Neo-Conservatism???

The July issue of the Banner, a monthly magazine for the CRC, contained this article about the recent crop of ministers entering ordained ministry in the CRC. In so many ways, this editorial beautifully describes the very mindset and philosophy that I myself am embracing with regard to my own personal ministry. Thank God I’m not alone…because so often I feel as if I am. Happy reading…

Editorial

Applauding New Conservatives

by Bob De Moor

Some delegates to synod (the annual meeting of the Christian Reformed Church) feel the need to speak to every issue. That would be fine except that there are up to 188 delegates plus additional panels of ethnic, women, and seminary faculty advisers as well. There are hundreds of issues needing to be processed. Do the math. If some speak a lot, others can’t get a word in edgewise.

Years ago, as a delegate, I talked too much. Now I get to atone for that. Serving on The Banner news team, I have to keep quiet. It hurts. But it’s good discipline. Gives me a whole new perspective on what happens there as I listen and reflect. I have more time to do that up in the peanut gallery. I’m not distracted by trying to formulate what I want to say next or by worming my way back onto the speakers’ list during prime (political) time: just before someone proposes to cease debate. They who speak last speak best. . . .

At this year’s synod I noticed a new breed of “conservative” gaining a stronger voice in our denomination. I applaud that development. It bodes well for our future.

What’s new about them?

• They tend to be young(er)—most in their late 20s to early 40s, although I met some already past retirement age.
• While they hold some traditional conservative values such as male headship in the home and the foundational role of the nuclear family, they are doing some fresh thinking on how to be part of a church and culture that is increasingly moving away from traditional roles for women.
• They are entrepreneurial, eager to explore new and culturally relevant ways of reaching out to and gathering in those who do not yet know Christ.
• They love Reformed identity and confessions but aren’t stuck on tradition—many at synod showed themselves to be more than willing to overturn centuries of Reformed church practice with respect to children and communion, “fighting words” within the Heidelberg Catechism against Catholic teaching, and Church Order regulations concerning women in church office.
• They think with their guts as well as their heads—they represent a warmer, caring kind of conservatism that replaces rock-hard doctrinalism with a deeper piety and a stronger sense of mission.
• They’re not about to leave—they value the unity of the Body as much as their “progressive” counterparts do; they don’t insist that everyone agrees with them, just that the church leaves room for them in matters of conscience (something I heard referred to as “complementarity”).

Watch for them. They call more traditional conservatives and progressives alike to value our biblical and Reformed identity and to be more creative, energetic, and intentional about discipling others and doing church. They don’t ask everybody in the CRC to agree with them, just to respect them and their views so that we can work together as the mind and hands and feet of Jesus in this world.

Let’s bless them for it.

Author

Bob De Moor
Rev. Bob De Moor is editor of The Banner and theological editor for Faith Alive Christian Resources.

Filed under: Random

My Vision Explained, Pt. 1b

The Great Commission is so often misunderstood that churches will split and ministers will be released over the implementation of such passages. Here is where I more effectively describe
the principles and interpretations that create the basis for my vision (perhaps motto) of ministry.

The Great Commission states:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always,
to the very end off the age.

There are three primary tasks the Church has been charged with based on the Great Commission.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…”
This is the key evangelical phrase in the Commission. However, there is more to it than just evangelism. Through this first phrase, the Church is being blatantly told that passively standing in the shadows of society educating its own members is strongly forbidden. Also, merely taking the occasional offering for a missionary or two and praying for overseas missions is not nearly enough.

The Church is expected to be actively doing evangelism. The primary task of the Church – either locally or globally – is to actively spread the gospel throughout the entire world – both at home and abroad. The command is not to “give and make disciples” or “pray and make disciples,” but to “go and make disciples.” Action is required.

A Great Commission Church is a church that goes out into the community. They develop programs and ministries that will spread the message of Christ to the unbelievers of their neighborhoods. Not only that, but they in addition to financially and prayfully supporting a variety of overseas missions, they regularly send teams of their own members to places outside their community to minister alongside of, or even independently of, evangelical organizations or individuals (high school missions trips are not enough).

Even though the emphasis here is certainly on outreach, there is a certain amount of education that must take in order for the outreach efforts to really be effective. Active participation in outreach certainly helps to solidify what is being taught in the Sunday school classroom; and the Sunday school classroom experience is never complete without knowledge being put into action.

“…baptizing them…”
But the Great Commission is not solely about evangelizing as many tend to believe. The Church cannot sustain if all it does is lead people to a relationship with Christ. Eventually, the Church will be left with “baby-Christians” incapable of leading or educating. So the second part of the Great Commission deals with discipling recent converts and leading guiding them to spiritual growth. This is a necessary step for ensuring that they will not break under the pressure of Satan’s attacks and temptation. This is Christian education, but in a very rudimentary sense.

“…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded…”
Many refer to this step as the equipping stage. For more traditional or liturgically minded congregations this is the aim of catechism and children’s Sunday school. However, once again, Sunday school programs are often not enough. The goal Sunday school in most of our churches is to provide a well-rounded, solid Biblical education for those attending class. Whether or not the student puts any of this knowledge into practice once he steps out the door is not much of a concern.

Christ expects more from us. He expects us to learn what he requires and then obey it (another action word). A Great Commission church is not content with simply knowing the answers; a Great Commission Church desires to see/experience their faith at work in the world – to have a tangible, experiencial encounter with God working through them. A Great Commission Church actually has the audacity to expect that God will do something great through them. But it will only happen if the Church puts itself on the line.

———————————————————–

A Great Commission Church is a wonderful church to be a part of. It is my dream to serve Great Commission Churches and to help lead non-Great Commmission Churches to develop a Great Commission Mission. This is what I believe Christ has called His Church to be and do. As a minister, I do not feel that I can legitimately lead a congregation in a status quo manner; I must remain faithful to the Biblical call of the Church and I must press my congregation to do the same – joyfully, willfully, and with much anticipation…

Filed under: Random

My Vision Explained, Pt. 1a

There are two parts to my “vision.”

1. Great Commission Christian
2. Great Commission Church

I feel it may be necessary to break these two parts down and explain them more fully for someone to be able to understand the true nature of what I’m talking about.

The aspect that I want to deal with first is the Great Commission Church. A Great Commission Church is a church that models itself and its ministry on Christ’s Great Commission as given to his apostles in Matt. 28:18-20 (see previous post for text). I’m becoming more and more convinced that this what the Church has been called to – this is the primary task of the Body of Christ. I say this in “defiance” to many who believe that each denomination and congregation are called to do a different task (an idea based on the Paul’s teachings of tthe Body of Christ). However, the only thing this rationale does is provide a mildly convincing excuse not to do what God requires of his Church.

But I believe that what the Bible says is binnding for all people everywhere at all times. The key to decifering whether or not we are to take something literally or as an example is determining if a certainn passage is dealing with form or function. Function is unchanging; the Bible states a key principle and that principle is binding throughout all time and cultures.

Form, on the other hand, is and should be constantly changing. Form is how the function is practiced. There is only one function, but unlimited forms.

The Bible’s description of the work of the Church is an example of function. The Great Commission, descriptions of the Body of Christ, all function. It’s difficult to deny the God-decreed responsibility of the Church.

The biggest reason so many churches fear what I am saying, is a misunderstanding of what the Great Commission is saying. Congregation and denominations that pride themselves on education typically reject the importance of the Great Commission because they see it as something that degrades the value of Christian education. On the flip side, churches that emphasize the command to evangelize thier communities usually fall far short of effectively educating those it brings into its ranks.

For that reason, in order to understand what I mean (and what I believe the Bible expects) by a Great Commission Church, we need to look at the various parts of the Great Commission and some of the ways it is or could be practiced by the modern Church.

That’s the topic of my next post…

Filed under: Random

My Vision…

I want to be a Great-Commission Christian developing Great-Commission Churches that grow Great Commission Christians. Is that too much to ask?

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded.
-Matthew 28:18-20-
(The Great Commission)

Filed under: Random