More on the Logo

According to a news release put out by Church of God Ministries today the new logo revealed without much fanfare Monday is only something they are "experimenting" with. They are seeking feedback on the new design.

Also included in the release are some explanations for the design elements of the logo. It helps explain what went into it, but it fails to tell a compelling story. That is disappointing. I believe that there is much more that could be said about the logo as it is.

Apart from these weak launch details, I really do like the logo. The previous logo is over 30 years old, and does not connect with our constituency or the wider world today. Most of the comments I have heard have been positive. Of course there are the naysayers who dislike change or who do not really get the significance of a logo and the identity and symbolism it provides for us.

With all the talk about "Be Bold" the last few days I do not understand the timidity with which this logo is being presented. We will never get consensus on a new logo, and if anything waffling will only cause confusion. The homework has been done. Let's move forward with this new identity. At minimum it expresses that a new day has dawned.

Time to Be Bold

Today Church of God Ministries is announcing one of the biggest changes in the history of the North American region of our movement. This is a developing story that will see more details emerge in the coming weeks and is only part of what should be a fresh new direction for the Church of God.

This is not surprising. Our new General Director, Jim Lyon, is prepared to lead and there is always a certain amount of latitude given to a leader at the beginning of his/her to make big changes. He has been hinting for several weeks on his Twitter feed that changes would be announced this month, utilizing hashtags like #StayTuned, #WorthWaitingFor and #JesusIsTheSubject.

The most obvious change concerns the 2014 Convention, something we've known for awhile would be coming. But, now we have the details. The theme will be "Be Bold" and is appropriate considering the magnitude of the shifts being planned. Here are the key points so far:

1. It will now be referred to as the "Church of God Convention". Website: www.chogconvention.org

2. The event will be shorter, running Monday through Thursday, June 23-26.

3. Convention location is Oklahoma City at Crossings Church. Services will be simulcast back to Anderson.

4. The convention will consist only of plenary sessions. No conferences. No childrens and youth programs, etc.

5. The General Assembly will take place at various times throughout the convention.

6. A wide range of significant speakers and musicians have been announced (e.g. Anne Graham Lotz and Sandi Patty) and some others will be revealed at a later date.

These are more than tweaks. This is a complete reset of what our annual gathering will be. And, I am impressed as I believe that it offers an opportunity for the convention to take on new meaning that is relevant and practical for our time.

Another significant change unveiled today (albeit without fanfare or explanation) is a new Church of God logo. The old flames logo was so dated and in need of a major refresh. The new convention website as well as the beta version of the new Church of God Ministries site (www.jesusisthesubject.org) feature the new logo. It looks real good as a dignified and contemporary representation, and should help reinforce our strengthening identity and direction. Hopefully they will soon provide us the story of the logo.

These are exciting times.

It's time to Be Bold!

2013 General Assembly

Last week I provided some reflections from this year's successful Global Gathering in Anderson. Now that I'm home, and over all the travel hassles I faced, I want to share my observations on the General Assembly which immediately followed the big event, on Wednesday.

The Global Gathering impacted how the GA was conducted this year. The normal procedure is to have the annual business meeting spread over two days during the North American Convention. This year, however, in keeping with the global nature of the event, our own continent's business was set aside for its own day. And, that was a positive move.

There is no reason for the General Assembly to be long and drawn out, and hopefully this year's format change will reveal that it is possible to get it in done in 5-6 hours. In fact, it may be possible to shrink it even further if we can have reports available ahead of time so that they do not have to be laboriously read to us, and if we curtail all the "advertising" spots that are given to various national ministries. 

GA attendance was definitely up this year, and reversed the downward slide we've been seeing over the years. Of course, the Global Gathering was part of the reason, but an even bigger one is that this was the meeting at which the new General Director would be ratified. Many came recognizing the significance of the decision we would be making. 

Certainly a key theme to this year's General Assembly was the transition from Ronald Duncan to Jim Lyon. Ron's service to the church was appropriately celebrated, and was capped off by a reception just prior to lunch. 

By the time we returned from lunch ballot results were already in, and it was announced that Jim Lyon had been "overwhelmingly" ratified (although an exact percentage was not provided). Jim was formally introduced and he gave a compelling speech, delivered in his rich, narrative style, declaring that we are a "masterpiece". 

The delegates gathered for this momentous General Assembly seemed to be encouraged and hopeful for the Church of God. With all that had just happened over the past week there appeared to be new vitality and purpose for this movement. We were ready to leave Anderson to begin a new day.

And, then things almost began to unravel. Pastors' Fellowship introduced a resolution that caused some rankle and almost pushed us back into some of our less glorious days of the past. But, that's another topic, and I'll pick up on it in my next post.  

Global Gathering reflections

After a very full week in Anderson I, like a few thousand others, are returning home. The long-anticipated 2013 Global Gathering is over and the over-whelming feedback has been very positive.

The Global Gathering can be deemed a success for several reasons. First, it was extremely good for the Church of God from around the world to gather together again. It’s been well over a decade, and long overdue. Our movement needs these opportunities for exchange and celebration.

Adding to the success is that this was a well-planned and executed event. Participants were able to benefit from a wide range of excellent preaching and worship experiences, as well as smaller connectors and an interesting expo. The cumulative result is that we left Anderson strengthened, invigorated, and hopeful for the Church of God.

The Global Gathering was also significant because it was one of the most impressive events we’ve had in quite some time. With the continuing demise of the North American Convention this was a welcome change. Of course, next year may be a different story, although though no word has been given yet on what the NAC format will be. It is obviously cost prohibitive to hold a Global Gathering more than once or twice per decade, but l trust this year’s achievements will prompt organizers to begin planning the next one.

Two further comments. First, the incorporation of a special project offering, devoted to world hunger and drinking water, was innovative and positive. Sadly, however, I heard from several missionaries who were somewhat frustrated by how this was implemented and communicated.

Second, a major overtone to the entire week was felt, and that related to the upcoming transition in the General Director’s position. I will have more to say on this in a separate post related to the General Assembly, but it is worth noting that this event provided a tremendous finale to Ron Duncan’s tenure.

There is so much more that could be said about the 2013 Global Gathering, especially as each individual had unique experiences and encounters. But, in short it will probably go down as one of the greatest Church of God gatherings ever. And, it could very well be the last of the great events we see in Anderson for quite some time.

Global Gathering

It’s that time of year again. Hundreds of us are making the trek to Anderson for “Campmeeting”. Except this year it is not the North American Convention, but the Global Gathering, our first world conference in well over one decade.

Unlike what has become the trend, there has been much anticipation across the movement for this event. Of course, bringing together church leaders from around the world is exciting. There will be many opportunities for exchange and fellowship, and we will be able to celebrate what God is doing in other countries.

There are other reasons that this event will be significant. First, we are in the midst of change as a body and this will be especially evident this year as we vote to affirm a new General Director. While we cannot pin our future on one person we also cannot underestimate how critical this leadership transition will be.

Second, the special nature of this year’s event provides a break from the steady attendance decline in the North American Convention. This could be especially important considering the proposed changes coming next year. Will this be the last of the grand events as we have known them?

I am already in Anderson and ready for a full week concluding with General Assembly on Wednesday. Throughout l will be tweeting (@chogblog), and l look forward to following the larger conversation using the official hashtag, #StandingTogether.

Let’s be praying for a week of invigoration and blessings.

White smoke

As I indicated a few days ago, the Church of God Ministries Council held their conclave this week, and accepted the recommendation from the succession committee for the new General Director. The General Assembly will have the opportunity to ratify this decision in June.

Word leaked out of Anderson quickly after the decision was made. And, in case you haven't already heard, Jim Lyon is the chosen one. I was reluctant to pass on this information at the time, insuring that the news was both accurate and properly communicated to those who needed to hear it first. While Church of God Ministries has not yet made an official statement, Jim announced it to his congregation, Madison Park of Church of God in Anderson. News has been spreading since.

I was not completely surprised by the choice of Jim Lyon, as he was on my speculation list. Considering that we are at a critical point in our movement's lifecycle and there are very few that could take on this role at this time, this seems to be reasonable decision.

Certainly Jim (or anyone for that matter) will not satisfy everyone's ideal for the General Director. Nevertheless, he does bring several strengths to this position.

First, Jim is a leader. Second, he is highly creative. Third, Jim is a strong communicator. Fourth, he has close connections with the Church of God around the world.

In addition, I am encouraged by the fact that Jim comes from the geographic fringes. Sure, he's been in the Anderson vortex for a couple of decades, but everyone who knows him is aware that his heart is in Seattle. This is not only significant for me in the Northwest, but is a vital move for the Church of God as we strive to move beyond our Midwest orientation.

I will have the opportunity to see Jim in a few weeks at the Western Area Regional Ministerium (WARM). I definitely have a few key questions that I plan on asking him. I also trust that across North America we will continue to pray, both for Jim and the ratification vote in June.

Popes and General Directors

Last week millions of people around the world were glued to their television sets to watch the drama unfolding from the Vatican as the conclave of cardinals sent up a plume of white smoke announcing the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the next head of the Roman Catholic Church.

This week the Church of God Ministries Council is meeting and will likely affirm the next General Director as secretly chosen by the selection committee. Except in this case there will not be thousands in Anderson watching a chimney or waiting for the public presentation of the man or woman that will lead our church organization here in North America over the coming years.

Obviously, apart from the coincidental timing, there is very little similarity between what has happened in Rome and what will unfold in our relatively obscure movement. For the most part the comparisons are amusing more than anything. In any case, I like our process much better, and am far more at home in the Church of God for all that we believe and stand for.

Yet, there is one aspect of these two appointments that is striking: leadership.

The Church of God is at a critical point in its history, and our next General Director will have tremendous influence on whether or not we continue devolving into a fractured group of churches and mindsets, or are revitalized into a movement of profound Kingdom significance. Obviously, within our polity this doesn't just fall on the General Director, but we cannot overestimate the importance of leadership for casting vision and mobilizing our collective structures for the changing world in which we find ourselves.

I encourage all of us to pray for the important decision that is being made in Anderson this week, and that will unfold leading up to the General Assembly in June. May the choice for the new General Director be clearly within God's will and purposes.

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.