The Makings of a Mega Church: Commentary
For those of you who read the article yesterday in the New York Times about mega-churches, and one in particular – Radiant in Surprise, AZ, (go here for the link), I promised you some comments. First of all, I feel very inadequate passing any sort of judgment on mega-churches or even forming any kind of solid opinion, having no experience whatsoever with them. However, I asked a mega-church attendee, Chad Hamilton of Plaidberry, to share his thoughts with you about the article, and he so graciously conceded. My two-cents are thrown in for good measure as well.
Chad: Very interesting article. As someone who is typically quite skeptical of the New York Times when it comes to anything remotely political or religious, I found the article to be quite fair.
Me: The article pointed out some of the positives of mega-churches, as well as painting a sincere, committed picture of Pastor MacFarland.
Chad: Of course, I've had some personal experience in attending mega-churches, particularly one here in Denver (Heritage Christian Center). Basically, I have mixed feelings about Pastor MacFarland's approach. One thing I like about the guy is he seems very determined to bring new people into the fold. I certainly can't fault him for that. And I do think he has a valid point with regard to providing different "entry points." It is admirable that he could bring folks to a spiritual awakening after being introduced through a basketball league, a charter school, or AAA classes.
Me: I don’t have a problem with bringing people in through a "side door" whether it be because of counseling, aerobics classes, a church school or even free donuts. When Paul said, "I have become all things to all men that I might save some," he was the first to realize that appealing to the masses will result in the salvation of at least a few of them.
Chad: As a corollary to that, I love the small groups idea. This gets back to the feel of the early, 1st century church I think. I think MacFarland is right when he asserts that these groups can be a great opportunity for spiritual growth. These have the potential to provide the primary outlet for one's faith to mature. Forming these types of small communities should be a big priority for all churches I think.
Me: A concept that’s beginning to catch on with Apostolics as well . . . However, I found it interesting that less than a quarter of the population of Radiant participates in small group sessions.
Chad: My concerns are twofold. The big one is the message itself. I am concerned that the message is too watered-down in preaching the feel-good, prosperity type message while ignoring the struggles and sacrifices that are so readily apparent in the gospels. This type of selectivity at its root concerns me even more because of its inherent focus. It's all about me and not about God and that seems like the wrong message. The church should be offering an attractive alternative to the message our culture is teaching us, not merely echoing it.
[Editor’s Note: Chad does a great job of detailing his thoughts on the subject of "me-focused doctrine" in his blog entries, "SuperSize Me . . . and My Church" and even further in "Take Two."]
Me: I found it interesting that the author believes Radiant’s core message to be that you will be happier if you accept Jesus’s message into every compartment of your life. While that’s true, your personal happiness isn’t the message of the gospel, nor is it guaranteed anywhere in the scriptures. God seems less concerned with our happiness and more with our salvation.
Chad: My other concern is that these types of churches are swinging too far to the "God-as-buddy" side of the divine pendulum, if you will. While I believe the personal relationship offered through Jesus Christ is a glorious and unique facet of Christianity, we need to keep a balance, since this is the Almighty Creator after all. The other end of the spectrum, which is seemingly completely ignored here is the aspect of holiness and mystery in the deity. Being overly casual in our treatment of God is not consistent with New Testament teachings that often speak of God as being reverent and transcendent. Somehow the shopping mall feel just doesn't seem as though it would capture that.
Me: Awhile back, ninetyandnine.com featured a series of articles on the fear of the Lord, and their author, Shana Blunt, once told me that she believes such a vitally important topic is rarely taught in our churches today. (Read the articles here, here and here.) I wonder if perhaps that could be the reason why so many people feel as though the proper reverence and awe of God is missing from their services.
Chad: As an adjunct to the overfamiliarity idea, I am concerned with the "check a box on the card" approach to salvation. This decision should represent a fundamental change of heart not merely a formula to follow that will provide you with eternal life. A more reverent attitude might help here by ensuring that congregants not take this type of decision so lightly.
Me: Ditto.
Me again, and muchas gracias to Chad! Now go thank him for sharing his thoughts with you by checking out his blog. I am a faithful reader, and when you check him out you’ll know why.
One more point I’d like to make: The article stated that Pastor MacFarland’s hero is Joel Osteen, who pastors one of the largest churches in America with 16,000 members. That made me think of Christians’ disturbing tendency to determine success by looking at numbers. I have nothing against numbers, because behind every number there’s a soul; however, numbers are a highly inaccurate way of determining success. Give me quality, not quantity. There’s a reason why millions of people shop at Wal-Mart, but only thousands shop at Neiman Marcus. Success, in my humble opinion, is determined in less tangible ways, but that’s another blog for another time.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Terri Schiavo Has Died
Well, folks, welcome to America where it's now legal to starve your loved ones to death. Please say a prayer for the Schindlers' today that they might find peace in the midst of their sorrow. And while you're at it, you might toss one up for ole Michael too.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
The Makings of a Mega-Church
One of my readers just sent me this New York Time's* revealing look at the inner workings of a mega-church, as well as this article written in response. I don't have the time to comment on it at the moment, other than to say I found it very interesting, but I will try to get around to that later on this evening or tomorrow.
*If you'd like to the read the article, do it quickly as NYT articles are only free for a week from the date of publication.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
An Answer for Lee Ann
In this week’s edition of ninetyandnine.com, columnist Lee Ann Alexander asks an odd question for a book reviewer: “Does anyone read anymore?”
I can relate to the exhaustingly busy Lee Ann; it seems as if my days of reading are part of the nostalgia of my past. Between being a full-time mom, full-time employee and full-time student, reading for pleasure is about as big a luxury as getting a pedicure and manicure – and I don’t have time for that either!
Of course, right after I wrote that last sentence, I tore open (with my skuzzy, unmanicured fingernails) yet another package from my favorite store, www.amazon.com. I may not have time to read, but that doesn’t keep me from stocking my library anyway! I consider it an investment for the future that never seems to come.
I seem to have gone from being one who reads to one who is read, and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. I’d like to impart at least a small portion of wisdom to you, but since it’s been awhile since I’ve read anything particularly wise (other than Kent’s e-mails, that is) it seems I’m drawing from a well that is rapidly running dry. (Please, please, puh-leeze refrain from shouting a hearty ‘amen’!)
A Fiction Withdrawal
However . . . my dad just informs me that he’s checked out the latest Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child novel, Brimstone. Ever since The Relic, we haven’t missed one book from this dynamic duo. In fact, we fight over them even worse than we do the Reader’s Digest (which he always finds first and hides in his room and then forgets where he hides it). So, maybe I’ll just do what I used to do as a teenager in situations like this: wait until he’s asleep, swipe it from his nightstand, and stay up all night reading by flashlight.
So there’s your answer, Lee Ann. If there aren’t enough hours in the day, drink a lotta caffeine and stay up all night! Sure it reeks of desperation, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, you know?
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
FYI
Awhile back, one of my friends over at Relevant Media sent me a bio on four guys who are up-and-comers on the music scene. She thought I might be interested in it because three of the boys (all brothers) had grown up sons of a Pentecostal evangelist. I did a little digging on the group and found out that their past had been rooted in religious scandal. And you know what happens to people who are the product of a scandalous Pentecostal childhood.
That’s right; they grow up to become wildly successful rock stars.
Why is that?
Anyway, the three brothers and a cousin have formed a band called Kings of Leon. I listened to some of their music via Rhapsody, and my mouth puckered with distaste. I doubt I’ll be adding their music to my iPod playlist anytime soon. At least I wouldn’t if I had an Ipod.
Following is the part of the bio where the guys talk about their Pentecostal past. Despite what must have been a rather disillusioning childhood, they didn’t have anything bad to say about it. Check it out:
Nathan: I first started playing music in church when I was seven; I played the drums. My mom would play the piano before my dad would preach. Caleb, over the years, I guess from just watching me play and being the drummer at the church, picked it up and started playing in church too.
Caleb: At Pentecostal churches, music's pretty lively. It's much the same as a black church down South. The same kind of spirit. You really show your emotions. Everyone worships.
Nathan: Lots of instruments: Organ, piano, bass, drums, couple of guitars, horns.
Caleb: It's good; it's actually pretty close to just blues music. People aren't always great on the instruments, but somehow when they all get together, it's really awesome.
Nathan: There are lots of elements of that in Kings of Leon. Because basically in church you're not up there for show; you're just up there to provide for the service. You become so close when you're playing; it's not like you're pressured that if you mess up you're going to be in big trouble. As a band now, I think it kind of makes it easier for us, because in our minds we're just like sittin' up there with a calm, I'd guess you'd say, about us, not worried about messing up. You're just up there feeling the music, as opposed to worrying the whole time. You'd be amazed at the way we played in church. I mean, it was rockin.' Fifteen-minute songs, people out there dancing. Getting with it.
Caleb: Our kind of gospel music, it sounds like the Rolling Stones with a different lead singer every time.
Nathan: We didn't give up that music up for rock and roll; we had the music in us all along. Understand, Aretha Franklin, she was a Pentecostal girl. Al Green. We don't want to come off as a church band, but we're not scared of the fact that a lot of our influences musically come for our past.
Caleb: I don't know, it's like when our father left the clothhood, we started looking at our lives. We started considering the opportunities we had outside the church, instead of being just what our father was.
Nathan: That was the first chance we had to think for ourselves. We discovered the freedom to look at religion in a light that we wanted to look at it in. That's when we really kind of cocooned, really started to experience so many aspects of life that, before, we'd never even known were out there. I mean, Zeppelin and the Stones and Tom Petty and all that, we got to listen to a little bit growing up, but we never really got to go buy a record and sit there and listen to the whole thing ten times in a row. Now we can write and play and record, giving people who hear us, we hope, a glimpse into the mind or imagination of real guys who have been through real stuff and are trying to put our experiences into words that go well with the kind of music that we like to play. Once we heard bands like White Stripes, it just gave me chill bumps, because we thought: Maybe we can do this, and maybe we can do it kind of cool.
These guys aren't religious rockers anymore, so if you give them a listen, keep that in mind.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
666: Just Say No . . . But Why?
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Revelation 13:16,17; 14:19
I have often wondered why taking the mark of the beast would be a sin. I mean, think about it: Every commandment we are given in the Bible, everything that is a sin, has a lot of logic and reason behind it; but when it comes to this commandment, I don't see any.
For example, take the sin of fornication. The list of good reasons behind not committing that sin is three times longer than my child’s Christmas wish list. The same is true of the sins of gossip, lying, adultery, etc. Not only do we not commit these sins because the Word of God forbids it, but we are also prevented from experiencing the negative consequences that inevitably follow. Following the commands of the Word, however difficult they may be, always protect our best interests and those of others.
Not so with the mark of the beast. A mark that allows one to buy and sell is no different from many items we use today such as credit cards, checks, driver license, etc. that allow us to do the same thing. What’s different about this mark that makes taking it so sinful?
Of course, the fact that the Bible warns us against taking the mark is enough for me. I don’t need any other reason to obey scripture other than the fact that it is written in the infallible word of God. But I still can’t help but wonder, what’s so wrong about it?
The VeriChip
Many of you are already aware that the technology is already here and FDA-approved that will allow people to receive implants in their hands. This implant contains a microchip that allows anyone with a special scanner to access information about you from a central supercomputer. With this information, you can complete a financial transaction in the blink of an eye or transmit other information, such as medical records, quickly and easily. Proponents of the chip argue that it would reduce child kidnapping, identity theft, and inept medical care based on faulty information.
To some that sounds good, to me that sounds scary. That the placement of the chip is in the hand is too coincidental to ignore. To me, it sounds suspiciously like the mark of the beast. But still, the questions arise. What’s so sinful about that? How does accepting the implant associate one with the beast? For those who have taken the chip already, does that mean they're doomed to hell with no hope of redemption? I have no idea.
But perhaps this CBN article provides a clue or two:
“But in a letter obtained by CBN News from the FDA to the VeriChip makers, the microchip is not completely safe. In fact, the letter lists a whole host of health risks associated with the device, including ‘adverse tissue reaction,’ ‘electrical hazards’ and ‘MRI incompatibility’ . . . Albrecht said, 'There's a very serious concern that, already, engineers and people who think along those lines are already thinking like hackers and criminals -- they're already starting to say, how can this system be compromised, how can it be abused? When you are dealing with a radio frequency device, by design, it is transmitting info using invisible radio waves at a distance. In this case, that distance is only a couple of inches or a couple of feet so it’s not a huge distance, but it means that anyone who can get within a couple of inches or a few feet of you, even with a reader device they have hidden in a backpack or a purse, would be able to scan that number, obtain that info and potentially duplicate it.'”
That answer still isn't satisfactory, is it? The potential hazards of the implant are no worse than the ones you face by using a credit card or driving a car, so the sin can't be in the potential danger. For once, I'm clueless. If you have any theories as to why taking the mark of the beast is so wrong (other than the fact that the Bible forbids it, of course), be sure and let me know; and I'll post it up here!
For more information, check out these articles:
Fox News: Microchip Implants for Buying and Selling Catching on in Nightclubs
ZdNet: Implanted Chip Finds Way Into ERs, Bars
Sierra Times: Big Brother or Mark of the Beast?
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
I Heart These Links
I Heart C.S. Lewis
Have you ever wondered what C. S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters might look like if it were set in the 21st century? Yeah, so have I. I mean, if demons were that crafty decades ago, what does their heyday look like now? Fortunately, this author does an excellent job of recrafting Lewis’s masterpiece to apply to some of the issues Christians are facing today. Even if you’ve never read the original, Screwtape Revisited is still a delightful read.
(Special thanks to Chad at Plaidberry for the link.)
I Heart John Newton
I’ve often assumed that the greatest of the great hymns, "Amazing Grace," was written based on notorious slave trader John Newton’s reflections on his life previous to his conversion. Not so! This article reveals that "Amazing Grace" was actually written because of the sins he committed after becoming a Christian. Gosh, I love learning something new, don’t you?
I Heart Jody Becker
As America holds its collective breath and turns its eyes towards the fight for the right to life drama being played out in Florida, many of you may not realize that the Terri Schiavo case has received national attention because of the efforts of hundreds of bloggers writing and fighting on her behalf. One such blogger is Jody Becker, one of our very own Apostolics, whose blog has some great thoughts about the case as well as an index to links and other blogs with further commentary. I urge you to check her out; not only is Jody a great resource but also a very interesting blogger with some intriguing thoughts.
In addition, check out this link to see how God might weigh the numbers in the Terri Schiavo case.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Christian Carnival . . . Again!
This week's Christian Carnival is up at A Nutt's View. I've checked it out already, and I can't wait to dive into some of the interesting topics being offered up this week.
For those of you who may still be wondering what the Christian Carnival is . . . it just a blog (a different one every week) that links to Christian bloggers all over the blogosphere who discuss every Christian topic under the sun. If you like to read blogs, don't miss it. Who knows, maybe you'll even find a new blog to add to your Favorites.
(And just so know . . . my participation in the Christian Carnival requires that I link to it each week. So yes, you'll be hearing about it every week that I participate, but it's fun! Trust me! Hey, would I steer you wrong?)
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
State of the Blogger Address
There have been some concerns among some of you about this blog, and in particular, some of my more recent posts, so I thought I'd take a chance to alleviate as many of them as I can. This is going to require telling you part of my life’s story, so you might as well get comfortable. You've got a long blog ahead!
First of all let me say that I appreciate your concern and constructive criticism more than you might think. I don't even mind it (too badly) when you disagree with me, because sometimes you’re right! When you steer me towards a more correct mindset, I become a stronger, smarter person. That’s why I always encourage your feedback, whether good or bad. After all, how am I to learn and mature if a “multitude of counselors” do not impart their wisdom to me?
Second, I think my blog has a tendency to be misunderstood because I am not good about attaching a thousand disclaimers to my opinions. For brevity's sake, I often say what I want to say, but I rarely state what I am not saying. Frankly, that's something I need to work on. Since I have a diverse body of people reading my opinions on a daily basis, there is always the possibility you may read into them a different meaning from what I originally intended - and that's okay because it's an often inevitable snag in the whole communication process. If you ever desire further clarification on anything I write, I never mind answering your questions! Feedback - that is, dialogue as opposed to me giving you a monologue - is also a part of the whole communication process where the message can be refined and better understood. That's why I encourage it so often. After all, if you keep misunderstanding me, I’m going to begin fancying myself an artist!
Several of you have expressed concern over my spiritual state. Basically, here is an honest look at where I was and where I am now in my walk with God:
I am confused as to exactly what God wants to do with my life.
Actually, perhaps "seeking direction" is a more apt description. This in itself should not be a cause for alarm. I believe that all twentysomethings, in varying degrees, go through this seeking process. Just like the young adult years are those in which most people make the decisions that will establish the foundations of their lives for decades to come, so are the twenties the years in which Christians cement their commitments to Christ and seek His will in areas such as education, jobs and/or marriage in order to make the wisest decisions that will establish the foundations of their lives . That so many churches have College & Career Sunday school classes is recognition that these years of our lives are crucial to our lifelong success. This struggle, this state of searching and waiting, is normal and necessary, and I am not ashamed of it.
At the same time, I am emerging from a crisis of faith.
According to my research on crises of faith, they often happen when one gets serious about one's walk with God. That's not to say that those who don't experience a crisis of faith aren't serious about their walks with God, but when these crises do happen, the "making up of one's mind" can be the cause. In fact, I don't wonder if perhaps these crises of faith aren't initiated and directed by God Himself – perhaps since you've finally given Him something to work with, He can begin to mold you how He wants you to be. Such a process - as I can testify - can be long and excruciating.
A house of cards? My crisis occurred about a year ago during a time when my relationship with God was stronger than it had ever been before in my life. It was about that time that I came face to face with some glaring inconsistencies in some of my church's teachings. I was pretty sure at the time that this was of the devil. After all, he is the author of confusion, and I was feeling very confused. Perhaps that was a factor, but in hindsight; I see more of God's handiwork. I believe that in order for me to start becoming the person He desired, He first had to remove some false beliefs and prejudices I’d been taught. When I set off in search of scriptural support for those things I was now wondering about – only to find scriptures against them – my safe little world collapsed.
I found out later in my critical thinking class at college that such a collapse is a normal occurrence among those who experience crises of faith. To put a complex concept simply: there comes a point in time for many people - not just Christians – when they find out the things they were taught as children don’t jive with reality, which then begins a long processes of exchanging faulty beliefs for more believable ones. (In the long run, this is a good thing. After all, if such an examination didn't happen, we A/Ps wouldn't see many people convert from other religions.)
Some of these searchers (as I did) take this line of thinking even further and assume (often mistakenly) that since one belief is untrue, every belief in the belief system must also be untrue. In short, this happened to me as well. Every belief I’d ever held became up for grabs.
Questions and guilt. As most of you are aware, it is a rare Apostolic church (especially here in the Bible Belt) that encourages questioning. To ask a question wondering if a fundamental doctrine of our faith is correct is considered dangerously close to heresy and blasphemy. I think this is such a shame; to question is merely to quest for truth. In my mindset back then – believing questioning to be wrong! – I felt very guilty about the doubts I was having. Why was it just me who seemed to have these problems? Why was I the only one who just didn’t get it?
Those whom I trusted enough to confide my doubts turned down my requests for Bible studies. I was left with little to no resources other than my parents, the Internet, any book I could get my hands on and of course the Bible itself, which is the hardest book in the world to understand by yourself! Desperate, I even sought answers from a Trinitarian minister who was gracious to take the time to answer them. That’s where I get my basic knowledge of Trinitarianism from; of course, I find it their theology lacking somewhat, but I’m glad to have further insight as to where Trinitarians are coming from. I’ve found that my ability to see both sides of an issue makes me more compassionate and less judgmental, even if I may not always agree.
Restoration comes. In the end, this website restored my faith in the new birth experience, Oneness theology, Jesus’ name baptism, etc. – you know the drill. Beliefs I had once taken for granted are now cemented in my heart. Some of the teachings of my church survived the scrutiny of the scriptures, although others didn’t. Today, as a general rule, I tend to lean toward a scripturally authoritative interpretation of the Bible rather than relying on teachings more rooted in tradition. As I told my mom, “All I want is to be right. All I want is to believe exactly what the Bible says, nothing more and nothing less. All I want is to be able to give chapter and verse for everything I believe and have it all make perfect sense.”
That’s not to say, however, that I have everything all figured out now. I still desire more prayer, research and Bible studies in order to prove some of the things that are still up in the air. I think I owe it to myself to be completely sure before I make a firm decision either way. I hope the next few years will be a refining process for me where I can grow into deeper truths and shed those things I might be wrong about.
So what does all this have to do with my church?
Because so many beliefs I once held have now changed, I find myself in the sticky situation of no longer having much in common with the people at my church other than our shared roots and love for one another. I find myself torn between my loyalty to my life-long church and my loyalty to my God-given convictions – and the irony that I’m forced to choose between them doesn’t escape me. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, if you’ve ever been where I am now, I suspect you are aware that this is a dilemma of heartbreaking proportions.
I will be the first to admit that being unhappy with and rarely attending one's church is damaging to one's spiritual life. Perhaps there are those who are able to survive out in the wilderness where it’s just them and God, but I’m not one of those people. I need the Body of Christ in order to thrive.
So what am I doing now?
That's a good question. I'm praying. And waiting. And reading the Word. I feel as if I'm at a crucial decision-making crossroads, and I don't want to walk a step without clear direction from God. However, I remain confident that He will send me an answer in His perfect timing.
I have worked through most of the bitterness and hurt that comes with disillusionment. That’s not to say it doesn’t crop up every now and then, but when it does, I don’t make camp there. This experience has made me vividly aware of my own failures and shortcomings, so it helps to remember those when I’m tempted to point the finger of blame or throw up my hands in frustration.
In the meantime, I'm taking steps to correct the ways I let my walk with God stagnate during the past couple of months. One of those steps includes finding a mentor that I can lean on for accountability, prayer and guidance. (I am now taking applications, by the way :)
I want to be real.
Up until recently, I hid this struggle of mine from you. However, as time went on, I kept feeling like more and more of a hypocrite. I feel accountable to you, and I was uncomfortable with anything less than total honesty with you, thus my confession. I withheld it for so long because I dreaded the confusion and controversy I was pretty sure would ensue, but in the end I felt like you deserved nothing but full disclosure. I might not have been right about that. Maybe I should've have kept that hidden and gone on pretending. Maybe I am too honest for my own good. Either way, it's too late now for regrets.
If you'll allow me room and patience, I'll continue sharing this journey of mine with you. I'll share insights I gain, doubts I have, lessons I always learn the hard way. If, however, you prefer to hear only from the happy go lucky blogger and not the deep, wrestling thinker as well, that can also be arranged. (Don’t worry though, the happy go lucky blogger hasn’t disappeared; she just isn’t laughing right now. I’m certain we’ll see her again pretty soon though.) One thing's for sure - this blog is important to me, you are important to me, and I don't intend to quit. I haven't forgotten that you are the reason why I'm here (although I’d like to think that maybe God had a little something to do with that too?), and I don't intend to make you regret casting your vote for me.
That leads me into two quick, important points.
I must thank the good folks at ninetyandnine.com for trusting me to write this blog. That is not to say that because I write for them that they agree with everything I write. Did you catch that? Just because my opinions appear on this blog, that does not necessarily mean that ninetyandnine.com endorses each of them. What they do endorse is my right - everyone's right, really – to honestly discuss issues that affect our daily Christian lives, even if we agree to disagree on certain issues sometimes.
Second, not every writer or website I link to shares all of our basic Apostolic beliefs. If and when they do, I try to point that out, but that may not always be the case. Just like many of you who write articles for ninetyandnine.com and quote people who may or may not agree with our Apostolic doctrines in order to support or disprove a point, the same holds true for any person or site I link to on this blog. Just because I agree with something a person says, that doesn't mean I concur with everything he or she believes. As always, I encourage you to read the links and come to your own conclusions via scripture.
I'll wrap things up now since this has been a long (but hopefully more clarifying) post. Remember - can I say it one more time? - I always welcome your questions and feedback. Until tomorrow!
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Short Lived Comments
As you can tell, we here at the Just a Little Bit Odd Studios have decided to turn the comments off. Not because we aren't interested in what you have to say, but because some of the discussions were venturing beyond ninetyandnine and this site's daily Christian living mandates.
So, as always, if you'd like to share your thoughts with me, just do it the old-fashioned way and e-mail me. Who knows? I may even post them up on this blog and you could become famous just like me!
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out of Church Christians: Part 5
[Editor's Note: This the fifth and last part of a series examining the phenomenon of large numbers of Christians leaving the organized church in order to preserve their faith. To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here. To read Part 3, click here. To read Part 4, click here.]
With this final installment, I hope to explore some solutions as to what can be done about this problem. That’s what this series has been all about – recognizing the problem so we can find some answers. However, before I begin, I want to make sure you know what this series isn’t all about:
This isn’t an indictment of all churches nor of organized religion in general.
I have to say that the majority of those of you who write me are solidly planted in wonderful churches that have a great and continuous impact on your walk with God and your community. Most of you are enthusiastic and glowing when you tell me about your churches, your pastor, your activities there, etc. Therefore, I think that while we can all admit that organized religion has its flaws, it’s obvious that God is using and working through institutional religion despite them. In fact, we know that God has always used flawed vessels to bring about His will.
This isn’t a license to whine or complain.
Like a few other out of church Christians, I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of whining a time or two, “God, this church just isn’t meeting my needs.” I don't think He has a whole lot of patience with self-pity because the answer came back really suddenly and really clear: “Focus on meeting my needs, and I’ll take care of yours,” which I took to be a paraphrasing of Matt. 10:39. A sensitive examination of those who have been hurt by the church from the point of view of both the pastor the saint reveals that there is even a certain luxury in being wounded by the church. Legitimate hurts or concerns have never been a reason to stop trusting, stop praying or stop being obedient to the commands of scripture. Now, moving on . . .
What can be done to correct the many problems and difficulties of the institutional church so that those who have left will return and those who desire to leave will stay?
I am not the first person to bandy this question around, nor will I be the last. Men and women much wiser than I have written millions of articles and thousands of books on this subject, each of them asking and then trying to answer this very same question. A quick jaunt around some of these writings reveals that everybody thinks they know the answer, but few of them agree. Therefore, I don’t presume to be able to answer such a huge question in one humble blog entry. However, there are two solutions that make the most sense to me:
The Three Rs: Reformation, Revival and Revolution
Andrew Strom thinks we need reformation and revival. In his booklet, The Out of Church Christians, in a chapter entitled, “Is Revival the Answer?” he states,
“With the realization that thousands of people are leaving today's churches, many leaders want some kind of ‘answer’ that will bring them back again . . . They do not realize that many of these out-of-church people are not interested in returning to ‘church as we know it.’ They are waiting for a new move – an entirely new ‘Church’ – something transformed by the power of God. In fact, it is clear that they want something far closer to the original church of the Bible. What they are talking about is large-scale reformation and revival, something that will take us back to the full vitality, the faith and the power of the early Christians."
Meanwhile, Frank Viola thinks we need a revolution. In this article entitled, “Jesus, the Revolutionary,” he states,
“Renewing and inventing new forms for church is like changing clothes on a mannequin. Doing so will never give it life no matter how avant-garde the garb is. No, the axe must be laid to the root of the problem and a revolution ignited! What is needed is a complete upheaval of our current Christian practices. All traditions that find no soil in scripture must be forever abandoned. We must begin anew . . . from ground zero. Anything less will prove defective.”
A Plea for Wisdom and Caution
While I agree that great change is needed, change that happens too fast can be damaging. (I can’t claim credit for those wise words because that was a repetition of what someone told me recently.) If we wanted to, we could certainly put our best effort into making these things happen; however, we should remember that the purest and most sincere of human intentions have always been a poor substitute for God’s perfect will and timing. If you, like me, desire a change, then I would encourage you to join me in praying, “Not my will be done Lord, but thine. . .”
And that’s the best solution I could come up with. Do you have a suggestion? If so, hit the link below and shoot me an e-mail.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Please Excuse Me While I Have a Soap Opera Episode
Oops. My aunt took me to task for a too hurriedly written paragraph in my last post:
"First, I don't think you 'slept around.' You made a mistake; a really short-lived mistake with a long consequence. For my sake, and yours and [hers], please re-think that sentence, 'get what you deserved.' Having a baby out of wedlock definitely was an error, but I don't think you should say it in that manner . . . I'm not criticizing, but it hurts me to hear it stated like that. Besides, if you're getting what you deserve, you must admit that parents that love you and back you up, a beautiful, smart, loving child and a good job with better prospects to come*, you must deserve a good deal because it is a good thing."
She's right. Instead of getting what I deserved (thank you, merciful God!), I got a beautiful little miracle instead. Thank goodness for wise family members who will keep me in check. Thank you, Auntie!
*Results not typical. We highly recommend that you not try this at home unless accompanied by a spouse.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Bits ‘N’ Pieces
Time for my semi-regular odds ‘n’ ends post! I am working on the final installment of my Out of Church Christians series which will explore solutions to the problems I’ve examined, but until I get it published, here are some little pieces of my world this week:
Pentecostals and Peace
I have to admit it; I haven’t been happy with one thing Bush has done since I helped vote him into office. One article in this week’s edition of ninetyandnine entitled, “Send Judah First: A Pentecostal Perspective on Peace” is a nice alternative to all the Op/Ed articles and blogs I read who are oh so gung-ho for the war in Iraq. I wasn’t a ninetyandnine reader when it was first published in March 2003, but I believe its conclusion still remains relevant today. If you haven’t read it yet, go check it out.
Spring Break
A journalist in the Houston Chronicle yesterday wrote about the adventures of four guys on Spring Break in South Padre Island. Said one of the guys, “The goal each night is to end up with somebody other than the partner you came with, to end up with a stranger.”
You know . . . if, somewhere down the road, I’m reading about what life is like for that guy coping with AIDs or an STD, I’m going to have a real hard time feeling Christian compassion for him. When you sleep around, you deserve what you get – just like I deserved what I got for that.
The Dizzying World of Sports
Bradley over at The Bench Warmer is hosting a bracket pool for the NCAA tournament. Despite the fact that I have no idea what NCAA stands for and have no clue what a bracket pool is, I was going to be a good sport and sign up anyway. However, I got sidetracked and missed the deadline. (Sorry, Bradley! I’ll do better next time!) I see the winner will get a fantastic prize, so head on over there and see who wins. Apparently the competition is pretty fierce, pitting ninetyandnine staffers against Bradley’s readers. Hey, isn’t that a little like sending in Care Bears to brawl against Hell’s Angels?
Just kidding . . .
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Christian Carnival
Ever heard of the Christian Carnival? If not, it's basically a place where Christian bloggers all over the blogosphere can submit a link to a post he or she wrote in the past week and have it read by all bloggers and readers in the Christian Carnival. This week's Carnival is being hosted by ChristWeb, and if you check him out, you'll get to read fascinating thoughts from Christian bloggers everywhere.
(And yes, you just might see this blog in there too.)
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
A Great Big Thank You
Wow! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who e-mailed me or commented your show of support. You may not agree with me, you may have no clue where I’m coming from, but you proved that you are Christians who truly care about one of your own. Honestly, I can’t say that I’m surprised by the amount of wisdom, love and concern you expressed when you wrote; it’s something I’ve learned to expect from the best people in the world.
Give me some time; I hope to respond and thank you all personally. Also, as soon as I get a minute to do a little research and put a coherent thought together, I’d like to do a blog or two discussing solutions: How can we stop the outflux of our congregations and how can we get back those who have left?
Of course, my opinion will be just one among millions, so if you’d like, e-mail or post your answer to those questions. As always, if you disagree with my point of view or would like to express a word of caution or perhaps an “other side of the story” anecdote, I want to hear from you as well. We here at the Just a Little Bit Odd studios don’t (or try not to) feel threatened in any way by disagreement (maybe because we’re all so stubborn?) and believe that a healthy, Christ-centered discussion only serves to make us all more informed and better thinkers.
So, until my next post, fire away!
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out of Church Christians: Part 4
Whoever said confession is good for the soul wasn’t a blogger.
I mean, it’s one thing to confess something highly personal to a trusted confidante. It’s quite another altogether to confess the same for the whole world to read. However, I’ve thought and thought and thought some more and decided I owed it to you to be as honest as possible and tell you the real reason why I’ve devoted so much time to reviewing Andrew Strom’s booklet, The Out of Church Christians.
I had planned to wrap up my review of the booklet tonight by summarizing Chapters 7, 8, 9 & 10, but I couldn’t get any decent thoughts out. Something kept telling me it was time to confess. So, confess I will.
My confession is that there’s a lot in Strom’s booklet for me to relate to, especially chapter nine entitled, “The ‘In-Church’ Out of Church Christians.” I suppose that’s why I found the booklet to be such a tear-jerker – many of the e-mails in it could easily have been written by me.
Like the folks who wrote the e-mails, I could tell you some horror stories; and I could give you a whole list of specifics that would justify my position and make you feel sorry for me, but that’s not my purpose. Suffice it to say that my church has become very irrelevant to me in the past year or so. Its focus seems to have disintegrated into little other than looking good on the outside and looking down on other churches who disagree with our way of doing things. That's an easy assessment, but I'm not sure it's so much that it's changed as it is that I've changed. I feel stuck in the status quo and unchallenged to really grow in God. I’m sick of my self-absorption, my complacency and my mediocrity, and yet my church is a place that fosters those things. "Do everything the pastor says, and you'll be saved" doesn't cut it for me anymore. Perhaps the worst thing about my church is that although I have several friends outside the church (Blonde Moment included) who seem hungry to know the truth I take for granted, I don’t feel comfortable inviting any of them to attend services with me.
I’ve spent many nights crying into my pillow, begging God to change my mind if I’m wrong. How much happier I was in my days of blissful ignorance and blind obedience! This is also an uncomfortable, uncertain state of mind in which I find myself: after all, if I’m right, how come I seem to be the only one with these feelings? I’m certainly no supersaint; how is it that I seem to be the only one who sees these things?
That’s not to say it’s all bad – I agree with many of my church’s basic teachings, having tested them scripturally and found them to be sound. I’m thankful that my church still holds certain positions because many of them are unpopular even among other Apostolics. The people in my church are also some of the greatest in the world, so when I speak of problems, I speak in general terms of the church culture, not any one individual. There is not one person down there whom I don’t love wholly and completely and would do anything for.
I don’t attend church very often anymore. When I do go – because I know I need to – I’m miserable. The whole service is an exhausting struggle to suppress resentment and bitterness and have the right spirit. I’m not sure the answer is to leave. In looking around at other churches in my area, I’m afraid they are too much like my own for me to be happy at any of them. There are also many dangers in leaving the institutional church for good (Strom expounds upon them in Chapter 8), and I’m not sure my weak flesh would survive.
Most of my prayers these days are requests for direction, for purpose, for God’s will. For the most part I feel lost; the future looks bleak; I begin to doubt and wonder if I’ll ever fit in anywhere. I long to take my place in the Body of Christ, but is there a place for me? Lord, I’ll be a hair on a pinkie, if You’ll just give me a place!
Reading Andrew Strom’s booklet and other writings was, for me, the first time I’ve felt a shred of hope in months, maybe even since I've been feeling this way. That’s the reason why I’ve devoted so much effort and enthusiasm in making you aware of his booklet. Not only was it comforting to find out I’m not the only one with similar thoughts, it was as if God Himself turned on a light for me and said, “Hang on a little longer! Don’t despair! See what I have in store for you?”
I must admit I’m still a little skeptical, although I’d like to believe that God has a massive revival coming soon for His church. It certainly makes sense that this would be the case, but what if Strom and all these other millions of people are wrong? That’s certainly a possibility as well. Yet, for some reason, I don’t feel as if I have a choice but to believe. It’s either that or keep on in mind-numbing religion and tradition, and frankly, the latter isn’t really much of an option at all.
So, there you have it, my whole heart exposed for you to see! I hope you aren’t too disappointed with me. If I’ve built up a pretense that everything’s great, and I have it all figured out, then I’m sorry. That’s not the case at all, as you can see. I plan on being a lot more honest with you from now on if you decide to keep reading this blog. If not, I hope you’ll include me in your prayers tonight anyway.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
In Mourning for a Great Man
I just received the news: Reverend Nathaniel A. Urshan, former UPCI General Superintendent, passed away at 1:55 P.M. (CST) today. Please be in prayer for the Urshan family during this difficult time. For more information, visit: http://wnop.org/na_urshan.asp
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Well . . . !
My blogging host, www.blogger.com, informs me that it is having issues with some people being unable to access the commenting section of certain blogs. Apparently, some you are unable to access them on my site as well.
I'm disappointed, but hang tight. Hopefully the web gurus who know a whole lot more than I do about this stuff will get it fixed soon.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Wendy's Guidelines for Commenting
Yes, we here at the Just a Little Bit Odd Studio have decided to let you begin posting your comments on this blog. We welcome your comments, but ask that you please follow my Guidelines for Commenting:
- Keep in mind at all times that you are conversing with your brothers and sisters in the Lord. Please state your opinion with courtesy and kindness. Remember, there is life and death in the tongue (as in the keyboard). Write your words with the intention to edify the body of Christ.
- Not everyone who reads my blog is Apostolic, so keep that in mind as well. People from all walks of life are welcome to comment.
- All opinions are welcome and respected here. Disagreement, either with me or another person is inevitable. However, please state your disagreement with thoughtfulness and consideration, and if possible, provide support for your opinions. Anything construed as a personal attack on another person will be removed by me and a reprimand will be issued.
- Please stay on topic. If you feel the need to vent or rant about whatever happens to be on your mind, feel free send me an e-mail instead.
- Absolutely no cursing is allowed! Any comments with curse words will be removed. Search your vocabulary for better words that can be substituted to express a strong opinion.
Hopefully these guidelines will make for a positive experience for everyone. Thank you in advance for following them. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out-of-Church Christians: Part 3
[Editor's Note: This the second part of a series examining the phenomenon of large numbers of Christians leaving the organized church in order to preserve their faith. To read Part 1, click here. To read Part 2, click here.]
Why are the pews emptying out in Britian? This Lifesite article provides a clue:
“The results of the year-long survey of 14,000 UK residents by the interdenominational Ecumenical Research Committee has been called ‘surprising’ . . . 91% of responses followed a uniform theme that the decline in traditional Christian moral and doctrinal teaching has caused the outflux of congregations . . . Thousands of letters also cited the lack of emphasis on the holiness of God and the need for personal moral conversion. The desire for teaching on holiness was prevalent and has been influenced, said the authors, by Mel Gibson’s film, the Passion of the Christ.”
(Now that’s an eyebrow raiser for this Passion skeptic!)
The article ended with the statement, “The survey has supported what Christians themselves have been saying for decades, that there is little point in attending a church whose message is no different from that of the materialistic secular world.”
Holiness. Teaching. Morality. Real Christianity. People really seem to want it. Who knew?
Sadly, as evidenced by “The Out-of-Church Christians,” the booklet by Andrew Strom that I’m reviewing, people don’t seem to be finding it. Chapters 3, 4, 5 & 6 detail the reasons why over 112 million people around the world have left their churches in recent years, with some parts being truly heartbreaking to read.
Check out some of the comments Mr. Strom received:
Country Club Christianity
“Church is social time. Time to dress-up and participate in ‘holy’ gossip. The gifts are denied, there's no concern for the true needs of the brethren, and sin is candy-coated . . .”
That’s one of the smaller gripes. Here’s one of the biggies:
“I am no longer hungry for Jesus, I am starving for Him, and He isn't in my local churches!”
Greedy God
I wonder what God thinks of churches that mention Him every now and then, but never welcome Him in. I know I’d be outside wondering, “Are they saying bad things about me?” Well, very likely so, because another huge problem people have is that of “Greedy God”:
“We have seen . . . the biggest doctrine of our generation: if you just give more money, all your problems will be solved, or worse, He will heal you, fix your marriage, flood you with lots of money, etc.”
Or maybe we should call him . . .
Wall Street Jesus
Just in case you don’t like the Jesus we’ve got already. But if you’re poor (like me) run and hide. Because, according to Wall Street Jesus, if you don’t have much money, he doesn’t have much use for you:
“‘Bob, don't worry,’ [said one man’s associate pastor]. ‘If he should quit coming to church, it will be no great loss. He doesn't tithe that much anyway.’”
Read it and weep. No wonder (the real) God is ready for the whole mess to come crashing down. But wait, it gets worse:
Get out your magnifying glasses and take a look at these men.
“There was so much spiritual abuse/control over us. If we did not conform to the pastor’s & leaders’ wishes (even if they were contrary to scripture) then we were ignored or ostracized. We dared not question anything.”
Ai yi yi! Now that one’s hitting a little close to home! How many messages have I heard preaching against questioning the pastor? How contrary to Paul, whom the magnifying glass of scrutiny scared not a bit! I should echo Jason Dulle here and say that there’s a difference between questioning authority and challenging it. (That link was free, by the way. No charge.)
And ye shall receive the spirit of the “Have-to Ghost”
Many simply became exhausted by the endless cycle of church program after church program where participation was expected. Maybe this was the church where people were being filled with the “Have-to Spirit”:
“There are so many programs being brought in. I heard prayers like, ‘Father, I pray that everyone here will come up under these new programs and be a team player, and if they don't then get them out of my church.’ That one broke something in me that I can't explain.”
Please don’t puke on your keyboard!
Gag reflex working over time yet? Lay a warm washcloth over your forehead and read some good news:
“Our little group has been free to do all sorts of ministry that we probably would never have done . . . had we been busy with church activities . . . We organized and participate in a group that works with the incarcerated young people in the local boot camp. We've worked with the local youth. Three of us serve on the board of a ministry which is an outreach to the community. We support, both financially and spiritually, a local missionary to Mozambique. We sponsored a women's retreat. I teach a Bible class weekly at a local assisted living facility while another of our group is the CWA regional chairperson. One has become a licensed drug counselor and is doing Christian drug counseling. Another has a retreat center as her business. We are doing what we could not do if we were in a traditional church. If four older women can have this much ministry, just think what could happen if people stopped looking at the back of each other's heads and started taking the great commission seriously.”
Yeah, just think. Taking the Great Commission seriously? What a novel idea!
Can we go out to eat afterwards?
(Tomorrow -- keeping in mind that 'tomorrow' around this blog is pretty subjective: More good news and a warning.)
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out-of-Church Christians: Part 3 . . .
. . . is coming really soon, I promise! In it, I'll be discussing Chapters 3, 4, 5 & 6, so if you want to have a clue beforehand, grab some Kleenex and go here.
On second thought, grab a couple of boxes of Kleenex. Yes, it really is that bad.
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Really Good at Bad Jokes
Argh! It's been one of those days! I can't get anyone to return my phone calls! Which means I still don't have my books for my classes starting next week, my office still doesn't have water, and Dimples still has my Cheddar's gift certificate! The phone keeps ringing off the wall, but not with people I need to talk to! Argh!
So, as always, I'm in need of some comic relief. How 'bout this joke I just made up:
Look up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Androgynous Man! . . . Or is it Androgynous Woman? It's hard to tell . . .
Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out-of-Church Christians: Part 2
[Editor's Note: This the second part of a series examining the phenomenon of large numbers of Christians leaving the organized church in order to preserve their faith. To read Part 1, click here.]
Over thirteen million people in the United States and a total of 112 million people worldwide have left the church in recent years. So what’s going on? It is the “great falling away” spoken of in the scriptures? Or could it be of God?
In Chapter Two of the booklet I’m reviewing, author Andrew Strom reveals that he believes God is calling many people out of the church into what he describes as “the wilderness.” After telling of his own wilderness experience, he reminds us of Moses, David, John the Baptist and other men whom God called into the wilderness to prepare them for leadership. As we all know, the wilderness experiences of these men often pre-empted massive changes God was about to introduce to His people, such as the exodus of the Israelites in the OT or the coming of Jesus in the NT. Strom believes that God is calling many people away from the church and “into the wilderness” for a time to prepare their hearts to lead a coming reformation and massive global revival where God will restore mainstream Christianity back to its Apostolic roots and purity of doctrine.
That’s a grand hypothesis, and I have to admit I’m still a little skeptical, although I’d certainly like to wholeheartedly believe that! When I think it through on a “big picture” level, however, some things are clear:
- Christians in other churches are just as valued by God as Christians in Apostolic churches.
- God makes no distinction between religious labels nor who has correct doctrine and who doesn’t.
- If a person is searching for God, they are guaranteed to find Him.
(All these, of course, should be givens. You’ve heard this before, hopefully.)
I think we Apostolics have been much too quick to write off Christians in non-A/P churches as not really desiring the whole truth, being blinded by false doctrine, being satisfied with a watered-down doctrine, etc. This is only way to reason away the fact that God was not revealing to seemingly otherwise wonderful people the same great truth that He had revealed to us. In other words, since there was nothing wrong with our doctrine, there must be something wrong with them.
In recent years I haven’t been as satisfied with that simplistic answer to such a hard question. Even a cursory examination of Christians in other churches will reveal that they are just like us in many ways – people who, for the most part were born and raised in their respective religions or they were converted and their lives were truly changed; genuine Christians just trying to do the best they can; Christians just believing what they’d always been taught by their beloved leaders; Christians who took someone else’s word for it and followed the traditions of the church rather than reading the Bible and thinking for themselves.
- Therefore, if A/Ps are truly correct in their salvational doctrine (and I believe we are or else I wouldn’t be Apostolic), then it stands to reason that God would want every faithful Christian to gain the knowledge of this truth.
- It further stands to reason that God would call such people out of their respective churches to get them away from all the “clutter” in order to reveal this truth to them personally because they’re unlikely to hear this sort of thing anywhere else.
- If God heard the cry of the Israelites during their suffering in Egypt, if it was important to Him that His people not remain in bondage, doesn’t it make sense that He would hear the cries of his true followers around the world? After all, 112 million people is almost 45 times the number of the estimated 2.5 million people God led out of Egypt for the Promised Land. This isn’t to say that numbers impress God, but it’s impossible for Him to turn a deaf ear on even one hungry soul, much less intervene due to millions upon millions of combined prayers.
So what does this mean for us as Apostolics? As you will see in Part 3 (coming tomorrow), many of the reasons why people left their respective churches are due to problems that are often present in our own Apostolic churches in varying degrees. (And don’t think people aren’t leaving our churches as well, because they are.) So the question is, why?
Questions, comments, concerns?
E-mail me! I reserve the right to quote you unless you ask otherwise.
Out-of-Church Christians: Part 1
About two weeks ago I wrote this entry about the worldwide phenomenon of Christians leaving the institutional churches in droves. Because of that post, one of my readers sent me a link to this online booklet called “The Out-of-Church Christians” written by Andrew Strom, one of the men quoted in the CharismaNOW article I linked to in that post.
Said my reader, “Might want to check out this site and articles. I have been studying for about a year and it does make much sense.” Curious, I sat down to briefly skim the booklet and . . . several hours and a few tears later, I had to rate it as one of the most interesting articles I’ve ever read.
The following post (and subsequent posts) delves deeply into that article. As you will see, it deals with some themes that some of you may find, shall we say, quite startling, disturbing, unconventional, flaky, or even downright false. Therefore, I urge you to "test the spirits" and "search the scriptures" to see if these things might be so. As always, I bring you the facts, my opinions and ultimately leave it in your hands to make up your minds. (And don't forget that comments are always welcome.)
Who Is Andrew Strom?
Andrew Strom is a revival historian, preacher/teacher, rock musician and self-proclaimed prophet who operates a website called www.revivalschool.com. However, any cursory reading of the articles on his websites quickly shows he’s no fly-by-night quack -- or if he is, he does an award-winning job of faking otherwise. Consider this article on his website that asks the questions, “How many in our churches today are really walking in Salvation? And why do we preach “ask Jesus into your heart” when nothing like it is found in the Bible?” Then, in this article he clearly spells out exactly what God revealed to him as to what comprises a complete new birth experience.
After emphasizing the importance of repentance, Strom says, “Likewise I am convinced that Baptism in the Holy Spirit (accompanied by ‘speaking in tongues’) is essential. It is not just an option.” On baptism, he comes to this rather amusing conclusion, “I believe that if they felt it was important in Acts to speak the name of Jesus Christ over people as they were baptized, then I should do it too. I am not legalistic about the need for this, but personally these days I baptize people 'in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ'. (To make sure all the bases are covered).” How exciting! Strom may not have come to these conclusions by the same route we Apostolics have, but by golly, he certainly got there! (And just so you know, I sent him an e-mail commenting that while a Oneness theology dovetails beautifully with baptism in Jesus' name, Trinitarian theology does not :)
Why is What Andrew Strom Has to Say Important?
Strom’s first "hands-on" experience with the growing exodus of Christians from the institutional church began in March 2003 when he was invited to speak on a radio show about the growing tide he was witnessing of Christians leaving the church yet still holding to a strong relationship with God. At the same time, he also wrote about this phenomenon in an e-mail he sent to those on his ministry’s international e-mail list. At the time, he had no idea of the size or scope of this "movement" (for lack of a better description), but following the radio broadcast and the e-mail, he reported an unexpectedly large “deluge” of e-mails in response.
Due to those e-mails – primary sources, you could call them – Strom was in a unique position to determine exactly who was leaving organized churches and why. Those reasons could have – and it is my opinion that they will have – an enormous impact on the future of the church, which is precisely why I’m writing this entry. The remainder of this entry will be a very detailed synopsis and critique of Andrew’s booklet. In writing this, I hope to convey why I think the information contained in Mr. Strom’s booklet is so important for Apostolic believers to be aware of. I anticipate this will be a rather long entry, so I will probably be breaking it up into parts.
Andrew’s book begins with small sampling of the e-mails he received in response to his radio interview and mass e-mail. They comprise a cursory explanation for the reasons why people have left the church, who is leaving, what they are doing now, and then merely hints at things to come.
[Editor’s Note: The grammar, punctuation and spelling of these quotes were edited for easier reading. Everything else was taken straight from the booklet as-is.]
“We are desperate for Him”
From South Africa: “I love the Lord with all my heart, but Christians and modern day Christianity or ‘churchianity’ gets on my nerves. I too am tired of all the programmes and never once seeing or feeling that God is in control. I desperately want to know God again and to really know His will.”
From the USA: “I read an explanation of why the phenomenon [of out-of-church Christians] is growing. They say that we are lone rangers, backsliders, not team players, have bitter root judgments . . . This can't be further from the truth. When we have been attending church, we find: No God, no power, no gospel, bad agendas, poor leadership, bad teaching, bad programs, no Christ, no healing, no miracles; just a struggle for personal power and control . . .”
From Canada: “[In the many churches I’ve visited] it's as if all I can hear are sobbing people and the rattling of chains all around me, yet everyone is smiling and singing of how God has freed them and filled them with joy.”
From the USA: “In America, in certain cities, the out of church Christians are probably higher in number than the in-church Christians. It is a phenomenal occurrence . . . I feel as a missionary evangelist that there are so many church programs with little or none of the presence of the Lord in the churches and that is the reason people leave them. There is little prayer and what prayer there is is void of passion and power and fire.”
From the USA: “The cry of our hearts is not to live on our memories of incredible intimacy with God in years past, but to discover Him anew and in deeper ways than ever before. We are desperate for Him. In light of that hunger, the emptiness of our church experience, a church we'd attended for 17 years, was more than we could bear.”
It isn’t the “bad” saints who are leaving . . .
From New Zealand: “I would agree with you - the accusations of ‘backslider’ and others are quite inaccurate and unhelpful. From what I have seen they are actually asking the hard questions in order to deepen, continue in and better integrate their faith.”
From Japan: “In the old days, we would give messages about that kind of person [who leaves the church] and say that they were lacking in commitment, and how you have to be planted in the one place, and how everything God wants to do He does through the local church, etc. So people who dropped out of church were always seen as having not much to offer, but there are tons of them out there. I have chatted recently and am surprised that a lot of people who do want fellowship and love God don't go to a church regularly.”
From the USA: “You would be very surprised at the number of very high-level, gifted and mature Christian leaders who are not attending regular church here in Southern California.”
. . . and many are former leaders!
From the USA: “My husband and I have been Christians for 30 years, home group leaders for much of that time; my husband has also been a worship leader for most of that time . . .”
From Scotland: “We were formerly leaders in our local fellowship . . .”
From the USA: “I am still in church leadership and music ministry in a traditional church setting, but many very anointed and prophetically gifted friends of mine have had their fill of ‘playing church’ and have ‘opted out’ of organized religion.”
From the USA: “We know many who have left the church who are committed as prayer warriors, intercessors, missionaries, and worshippers [who are] wanting to share their gifts from God.”
From Canada: “I've been an out of church believer for over seven years. I'm also a non-denominational ordained minister.”
Many have joined home churches or cell groups . . .
From Scotland: “We are a group of four Christians who meet in our respective homes . . . Most were leaders in their fellowships. We were with a group last night of two families with about eight or nine meeting in a home.”
From the USA: “My husband and I hosted a care group about seven years ago with 15 couples. Only three of them still attend church.”
From the USA: “I and my family are some of the, I believe, millions who have left the church system . . . We still, at His direction, do the works of the Church: meeting the needs of others and sharing His truth.”
From Zimbabwe: “There are many of us who have felt ‘called out of the church’ and group together for home cells where there are about 12 folks together. Then once a month we meet up with others, but have a very strong prayer network and are in contact daily with each other, as needs are great here in Zimbabwe.”
From the USA: “I can't tell you how many times I have been treated like I am not going to heaven because I am not attending church. So, the sad part is, where do we take our gifts, our tithes, and our love - but out to the streets?”
From New Zealand: “I work alongside people who have left churches as my job, under the umbrella name of Spirited Exchanges. I facilitate a couple of groups for people to process what has gone on for them in churches and to struggle with the faith and church issues.”
. . . and they wonder if perhaps God has something do with all this.
From the USA: “I feel in my heart that this mass of hungry and Christ-following people is Go