Apostolic Survey - Part Two
January 31, 2000

Below are the latest results on some of the more interesting questions of our times. What made the questions interesting were the sometimes tortured explanations given as honest answers. Apostolic respondents from 11 states and provinces gave us their thoughts on these categories. Write in and tell us why they’re right...or wrong...or unimaginative.

Defining Person of the Decade:

The "Bills" have it! Our readers decided you had to dominate either politics or business to define the 1990s. As these are the most obvious American categories (will a writer or humanitarian ever dominate our attention long enough to matter?), Bill (Clinton) and Bill (Gates) rode roughshod over all other nominees. Not that everyone was thrilled with their decision to put Bill on top. Indeed, many felt it necessary to dress their nominee in the ugliest descriptions possible even as they nodded their heads at Bill’s domination.

Of the other nominees, one respondent insisted on choosing the first president of the decade (George Bush - his putting together the allied coalition in the Gulf War is the political partner to technologically driven economic changes that, in combination, are redefining the concept of government, international borders, and military doctrine) and another looked for a more religious answer (Nathaniel Urshan - His strong leadership has made the way for others, even through undeserved opposition, to become revival minded movers and shakers in seeing revival come to our world.).

Still, by a single vote, President Bill Clinton was chosen ninetyandnine.com’s "Defining Person of the Decade." May the next decade give us nominees of a decidedly different caliber.

• William Jefferson Clinton because he has been the President of the U. S. of A. the (longest) during this period, and therefore, by definition, the most powerful man on earth
• The character that most defines the 90's is Bill Clinton. He is a liar and a cheat and everybody loves him for it, even some "Christians" swallowed his lies hook, line, and sinker and voted for him. He has played a very big role in the moral depravation of our society.
• Mr. Clinton reflects the lack of values and deceit that has become prevalent in our society away. Truth is unnecessary, justice is hard to find. This is the new American Way. (Let's pray to change it).
• It has been through his tenure as President that our nation has begun to define itself as a people who really do not cherish morals and integrity. Of course, there are still people who desire that which is right, but when the people of the U.S. re-elected him in 1996, knowing his personal problems, I was so saddened by the mere statement that election showed. He is definitive of the 'it doesn't matter' generation and the 90s reflected that dogma.
• My vote goes to Bill Clinton who has almost single-handedly re-defined America as an immoral, corrupt, dishonest nation.

• Possessing a strange amalgam of Edison and Rockefeller, Bill Gates, epitomized the tech stock billions available through a stock market that’s allowed everyone to get rich(er).
• What did we ever do before computers, e-mail, instant messaging, and the world wide web?
• Bill Gates - typifying the explosion of technology and its impact on the economy.
• Gates' leadership of Microsoft helped promote and standardize much of the explosive computer industry)

Can a single event, an extended moment, possibly define something as open-ended and discontinuous/raucous as a full decade? Possibly, though usually it is many decades before the most important seep to the surface.

Some decades are easier than others. For the 1990s, we simply chose the most important headline because there were so many important headlines to choose from. The 1990s hosted "The Trial of the Century," "The End of Communism," "The Gulf War," "The Impeachment of a President," "Home-grown Terrorism," "The Rise of the Internet," and "Unstoppable Revival." Those were the headlines, but which of them will be remembered in history?

• The Oklahoma City Bombing - Terrorism became a reality in the heartland of America, something most Americans thought they were protected from.
• Berlin Wall coming down - Even though it happened in 1989, this signified unity and peace all over the world, which we are very fast approaching, especially with the end of the Cold War.
• The events of this past decade, both inside and outside of the church, have been vast and it is difficult to choose one, but I believe the Ethiopian Crusades, where thousands upon thousands are receiving the Holy Ghost sets the best precedent for this decade and the next.
• O.J Simpson Trial
• The Internet Explosion. It has transformed business, communication (email is ubiquitous), and entertainment. No serious (public) decision is now made without taking this lifeform into consideration.
• The Rise of the Internet - People who would never think of writing letters are sending lots of e-mail every day. We'll probably never know the full impact because we're at the beginning stages, but the next century will be brought to us by the number 2000 and the letter "e".
• The advent and accessibility of the computer to the common man. Now at our fingertips, we can send messages thousands of miles away and the recipients can receive them within seconds, information is no longer difficult and cumbersome, and even the most remote area can have access to anything they choose. Finances can be managed, traded and lost with just a few strokes of the keys while grandparents can view their new heirs within minutes of birth. All of this has certainly changed our world. Now we don't just have privacy fences to keep us from our neighbors, but our computers can keep us sheltered even more from those on the 'outside.' I think computers are great, but they will NEVER take the place of the human touch.
• I'm not going to input "The Monica Lewinsky Scandal" (that would be the most "popular" event of the decade, along with the death of Lady Diana, I suppose). This is tough one...How about the election of President Nelson Mandela, and elimination of apartheid in South Africa?!
• Slo-mo OJ-in-Bronco freeway chase
• The Clinton scandal is the defining event of the decade. This one event to points to how morally and socially depraved our society has become, and how close we really are to the return of the Christ.
• A tie. First was the Oklahoma City Bombing. Second was Columbine. These two events changed the way Americans feel about how safe their country is. Where once we had to concern ourselves with outsiders coming against Americans, these two events made us realize that our enemy is ourselves.
• Widespread e-mail and Internet use. While it does not change anything about the human condition, it makes communication and access to complex information quite simple (just ask any missionary). No more excuses for not doing your job (sacred or secular).
• Failure to bring action against President Clinton during his time of censure - typifying the apathy of Americans toward government figures and their abuse of power
• The explosive, bullish run of the stock market. The market (specifically the Dow and NASDAQ) has seen tremendous growth and prosperity in the 90s. The emergence of technology (and subsequently tech stocks) and its financial windfall potential has fueled much of the growth in the late 90s, a example of the interconnectedness of technology, the consumer, and financial matters.

Almost every religious organization holds an annual Conference. Some, like the Southern Baptists, open it to ministers alone. Others, like the United Pentecostal Church, open it to ministers, their families and youth. Below are the responses for the latter.

• Detroit 1997; besides working full-time, I dined with old friends - including my Summer Missions Team roommate! - every night.
• San Antonio, Texas, 1996. Good services, good food, good friends, and a great city to explore.
• Nashville 99, of course.
• Louisville, 1993 My first real general conference. I had a blast. So many great memories.
• Nashville, 1999 - tremendous sacrificial giving, etc. (a "milestone"-setting meeting for the UPCI and an omen of things to come if God tarries, in my opinion, and not just from the finance standpoint, but overall a turning point in our movement for "kingdom-mindedness")
• San Antonio - '96 - How you can not like San Antonio?
• Indianapolis, 1991
• Detroit, 1997. I enjoyed the messages and was blessed. I believe it was also the year we started the MK (Missionary Kids) Association, and that made it fun.
• Hands down Nashville, 1999 - The incredible spirit of giving took my breath and made me wonder at the magnitude of what was accomplished for the kingdom. And it just kept getting better!
• Detroit, 1997 - It is where I met my wife.
• San Antonio, 1996 - Best facilities, hotels, city landscape, and historical sights.
• Detroit, 1997- I met my future husband there. (Editor’s Note: This respondent is not related to the above wife finder.)

What does a writer do but tell us where we are—as a people, a society, a religion or a race—at this moment. Sometimes our decisions toward thrillers or romances might reflect what is lacking in our own lives or in our society. Sometimes current literature simply lies limp before us. Still, the time-honored tradition of capturing our decade remains the writer’s keenest responsibility—not the movie directors, not the poets, nor even the preachers.

These writers tell us where the Apostolics of this decade are/were.

• David Bernard
• Max Lucado—A clever wordsmith who speaks clearly and profoundly. Some evangelists wouldn't have made it through the 90s without his illustrations.
• Lori Wick—She is a fantastic writer. I've enjoyed all of her books. And believe me I have read every one.
• John Grisham
• Antonia Fraser—Her accurate, and laborious historical works are not only well-researched, but extremely well-written. One cannot be a mediocre writer and be able to take bits of historical data and make it into an interesting story. She has not only done this once, but several times over the past decade.
• Frank Perretti—compelling and insightful.
• Dean Koontz—excellent writer of heart-pounding thrillers)
• Tom Wolfe—Whether or not it’s literature, his single novel of the decade (A Man in Full) captures a brawny 1990s America - and Atlanta - in its near-entirety. There is greed, incivility, raucous politics, sports-obsession, strong religions, shallow tastes, and life overflowing.

As with few other categories, most readers answered this as the best book they read in the 1990s—not the best new book of the decade. Whether or not this redefinition was necessary, the choices were intriguing, varied and lively.

The only duplicate choice was Frank Perretti’s The Visitation. So, with that as our "winner," we move through a panoply of choices. Check some of them out! You might be surprised how it widens your vision.

• The Visitation by Frank Peretti. The master story teller warns of false Christ in a fascinating book that connects
• The Inferno of Dante, translated by Robert Pinsky. Pinsky’s tricets don’t rhyme as often as Dante’s, but he returns to the authors original intent—that real people will burn in Hell for their sins—to stunning effect. This is a great Christian read.
• The Testament by John Grisham.
• House of the Spirits by Isabel Allonde.
• Pretense by Lori Wick. It was a wonderfully written story about 2 young women and their search for something real in their life.
• Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I realize this book was out for almost 200 years, but the 90's brought about a resurgence of fine classical writing and much of her writing that had gone unnoticed now was noteworthy.
• This Present Darkness by Frank Perretti. Thanks, Frank for the insight into the spiritual world.
• I'm not sure if this is this decade, but I like the book "Love Comes Softly". I like Christian romance, and I particularly liked that one.
• The Book of Virtues, William J. Bennett. This one get my nod for both fiction and non-fiction, as it proves that books about good, be it allegorical or real, can continue to sell in large numbers, even well after its original publication in 1993).

Best Book (Non-Fiction) of the Decade:

Once you factor out the Bible, we don’t seem to be major non-fiction readers. So, let’s factor in the Bible (our clear winner, so next decade we’ll create a "Best Book (Non-Fiction) of the Decade That Isn’t the Bible" category and see if our responses are a bit more varied.

• Truman by David McCullough This book redefined and rewrote the 'real' history behind the amazing President.
• Anything by Max Lucado
• Viscount John Julius Norwich finished his Byzantium Trilogy, a fascinating general reader’s history of the 1,100 year reign of the Eastern Roman Empire. It’s amazing how much crucial world history I never learned in college.
• I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. It changed the way I look at dating and relationships.
• The Purpose Driven Church - Warren. Has forever changed how I will look at the church.
• The Book of Virtues, William J. Bennett (see above).
• Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. This book is 20 years old, but I just read it last year. It is an excellent book.

Though our readership is supposed to represent twentysomethings and thirtysomethings, the answers to this entry made us wonder if we were actually read by the Crotchety Senior Section.

If we weren’t describing their current psychological state (Angry. 7th graders shooting their classmates???), we see them as beings without an identity (Floaters, Apathetic), strange beings from a deflated science fiction epic (The Cyber People, Generation Last), or that ancient cliché about how these new kids never had it as rough as we did (Generation Spoiled, "Spoiled rotten" or "Everything-on-a-silver-platter" Generation).

Still, that doesn’t make these assessments incorrect. Indeed, the most profound and accurate assessment just might be the respondent, when asked for the best word describing this generation, said simply, "Different."

Longer responses went something like this...

• Tommy Generation—Because they don’t understand what’s on the inside, they want to be positive about what’s on the outside. Evidently, whomever advertises the best with the biggest labels earns their allegiance. (That they spend their lives advertising for clothes designers never seems to occur to them.) It’s a generation distanced from their feelings, confident only in what they wear, usually bought with their parents guilt money as they work away their baby boomer lives.
• Speaking within the church: The Anointed Generation—For an anointing will come upon this generation like never before to see the purpose of the kingdom fulfilled. Otherwise: The Latent Generation—the upcoming generation is a group of young people that have been given no vision and no goals, they are self-serving and not self-sacrificing, so they have no tendencies to go above and beyond.
• Generation Tech—They have more technology and America's affluence has given many more money to buy it. They have it, they're growing up with it, and they know how to use it.
• The "I Want Because I Deserve" Generation
• Crossroad Generation—With the ever increasing influence of humanism on the one hand and the rise of spiritual awareness with a vocal moral influence on the other
• The Millennial Generation
• Generation X is followed by Generation Why. In feeling the pulse of the next generation, I sense an inability to focus, a lack of direction, a lack of discipline. And the questions that come to me most often start with ‘Why?’

Best Quote of the Decade

Somehow, by asking for a simple quote from everyone, the decade was defined. Priorities, politics, sports, business, court cases, and walking with God abound. If you want to understand the decade, this is the category.

However, only one quote received multiple nominations:

• "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." from Reverend T.F. Tenney, Louisiana.

The Runners-up:

• "Of course it’s true! I read it on the Internet."
• "Show me the money!" I don't know if it is the best, but it certainly depicts the 90's—a decade of greed and selfishness.
• "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky." (Slick Willie Clinton). A few weeks later he would address the nation by saying "Indeed I did have a relationship with Monica Lewinsky that was not appropriate...and I need to go back to work for the American people."
• "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit." (Johnny Cochran)
• "Don't worry, be happy." It's the only one I can think of.
• "The Spirit world is the real world." (Maurice Gordon) This was a good wake up call for me, a reality check of sorts. This quote helps me to refocus and look beyond the visible and tangible things and acknowledge the very real war that is being waged daily.
• I'm sorry I can't credit this one but it has meaning for me and the way I try to live my life: "If it doesn't matter for eternity, it doesn't matter."
• All of the ones that used the term "self-aggrandizement" in a sentence.
• "Is it long enough? Yes! Number 62!" (Joe Buck's call of Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd home run on August 8, 1998.)
• "Is that your final answer?"

© ninetyandnine.com, 2000

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Next Week: Who was voted the Apostolic of the Century? What was the Sermon of the Decade? What Scripture defined the 1990s? Is there one preeminent Apostolic preacher in our midst today? Today we see through a cloud darkly, but soon face-to-face with the answers!

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