egypt, other challenges face the church, including the well-entrenched Coptic Orthodox Church, and of course, Islam itself.

This chapter illustrates well the changing landscape with which all Christian churches, including those of our own movement, are confronted. But, as we discovered in the chapter on the generational challenge, we have generally not done a good job of addressing these changes. It is easy to see how we might have lost our sense of movement, and instead have struggled to get beyond the entrenchment of our own traditions. Certainly, there are wonderful examples where we are making headway, but I am concerned that this is often the exception, not the rule.

Book Discussion: Mosaic - 4. to centralize or decentralize?

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

"As the Church of God has grown, it has never reconciled itself with its need to create organizations, structures, and institutions. This has been the Achilles heel of the Church of God" (97). In chapter 4 Nachtigall attempts to take on this problem and provide new perspective to it, including the observation that there are many among us that are "reconfiguring and reimagining themselves organizationally in order to stay relevant and effective" (99). Yet, in all of this there is tremendous irony: We "started with a nondenominational, decentralized paradigm and then entered into a more centralized one out of necessity, only to find that the most effective organizations in the new millennium are radically decentralized" (107f).

Nachtigall's journey includes a look at a strong regional organization within the Church of God (i.e. Oregon / Southwest Washington) and a visit with then General Assembly chair Bob Moss. Intertwined with these interviews he outlines many of the historical factors that have got us to where we are today organizationally. But, the most intriguing part of this chapter is his visit to Bolivia where he discovers a national church that intentionally operates close to a New Testament model, with a flat and flexible structure. Interestingly, this anomaly among us is the result of an independent group of churches that joined us after being attracted to our understandings on holiness and the church. They have little of our movement's DNA in them and as a result have had greater freedom to live out their cooperative ministry in fresh, new ways.

Overall this is a strong chapter, and it does identify one of the key challenges facing us. We have not been able to resolve our idealistic teachings on the church with the practical needs for structure and accountability. And because of this we "have paid a steep price for our lack of clearly-defined structural expectations" (121). The irony that Nachtigall identifies is on the mark and does identify the conundrum we must work through. If we could only find healthy, biblical ways to be accountable to one another our perspective on the church would provide a powerful basis for new organizational effectiveness in an increasingly post-modern, decentralized world that values networks over hierarchies.

I believe that despite occasional steps backward, there are some positive signs that we could be moving in this direction. The ultimate express of it will be when we come to terms with the role of "Anderson" (i.e. Church of God Ministries) alongside our local congregations, regional bodies and many other networks and associations through we which we minister and find expression.

Book Discussion: Mosaic - 3. how should we then teach?

This post is part of a weekly series based on Patrick Nachtigall's new book, Mosaic: A Journey Across the Church of God. You are invited to read the book along with me and contribute to the discussion in the comments.

Following his look at the emerging generations in the Church of God, Nachtigall naturally moves on to a related topic: The education and training of leaders for the future. Following his previous argument he asserts that "A denomination or movement can preserve its theological identity by have scholastic institutions that educate a new generation of pastors and laypeople in their theology" (67). But, the reality is that the number of young people seeking to enter professional ministry is in rapid decline. This does not bode well for us.

To set the stage for all of this, Nachtigall does a great job of providing a helpful overview of the larger theological landscape in which the Church of God finds itself. Things are much more complex than they were when our movement was founded in the midwestern United States in the late nineteenth century. Today there are three theological worlds around us: traditional, post-Christian and "Book of Acts world" (65). Despite the challenges "Church of God theology is structured very well to reach all three worlds" (66).

The book's approach is to travel across the Church of God to see how various segments of our movement are addressing these challenges. The journey in this chapter is expansive. He starts in the post-modern influenced city of Portland, Oregon, home to Warner Pacific College. Both here and in his next stop, Anderson School of Theology, Nachtigall discovers that there are young people passionate about ministry, but a growing proportion are "shrinking away from pastoral ministry" (75). New models of church and ministry are capturing their attention instead. This is forcing institutions like our seminary to examine what ministerial and theological education will need to look like in the future.

The challenge of the complex theological world needs also to be seen alongside the conventional North American models. Nachtigall shares his visits to the German church in post-modern Europe, Kima International School of Theology in Kenya, and Thailand. The chapter concludes with a fascinating look at the unique leadership development models among our African American churches.

In all, this is an excellent survey of where the Church of God is in terms of ministry education and training, but few real solid recommendations are presented. From Nachtigall's overview I see two main points that must be part of our future roadmap. First, we must come to terms with the complex worldviews around us that have serious impact on our theological approaches and ministry. Our educational institutions must be flexible enough to meaningfully take on the culture within their context. Sadly, I am not convinced that we have always been as open to this happening as it needs to be. The second challenge for the future concerns models of leadership development and theological education. The examples in this chapter demonstrate that there are viable approaches other than the current college/seminary model that is becoming largely obsolete. This cannot be divorced from what needs to happen at the local church level (as Dr. Jay Barber points out on pages 73-74). In other words, as the church changes (either by design or necessity) our educational training must be closely in step. But, I question whether we are doing enough to make this happen.