Politics and Holiness

Below is an updated edition of a post I wrote two years ago around this time:

Over the past several months the U.S. has been focused on significant elections. With the country facing economic and international challenges these elections are raising 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; and instead have often been fixated on individual holiness, often to the point of being petty. Without surprise, then, 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 be) 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.

Three Visions

Since my last post not long after the North American Convention I’ve had some time to reflect on where we are as a movement. This is a time of reflection for many of us especially as we face big questions concerning our future, most notably the selection of a new General Director.

As I’ve mentioned before we are a very diverse movement. Sadly, however, we have been unable to fully accept and work with this diversity. The result is an increasing trend toward polarizations and divisions. The more l look at this the more I see us in North America separating into three groupings.

1. Heritagers. There has always been among us a strong contingent of those who understand their Church of God identity through our history. This remains true even over 130 years since our beginning. Certainly, our heritage has shaped us and is worth remembering and celebrating. The danger, however, is that this can lead to looking backwards and focusing on what God has done versus where he is leading us. Sadly I see some who seem to more concerned about preservation than seeing their part in God’s mission today and tomorrow.

2. Networkers. In recent years we have seen the emergence of a growing network of individuals who recognize the primacy of our missional calling as a church. The focus of this group is not on our heritage or institutional concerns; instead on mobilizing the church for the future and connect outside of our formal structures. This can be frustrating for those who want more conformity to our identity. Typically this group recognizes our history and distinctives but is not fixated on past expressions of our heritage. Their goal is to forge a new identity relevant for our time but still consistent with our theology.

3. Evangelicals. In my assessment this grouping probably describes the majority of people in our churches, and possibly our pastors as well. As our distinctiveness has diminished over the decades more and more of our congregations have found themselves assimilating into the larger American Evangelical culture, even though there are significant differences between us and them. Much to the chagrin of the Heritage group in particular the Evangelicals are least inclined to stay connected and honor our distinctives. They enjoy the autonomy that our loose polity provides and see the value of our national and regional organizations primarily in terms of what benefits they can receive.

Our future is dependent on how we work despite these three broad divisions. It will also be critical for our new General Director to understand this and cast a new vision that will bring us closer together and not further apart.

How do you see this working itself out among us?

NAC Reflections

Over the past week I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time on vacation, and during that time to reflect on the North American Convention.

Certainly there are many positives to report about our annual gathering. This continues to be the primary event for leaders within our movement to connect within a context of worship and fellowship. And most of it is very good! Wednesday night's celebration service, for example, seemed to be very we'll received and a rousing conclusion.

Nevertheless, there were some clouds hanging over this year's NAC that seemed to at the forefront of many conversations. Most notable is the significant drop in attendance. Evening services were far from full, especially concerning since an alternative venue was not provided at Park Place this year. Obviously, the NAC is losing its importance across a growing percentage of our constituency, and I am highly skeptical that the proposal adopted by the General Assembly will do anything to remedy this. In fact, it could actually kill it. Next year's Global Conference should see a one year spike in attendance, enough to keep everyone from confronting reality.

 Among the many conversations I had and heard the topic of our future was raised again and again. The decline in attendance contributed to this as did concern over the choosing of our new General Director over the next year. Everyone seems to acknowledge that this will be pivotal for us going forward, and there is much speculation as to who might be on the short list while recognizing that the search committee has an extremely difficult task and requires our prayer support.

 It's good to be home and back in my ministry location. Memories and thoughts from this year's NAC will remain alive for me especially as we look ahead to the future. More on that in upcoming posts.

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.

Healthy Growing Churches

This week I've had the opportunity to be at the Healthy Growing Churches (HCG) gathering in Orlando, Florida, the second year for this event. This is a significant network within the Church of God, and its impact is growing.

For those of you that don't know HGC was formed a couple of years ago largely out of the collaborative effort of the Regional Pastors and Overseers from Florida, Ohio, and Indiana. They saw a need for more concerted efforts to develop strong, missional churches. Cutbacks at Church of God Ministries were reducing the services they offered for this purpose, so districts were increasingly taking on these challenges, and often more effectively. HGC was intended to network these efforts. At present the four major arms are: transformation, multiplication, network and judicatories. The multiplication arm comes as a result of taking in Church Multiplication Association, a leading church planting organization within our movement.

HGC is clear to point out that they are wanting to support the Church of God in North America, not compete with our national structures. This is a network more than anything else. And, networks are not new to the Church of God. For example, Pastors' Fellowship is a long-standing network, and HGC is one too, albeit with a different focus. This week's gathering represents this philosophy as they point out this is not a conference, but a network. Much emphasis and opportunity is given to networking clusters where participants can interact with others who have a similar ministry. Networks are the future, and especially compatible with our orientation.

Based on the evident response this week (i.e. attendance is over 100) there is much enthusiasm for HGC, and the future looks bright for this fledgling movement within our movement.

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.