It's Called A Universe!

Pastors across America struggle with the persistent and accelerating decline of the church. They pray, preach, and ponder. The decline is unrelenting. Why?

Robert Bellah is the Editor of a book published in 1985, Habits of The Heart. It is a study of the profound loss of 'community' in America. In that title he coined a phrase to describe this devastating onslaught - Ontological Individualism.

The essence of that term describes the desire to be utterly and absolutely independent of one another.

God created mankind as a community of being all connected to and impacted by the conduct of the others. The hue and cry today is "what I do is my business"! Really?

Not so.

Every divorce tears at the fabric of our nation. The children of divorce stagger under the loss of a father.

Every act of adultery tears at the fabric of our nation. Remarriage takes the cause(s) into the next union and repeats same.

Every robbery tears at the fabric of our nation. Incarceration solves nothing. We need confession, repentance and restitution.

Every murder tears at the fabric of our nation. Those who kill should be executed.

The church must enter the Marketplace and declare with compassion and clarity the oneness that mankind shares. Truth is transcendent and applies to all people in every land without exception. Grace makes the application of this Truth possible.

Chasing Fantasies

He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. (Proverbs 12:11, NIV)

 The text says literally - - has a needy heart.

As I write (12/13/13) people across America are pouring millions of dollars into the purchase of  Mega-Millions Lottery tickets. They hope to win ($400 Million+). It has rolled over (meaning no one has won since October 1st). Your chances of winning are like getting struck with a meteor. Talk about a FANTASY!!

This proverb is constructed with anti-thetical paralellism. Work your land and find abundance. Chase fantasies and watch your money fly away like a leaf in the autumn winds.

Better to run to the Person and Finished work of Jesus Christ. There you will find eternal life and abundance beyond description.

"THANKFUL"

The Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving were likely a subset of Puritanism and possibly prayed a prayer like this one from The Valley of Vision:

O My God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admires, adores, loves thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created, for adorning it, for sanctifying it, though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me, for preserving its strength and vigour, for providing senses to enjoy delights, for the ease and freedom of my limbs, for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support, for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, for a mind to care for my fellow-men, for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved ones in the joys of heaven, for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures. Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

Pastor - Is This YOU?

I recently had exchange with a Pastor, a friend of many years (1973). His perception of folks such as I who are Church Consultants (I prefer the ID 'Pastoral Liaison') is quite low. In one of our exchanges I posted the following. Let me know if I am a "Grumpy Old Man" - our children got me that Video for Christmas one year - our spot on accurate.

Having said that, 70% or more of the people in evangelical churches are simply unregenerate. I am hated for declaring this but the conduct and the absence of genuine fruitfulness - - Disciples fully formed in the image of Christ - is exhibit 'A' that supports my thesis. When I started IgniteUS in 2000 I used the figure of 3,000 church closings each year. This week Thom Rainer in a BLOG post said that figure is now 8,000 - 10,000.

This is true because Pastors lack both the wisdom, courage, skill and tenacity to identify that lostness, lovingly confront those lost people, and see GOD change their hearts which only HE can do. Pulpits pump out bland moralisms rather than flaming heart transforming Truth. Quite simply most gatherings that fly under the banner 'church' are nothing more than a building whose architectural capital feature is a steeple. They have no exegetical/theological definition of what a Disciple is and therefore no process to measure spiritual formation. There is no Elder/Shepherd accountability applied to the sheep for the growth in grace Peter commands (2Peter3:18). They tell me if they attempt that they will get fired. Who are you serving? 57% of evangelical Pastors would walk out the door today if they had a way to care for their families. The Scripture calls them hirelings. They have activity that will wear you out but on December 31st the vast majority of those who are present for every service are no more like Christ than they were on January 1st. If they attempt to apply such the NAKED TRUTH will be revealed so they continue 'going through the motions'. My fear is that many/dare I say most will hear those frightful words - - Depart from ME, I never knew you!

When I started IgniteUS I chose the name "Neros Broken Fiddle". I did so because the church is fiddling while the nation/world burns, consumed by the culture in which they exist. The LORD warned the nation of Israel not to adopt the folk-ways & mores of the nations they were going to displace. They ignored Him and so do we. I was affirmed by David Wells many years later when I read in one of his five (5) titles that very description. We changed our name but the reality that I noted still exist, in fact the acceleration of decline is nothing short of stunning.

What say you??

The Almond Tree Blossoms

Solomon describes the aging process in Eccl. 12:5 by using the Almond Tree. When the blossoms come to full maturity they are grey in color. When an old man looks in the mirror his hair is grey (if he has any!)

This is the inevitable cycle of life. We are born. We race through the arrogance of our youth. All too soon we look in the mirror and we are grey! Yikes.

This cycle of aging is also true for churches, all organizations. They are born, they flourish. They age.

I am working with a church, once filled with 2,700 members. They now have 371 'on the role'. 47% of this number are age 70+. The actuarial table for a male in this state says the expected life span is 78 years of age. 38% of this number are already above age 75.

It is extremely difficult (as in nearly impossible) to affect transformation among such a demographic.

The Lesson - DO NOT squander the days of your youth local church. Constant unending relentless Reformation & Renewal from the day you are born is the best antidote to this Almond Blossom Syndrome.

What is the demographic age of the church where you serve? Better know this and sooner rather than later!!!

A Tribute - To the "Small Men in my Life!"

We are all profoundly influenced by people. Often the recognition of their influence comes long after they are gone. The "Small Men" I am writing about refers to their physical stature not their character or influence upon my pilgrimage. None were over 5'-7" tall. They are virtual giants in their continuing influence on me as a man and as a Leader of Men.

#1 - My Paternal Grandfather - William Fillinger. In 1929 when the market crashed he purchased a farm. He had been an engineer and traveled the country establishing manufacturing plants for the U.S. Gypsum Co. His eye sight was compromised. He wore 'coke bottle' glasses. In this new occupation I was privileged to learn much from him. He was intelligent and creative. In those days the 'sellers' walked away with only the clothes on their backs. Everything else, house, barns, livestock, equipment all went to the buyer.

The desk in my study (cf. the photo) was in the house. It, like so many of life's richest treasures, was covered in black gum varnish. When stripped and refinished it sparkles as a marvelous piece of furniture that graces my Study. This is a tribute to my memory of my grandfather.

My Grandfather had turn signals on his cars long before Detroit added this feature. The only exception - his only worked when you turned the wheel. There were two (2) bushel baskets under a work bench in the garage. As a boy of 9-10 I was absolutely convinced that anything in the universe that you might need was in one of those baskets. He could fix or repair almost anything. His quiet intelligent creativity continues to influence me to this day.

#2 - My Maternal Grandfather - Lester Short. Hard work - diligence and persistence. I remember working side by side with him. When we built something it was done properly, no compromises. I suppose he as well as I would be characterized as 'driven men'. When we finished lunch he would say as the last fork full of food was consumed - 'OK, let's go!' At the age of 4 when my mother sat down for a coffee break while cleaning house I said to her - - 'Mother, isn't this wasting time?' (as recorded in my baby-book) WOW! Did he impact my life or what?

I remember sitting at the dinner table with him and the discussion centered on righteousness as expressed in the care of animals. He cited Proverbs 12 - Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast . . . (Prov. 12:10). He took me duck hunting. He guided my trembling hands while hunkered down in a duck blind to down a green-winged teal on a cloudy October morning. That memory is as fresh as every morning sun rise.

#3 - Dr. George Lawlor - Koine' Greek

I did not begin under graduate studies until age 27. My interest in High School was baseball not academics. So, when I began language study I was petrified to say the least. We began with 32 in the class - finished with 12. Dr. Lawlor insisted on precision in knowledge, especially in the language of the NT. I can hear him to this day beginning each class with the injunction - - 'know those endings!' I still have hanging in my study the 'vocabulary ring' I carried 24/7 in my endeavor to 'know those endings'!

He was impeccably dressed. He could serve as a mannequin for Hart, Schaeffner & Marx. His passion for Truth as revealed in the Greek text of the NT matched his dashing but humble appearance. I had the joy of knowing him up close and personal through a series of service opportunities. He was a scholar, a theologian and a dedicated instructor of men who would become pastors. Machen's Grammar mastered.

#4 - Dr. James Boyer - Gramcord

 Humility personified. He organized and systematized the Greek NT. This became Gramcord, one of the first digital versions of the Greek NT. He was quiet and dedicated. He retired early to care for his wife in her latter days. This was simply the only thing he could do because that is who he was.

He helped me and countless others acquire proficiency in the study of the Greek NT.

We must each be who God made us. Part of His 'making us' is the people He uses to shape and mold us. I am forever thankful for these four (4) men and their contribution to my life and to my capacity to serve the kingdom of God. Thank you William, Lester, George and James. I pray that I have invested well those skills and competencies you graciously built into my life.

Sound Doctrine & Church Health

Recently read the Book of Titus in my Bible Reading routine. I noted in Titus 1:9 & 2:1 the meaning of the word translated 'sound'.

The word is 'ugiainousei. (cf. Arndt & Ginrich pp. 839-840)

The ministry of IgniteUS is dedicated to seeing the church become Healthy & Effective disciplemakers. The church is a theological entity. When and only then the church practices Sound Doctrine can she be healthy. We provide what we have labeled our 14 Effectiveness Criteria. These areas when embraced with integrity result in a healthy & effective NT church.

More to come in the 10/15 News Letter. Ask yourself this question - - If the church I lead is only as healthy as our adherence to sound doctrine, what is the health of that church?

The Gospel & "Customer Service"

I like Panera Bread. I called in an order last Friday night and told them I would pick it up Saturday AM. Peggy & I went by after Nic's Cross-Country race. I was told they did not have the bread, it was my fault because I did not get the name of the person I spoke to. The 'Manager' after a brief conversation told me to 'just leave' which I did after getting the General Manager's name etc. I sent him an email when we got home.

He called me later that day. He was returning from Montgomery going back to Decatur where the Penera store he manages is located. He ask me for our home address. He stopped in Birmingham, got the bread I wanted and delivered it to our house! That is Customer Service!! I witnessed to him and told him to get Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard, read it and teach the principles to his employees. He ordered a copy Saturday night. I told him he would own Panera Bread in 5 years if they apply all that is in that title. He continues to correspond with me.

This morning I read a BLOG post by my friend Kevin DeYoung on "Customer Service" as transacted by the church. He gave two examples of experiences he recently had in this realm. One was similar to the anecdote I posted above. The other was horrific. He lists some probing questions to help you evaluate the kind of service your church provides to the people you minister to. Answer this list and give yourself a score using a scale of 0-100.

    * Does your church have a website that is easy to navigate?


    * Are the basic things like worship times, directions, and contact information easy to find online?


    * Is your automated phone system simple to understand and to operate?


    * Do you have a system in place to respond promptly and friendly to general inquiries?


    * Does your office staff (and everyone else for that matter) know how to graciously answer questions (even dumb ones) or connect people with the right person who can?


    * Do you convey an attitude that says “I am happy to help and glad you called/wrote/stopped by” or one that says “You are a bother and your problems are unimportant to me”?


    * Is your Sunday morning crew (ushers, greeters, check-in folks, etc.) friendly and knowledgeable or territorial and easily frustrated?


    * Are the rooms in your church well marked and the appropriate signs clearly displayed?


    * Is the information on your website and in your bulletin up to date and accurate?


    * Can people depend on the church staff to follow through on commitments, remember their calendar, communicate ahead of time about meetings and important events, and respond to reasonable questions (or direct them to people who can)?


    * Is your church clean?


How did you do? It really does matter!!

The Pathology of Theology

A century ago Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a leading light in the evangelical world. His sermons were published each week. His influence was enormous. His battle for the preservation of orthodoxy among evangelicals soon found him standing pretty much alone. He took on the establishment and was pummeled for his stand. This has been true down through the annals of Christian History. The war is always raging in the struggle to maintain orthodoxy.

In March 1887, Charles Spurgeon published the first of two articles entitled "The Down Grade" in his monthly magazine, The Sword and the Trowel. The articles were published anonymously, but the author was Robert Shindler, Spurgeon's close friend and fellow Baptist pastor. Shindler wrote the articles with input from Spurgeon, who footnoted the first article with a personal endorsement: "Earnest attention is requested for this paper. . . . We are going down hill at breakneck speed."[2] Tracing the state of evangelicalism from the Puritan age to his own era, Shindler noted that every revival of true evangelical faith had been followed within a generation or two by a drift away from sound doctrine, ultimately leading to wholesale apostasy. He likened this drifting from truth to a downhill slope, and thus labeled it "the down-grade."

 A cursory examination of the state of evangelicalism in the United States reflects vivid parallels with this 'down-grade'. Only a blind man or a heretic will disavow this trend.

Doctrine is a seamless garment. Heresy in one area pollutes and corrupts the whole. To pretend that some aspects of foundational Truth are subject to varying interpretations and application is at best naieve and at worst consigning the church to a trajectory that leads to apostasy. History confirms this premise over and over and over.

Spurgeon sounded the alarm. He was largely ignored. History has confirmed the accuracy of his concern. The question before us is this - -"Will we engage in aimless dithering or will we take a gracious, irenic and compassionate stand for Truth? Joshua and Caleb understood the wretched end of following the 'majority rules' approach to doctrine and Truth.

Where do you stand?

Ceasar - Keep Your Nose out of Our Prayer Tent!

Monday, August 5, 2013 Organizations

ERLC defends sectarian public prayers

The public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention says in a legal brief that the government has no business parsing prayers delivered at public gatherings.

The Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Aug. 2 defending prayers offered in Jesus’ name at government meetings.
The first legal brief filed since Russell Moore took over as the new chief of Southern Baptists’ moral- and religious-liberty concerns agency weighs in on The Town of Greece v. Galloway, the Supreme Court’s first major case testing the constitutionality of legislative prayers in 30 years.
Until 1999, city council meetings in the upstate New York community near Rochester began with a moment of silence. Since then board meetings have started with spoken prayer led by an invited member of the local clergy.

Two citizens – one Jewish and the other an atheist – objected that the overwhelmingly Christian content of the prayers violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by favoring a particular faith over all others.

The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in 2012 that the town’s process for selecting prayer-givers virtually ensured a Christian viewpoint and “had the effect, even if not the purpose, of establishing religion.”

The ERLC brief argues that government officials cannot be asked to police religious speech in a public forum.

Russell Moore“ We shouldn’t have a state-sponsored Baptist church, I agree,” Moore said in a statement, “but we shouldn’t have a state-sponsored Unitarian church either, and that’s what some are attempting.”

The brief, drafted in part by Michael Whitehead, a Kansas City attorney who represents the Missouri Baptist Convention as general counsel, says the appellate ruling makes judges “the arbiters of this new orthodoxy of ‘neutrality,’ setting standards by which deities may be addressed in public prayers.”
“Of course, such impulses have existed for almost as long as prayers have been given,” it argues. “King Darius, the Mede, was also concerned about civic religion in an ancient incident involving the prayers of government employees and a den of lions.”

“There, too, public prayers were allowed, if directed to the government’s watered-down deity,” the brief continues. “It is a questionable improvement that the 2nd Circuit would punish prayers to the wrong gods by casting officials into a mere den of lawyers.”

The brief also invokes John Leland, a Virginia Baptist minister and important figure in America’s struggle for religious liberty that led to drafting of the First Amendment.
“Parsing the words of a prayer is no business for federal judges,” commented Whitehead, co-counsel in a 1981 victory before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of equal access for university students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City to use the student union for prayer and Bible study.
“Judges should leave the parsing to the parson,” Whitehead said. “There should be a wall of separation protecting praying citizens from a government-mandated civil religion.”

The 2nd Circuit noted that “a substantial majority of the prayers” in the lawsuit record contained uniquely Christian language. Roughly two-thirds included references to "Jesus Christ," "Jesus," "Your Son" or the "Holy Spirit." Almost all such prayers concluded with a statement that the prayer had been given in Jesus Christ's name.

“It is no small thing for a non-Christian (or for a Christian, for that matter) to pray ‘in the name of Jesus Christ,’” the court said. “Prayers delivered in this fashion invoke a deity in whose divinity only those of the Christian faith believe, and do so to the clear exclusion of other faiths.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the lawsuit against the town of Greece on behalf of two women plaintiffs in 2008, says by sponsoring persistently sectarian prayers, the town board publicly aligned itself with a single faith.

“In so doing, the board sends the message to non-Christians that they are unwelcome at board meetings and that the board does not represent non-Christian concerns,” the complaint alleged. “Making non-Christians second-class citizens in the body politic runs afoul of the United States Constitution.”
The Supreme Court upheld the Nebraska legislature’s practice of opening with a prayer offered by a state-employed chaplain with its Marsh v. Chambers decision in 1983, finding that legislative prayer was “deeply embedded in the history and tradition of this country.”

“In light of the unambiguous and unbroken history of more than 200 years, there can be no doubt that the practice of opening legislative sessions with prayer has become part of the fabric of our society,” the high court said in Marsh. “To invoke Divine guidance on a public body entrusted with making the laws is not, in these circumstances, an ‘establishment’ of religion or a step toward establishment; it is simply a tolerable acknowledgment of beliefs widely held among the people of this country.”
Hollyn Hollman, general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, said just because something is constitutional doesn’t make it right.

“A moment of silence before a board meeting is preferable,” Hollman said in the June 2013 edition of Report from the Capital. “While the legislative prayer practice was upheld in Marsh, there has been a tendency to stretch that ruling’s boundaries in ways that undermine the expectation of government neutrality toward religion.”

Holman said the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the Greece case “provides an opportunity to clarify an aspect of religious liberty law that has become the subject of a great deal of litigation in recent years.”

Posted at AB Press on 2013/08/05

Detroit - A Lesson for The Church

The City of Detroit is Bankrupt. No surprise. They have been bankrupt for years. The recent declaration merely seals the deal.

Organizations & Organisms, cities and churches, often conduct themselves like the proverbial ostrich. The signs, the objective metric indicators are glaring, screaming like a neon sign in Los Vegas. The response is "this may be true in other places but not here". If we ignore it, it will go away. WRONG!

Extreme you say? Consider the following data on the church in the USA.

* Every year more than 5,000 churches close their doors.

* Every year 2.7 - 3 million church members fall into inactivity (QUIT).

* From 1990-2000 the combined Protestant church membership declined by 9.5% while the population in the USA grew by 11%.

* Half of all churches in the USA did not add any new members in the past two years.

* In 1900 there were 27 churches per 10,000 population - in 2000 there were 11 churches for every 10,000 in the population.

* The USA now ranks third (3rd) following China & India in the number of people who ARE NOT professing Christians.

Detroit has lost its place as the auto manufacturing capital of the world. The church is rapidly losing her place as Salt & Light in the USA.

The signs are clear. The trend is undeniable. Will the church repent, act to see the trend-lines change? That remains to be seen but the time is NOW!

Letting The Text Speak

Does the Scripture actually mean what it says in clear (theologians use the term perspicuous) language? I have invested 44 years of my life endeavoring to acquire the skills required to know with certainty what the Scripture is saying and what it means. Sounds simple enough, but wait. . .

I recently entered a post on a BLOG site. The issue was focused on the often quoted shibboleth that "God hates the sin but loves the sinner." David Platt preached a message challenging this incomplete and therefore distortion of Truth. Please consider:

Psalm 5:5   The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who  loves violence.

There were 60 responses on this BLOG. At least 50 of them disputed the fact that God hates the one working iniquity. Lots of word games. Lots of hermeneutical gymnastics but very little submission to what the text says.

The response were not from flaming 'liberals', people who deny Christ. These were men who claim to be bible-believing theist. But then, this should not surprise. Consider:

2 Timothy 4:1-4  I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,  4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 

It is past time for some irenic, civil face to face Forums in which we hold one another accountable for what the text says and what it means. This is the finest form of accountability. What say you?

Pastoring A Pastor

"Did I wake you up?" the caller said. It was 7:30 AM. We have been friends for 20 years. My response - 'How long have you known me; I get up at 4:30 AM!'

'I just need some one to listen to me' was the opening line of our conversation.

I took this man to Africa with me. I showed him how to pack after ten (10) days on mission. You put the suit case on the bed. You open it. You grab all your belongings. You chuck them in the suit case. You close the lid. You are ready to fly. It takes not more than 60 seconds.  His wife was mortified. He loved it. That brief anecdote is a snap shot in the Video of our years of friendship. Laughter, tears, prayers, anger, silence, frustration - - but always lunch on Tuesday.

In November 2012 we moved to AL from SC after ministry there for 20 years. The caller was another Pastor. We have been friends in the best sense of the word through those years. On one occasion I went to their home and told him "You WILL NOT QUIT!" His wife wept openly. They were 'fried' by the reality of pastoral ministry. He listened.

He told me "I lost my Pastor". Those words are priceless. I set aside my agenda to draft this BLOG. Every Pastor should Pastor another Pastor.

Our conversation was 30 minutes of perspective. I was able to walk him through the issues he was deliberating. We reached a conclusion that makes sense from a biblical, practical and emotional point of view. That call was not on my "Agenda" but it may well be the most important thing I do today or this week.

He read me a poem his 5 year old grandson had written for him upon his departure after their most recent visit. That is the stuff of real friendship. Loyalty wrapped in TRUTH, Honesty and Integrity.

A question for every Pastor - - 'Do you have another Pastor who regards you as his Pastor?' You should. The joy of that role is abundant. I also find it much like the way the Good Shepherd meets with me in every circumstance. His promise to us "I am with you!" Who is your Pastor? Who are you Pastoring?

Words & Their Meaning

I write this post with some level of uncertainty. My motivation and purpose is to make our deliberations in the BLOG world fruitful and productive. I trust that this will be the result.

First, several Principles that guide the development of this material:

1.  Words and their relationship give meaning to language.

2.  Words are symbols and those symbols convey meaning.

3.  Unless and until we define what I/we mean by our choice of words/symbols, there can be little if any progress in our understanding of one another.

4.  The languages of the OT & NT are ‘dead languages’. As such the meaning of words does not change and we discover the correct meaning of words through the use of credible lexical sources. Cf. the interview with Mr. Joe Aguillard on this matter; listen to the definition he offered of election. There is no credible lexical source to support what he declared.

5.  Unity is not something we develop or produce. Rather, it is by the clear expression of the text of Scripture a reality that we are to preserve, guard, protect (Eph. 4:1-3) I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

6.  The Principle of Non-Contradiction. Scripture is perspicuous, clear. It does not say one thing in one place and contradict that in another. There is one and only one correct interpretation of each portion of God’s Word. This leaves us with the following options: 

A. One is correct and the other incorrect. 

B. Both are incorrect. 

C. But, we cannot come to opposing interpretations and declare that BOTH are correct.

In recent exchanges in the BLOG world some have said “I am not – a Calvinist; an Arminian; a Semi-Pelagian, etc. Simply saying I am or I am not this or that does not make it true. Exegesis of the text, Systematic Theology and the historical unfolding of the beliefs, practices and doctrines of the church determine whether a particular belief or conviction fits or is properly characterized by a particular definition. Church history has had multiple Councils that deliberated these matters, often for years, and the conclusions they reached shape the theology the church embraces today.

Therefore, if what I express as a conviction or belief is determined by the criteria stated above to be true and accurate, I should not take offense when others correctly apply the label that has been established by accurate exegesis and the history of doctrine. 

True unity is a theological issue. We have unity when we align ourselves with the correct understanding of God’s word. God is not schizophrenic and neither is His Word. We cannot embrace diametrically opposed interpretations and say that both are correct. That is not unity as defined by Scripture.

We must be irenic, gracious, humble and civil in our discourse. We must also not capitulate to a pseudo unity, one that sacrifices accuracy and integrity in dealing with God’s Word for a “Rodney King Theology”, can’t we all just get along?

I do not claim to have all the answers to our differences but I believe what I have stated in this post is consistent with the character and nature of Truth. We can and must strive for an accurate interpretation of God’s Word and simultaneously with passion, prayer and persistence bring this Truth to the world around us.

Right Answer - Wrong Question!

Life is always challenging us to make the best investment for the greatest return. Recently the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) invested 12-18 months to produce a statement that basically tells constituent members not to 'play nasty' and denigrate one another in BLOG postings etc.

The statement they produced is irenic in tone. Several obeservations.

1.  The SBC is a Convention of Churches voluntarily working together not a denomination. As such no one has virtually any authority to do anything to anyone who may choose to violate the intent of the statement (and I certainly hope they do not).

2.  The SBC like so many other evangelical organizations is loosing ground faster than a land slide in California on a rainy day.

3. The purpose of the church, every church, is to make disciples. The SBC has no exegetical substantive and operative definition of what a disciple is. What you have not defined you cannot measure.

4. The SBC continues to promote an illusion or an outright lie - they claim to have 16 million members. However, on the best Sunday of the year less than 40% of that number attend services.

The following is a reproduction of an AP article on the current statistics from the SBC.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Membership among Southern Baptists has fallen slightly for the sixth straight year.

¶   The nation's largest Protestant denomination released in-house statistics Wednesday showing that total membership dropped 0.66 percent in 2012. The annual report prepared by the Southern Baptist Convention's Lifeway Christian Resources and reported by the Baptist Press news service says there were 105,000 fewer Baptists in 2012 than the year before.

¶   Baptisms fell by 5.5 percent after a slight increase in 2011. That's considered a particularly important measure of growth for a denomination committed to evangelism.

¶   The Southern Baptist Convention did add some 270 individual churches in 2012. And the Nashville-based denomination still has nearly 16 million members.

¶   Southern Baptists are gathering next week in Houston for their annual meeting.

Here is a graph projecting the membership in the SBC in the next several decades.

A ski slope in Vail is less acute in the angle of decline. This represents a trend and trends are very very difficult to turn around.

Wisdom would dictate that we ask a different question.

What must be done and NOW to see the churches of the SBC become Healthy and Effective, making disciples fully formed in the image of Christ?

I am not suggesting we ignore the text of Scripture that speaks to the governing principles of our speech and our conduct. I am not saying we should be nasty.

I am saying that unless and until there is a courageous and intentional effort put forth to bring correction to the bad theology that has produced this trend line, it will continue and accelerate. Every aspect of the church is theological. Therefore this is a theolgocial problem and it must be solved by applying sound theological paradigms if resolution is to be achieved.

My prayer and my labors are dedicated to seeing this become a reality. I invite others to join this remnant, and like Joshua and Caleb, take the land.

Deadly Diagnosis

Introduction

Ministry Alert – a lethal infection is rapidly spreading through the evangelical churches of America. It leads to the decline and profound ineffectiveness if not the virtual cessation of ministry in local churches. Being interpreted that means death, closing the doors, ceasing to function. Many are much closer to this reality than they are willing to admit. However, denial will not prevent the erosion of effectiveness.

Our second son is a surgeon. He informed me of a very insidious and potentially lethal infection that is becoming more common. This illness is very difficult to treat. The affliction is known as “necrotizing fasciitis”.  In layman’s terminology, this is flesh eating bacteria. Immediate diagnosis and treatment are vital if the patient is to survive. Within hours this aggressive infection consumes the flesh of the victim and quickly enters the blood stream of the patient at which point the entire body of the patient is subject to the ravages this marauder produces. It frequently causes the death of the patient.

Metaphor for Ministry

How does this apply to local church ministry? A review of the statistics concerning the condition of the evangelical church in America makes a compelling case for the application of this analogy. The church is infected with a very aggressive and lethal disease. David Olson’s work The American Church in Crisis   provides an irrefutable body of evidence to support this claim. There is not a single county in a single state in the entire USA in which attendance is greater this year than it was in the previous year. This is a compelling rationale to ‘listen up’ and investigate the causes of this decline. Further, this is based on a one-dimensional metric. This addresses only attendance. While this is obviously important, it is not the primary dynamic of ministry that must be evaluated. That dynamic is disciple-making. The single command in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) is Make Disciples. Failure in this realm always results in impotence for the church. She may have endless activity but utterly no spiritual power. Focus on the data Olson presents. This indicates precipitous decline in virtually every county in every state. Can you make a substantive objective honest case that legitimately excludes the church you pastor from this pattern?

Operative Causes

Consensus indicates that there are three primary causes for this unrelenting decline. Obviously there are many variations in degree and kind. I will focus on these three as they surface most frequently in literature addressing this phenomenon. The issues are Leadership, Purpose, and Control.

Leadership – George Barna invested twenty-five years doing research on the local church. In 2005 he refocused that activity. In making that change he wrote what he referred to as a Transition Letter. In that letter he made a potent and critical observation about leadership in the church.

We found that very few churches – emphasis on very – measure anything beyond attendance, donations, square footage, number of programs and size of staff. Further, our on-going research continued to show that churches do not act strategically because of a paucity of leadership.

What Barna means by a paucity of leadership is the pervasive inability of pastors to engage the level and type of leadership skills and competencies necessary to navigate the constantly changing landscape in which the church exists. The church is a sub-culture of the larger culture around her. The changes in that larger culture have been seismic to say the least. Most churches have not identified, and most certainly not addressed these changes. This requires an exegetically sound ministry profile that produces organizational health, numerical growth and spiritual formation in the individual believer. Covenant Seminary in St. Louis conducted a five year study in which they collected copious data on the issue of leadership. They published the results of this study in a fifty-six page report in 2010. The following quote validates my observation on the failure of leadership. This also reveals a partial reason - - seminaries did not equip men in this realm.

The responsibilities of leadership and management (both integral to the pastoral task of congregational oversight) are rarely discussed in seminary. Most pastors enter ministry with   very little preparation in these areas and are generally surprised by how much leadership and management skills are part of their work. They often learn how to do these things on the job –  not always very effectively. Pastors aren’t the only ones surprised by this reality. Most lay people have no idea of the time and energy involved in leadership and management aspects of the pastoral vocation. Indeed, these ministerial responsibilities are something of a hidden secret that is rarely discussed but continually demanded. 

Leadership deficiencies were also recognized in a study conducted by the Francis Schaefer Leadership Institute. This research surveyed over 1,050 pastors. The data on the issue of leadership competence is reflected in their responses as follows.

75% of the pastors surveyed felt they were unqualified and/or poorly trained by their seminaries to lead and manage the church or to counsel others.

 What is Leadership? Defining terms always enhances our ability to grasp the importance and application of a given issue in ministry. The definitions are numerous. I offer the following as a working model for this paper.

Warren Bennis & Burt Nanus – leadership commits people to action, converts followers into leaders, and may convert leaders into agents of change.(LEADERS – The Strategies for Taking Charge, p.3).

 Bob Biehl – leadership is knowing WHAT to do next, knowing WHY that’s important, and knowing how to bring appropriate RESOURCES to bear on the need at hand. (Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, p.211).

A very helpful title on Leadership is John Maxwell’s work titled The Twenty-One Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The first ‘law’ he details is what he labeled The Law of The Lid. This law simply stated is
Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness.

Maxwell developed a scale of 1-10. A leader’s competence is plotted on this scale. The simple fact is that 8’s & 9’s do not follow 4’s & 5’s. I am frequently asked if leaders are born or made. My answer is always ‘yes!’. Every man is a leader at some level. Every man with prayerful dedication and diligence can improve his leadership competence. Every pastor should be cognizant of his leadership competence or lack of same and pursue resources that equip him to achieve maximum effectiveness. Leadership is about securing adaptive and constructive change.  This brings us to the second issue causing the decline of the evangelical church.

Purpose – Most organizations today have signage posted on the walls of their establishment. The mission of XYZ corporation is XXXXXXX. Churches have also joined this parade. The disconnect is that in most cases this is merely a ‘sign on the wall.’ Unless the essence of that purpose is the guiding principle of the church and every member actually practices with integrity and passion the substance of that purpose, it is meaningless. In fact, it is worse. Everyone assumes they have a clear purpose but it is not Applied Theology. It is not shaping ministry. It provides no basis for evaluation and no metric process to measure ministry effectiveness.

I frequently distribute a blank sheet of paper to a gathering of people from a given local church. I ask them to write in one or two sentences the purpose of their local church. The results are predictable. The statements are all over the map. This means that they are riding off in different directions. They wonder why there is no harmony and effectiveness in ministry. The pastor is compelled by the various perspectives to satisfy a plethora of expectations all shaped by this kaleidoscope of pseudo purposes.

The primary purpose of every church is to make disciples. There are many dimensions to this process but they must all serve the same purpose. Many churches have multiple ministry venues e.g. (Men’s Ministry, Softball, WMU, Music, etc.). They satisfy the participants of that ministry, but, do not in any way contribute significantly to making disciples. Over time the accumulation of such ministry venues becomes destructive of organizational harmony and effectiveness. The body is fragmented and the only commonality they have is they meet at the same location.

The following is from a paper I wrote in September 2006. It has significant bearing on the issue of purpose for the local church and the pastor’s role as a leader.

I recently finished reading Bowling Alone  by Robert Putnam. This should be must reading for every Pastor in America. The author invested twenty-five years doing research on the various organizations and groups that make up the fiber of 'community' in America. The focus of his research was 1900 - 2000. The trend in almost every organization and/or institution is decline; significant and persistent decline. He has a chapter (4) on the institutional church that is informative as well as alarming. Examine the graphs noting the trend lines - - they point down!

How does this relate to Purpose?

First, it is absolutely imperative that the leadership of the church in America recognize this trend as a present reality. This is not a remote possibility for future ministry. On the contrary, it is the proverbial 'elephant in the living room'. It is the "Funny Uncle" in our family but he is not funny.

Second, we must invest strategic and intentional ministry initiatives that are specifically designed to overcome the 'culture drift' that has engulfed us. The sub-title of Nancy Pearcy's recent book tells it all; Rescuing Christianity from its Cultural Captivity. The church in America has willingly succumbed to the drum beat of the culture in which we exist.

Third, this radical reformation, so urgently needed, will only become a reality as God ordains Leaders who apply the clear mandates found in the Scripture. They must be men of courage. They must be men who are capable of pressing with precision the principles and precepts of the Scripture without compromise while showing deep and genuine compassion to God’s people. The OT Prophets provide an appropriate model for this glorious task. Fourth, there is the time factor. Thom Rainer (CEO of LifeWay Resources) predicted in 2003 that we would close 50,000 churches in the USA by the year 2010. He seems to have been tragically accurate, perhaps even an optimist. If you currently pastor a local church I urge you to face the brutal reality of your current circumstance. Apply the metrics. Where will the assembly you lead be in 2015 if all present trends continue?

The time for action is today, right now. A year ago many people living on the Gulf Coast waited far too long to act. Katrina’s fury and devastation was their reward. The consequences in this case will perhaps not be as immediate but far more significant. Will YOU take action Pastor?

95% of the churches in America are not making disciples fully formed in the image of Christ. This is in large part because they lack clear definitive purpose that shapes ministry for every member. God uses courageous and compassionate leaders to incorporate biblical purpose into the ministry of a local church.  This is not a mere preference. This is pure and simple obedience to all that Jesus commanded. This brings us to the third cause of decline.

Control – This malady has many faces but always one focus. That focus is “who is in charge here”? The answer is clearly not the Holy Spirit. I am often contacted by pastors in distress caused by the church boss. Let me state this with unambiguous clarity. The only control factor in the local church must be the word of God properly interpreted in context and applied by the Holy Spirit Who is God to the people of God for the glory of Christ who is Head of the body. Every ministry initiative and decision should have clear exegetical support drawn from the Scripture by sound exegesis. Many other documents such as Robert’s Rules of Order have little or no legitimate place in the ministry and function of the church.

I recently heard from a pastor who has an individual who walks the halls during worship services with a ring of keys. He never participates, just patrols. In this manner he traumatizes everyone and no one enters any room without his ‘approval’. I heard from another pastor who had a small band of people interrupt a service by clamoring for some specific content in the bulletin. These examples are from the past week!
The following data is from the Baptist Courier, a publication of the South Carolina Southern Baptist Convention

In 2009, with all 43 SCBC local associations reporting, 14 pastors were reportedly dismissed over control issues. The next three highest reported categories of forced termination were related to the first: pastor’s leadership style too weak (8), pastor’s leadership style too strong (7), and church’s resistance to change (7).

Disagreement over doctrine (2) was low on the list of reasons for forced terminations, . . . Hale said up to 25 percent of all forced terminations go unreported. In 2009, there were 57 reported pastor terminations in the SCBC.

Every month, some 1,600 pastors in U.S. churches quit or resign from the pastorates and leave the ministry (lost giving and replacement costs total over $700 million annually). The majority of these pastoral transitions are caused by issues of control of one sort or another. This is 19,000+ each year across the landscape of America. Apply the 25% under-reported factor and this number grows to 23,750! Many others succumb to a variety of control issues because they have families to care for. This in affect makes them ‘hirelings’, a terrible circumstance in which to serve. This issue of pastors frustrated by control issues is also supported by the Schaeffer study referenced earlier.

Application

Where does this brief assessment of the local church in America take us? My prayer is that it informs, encourages and equips pastors to act. Jesus measures our integrity and credibility by our conduct, our actions (Matt. 7:24-27). The challenge before my readers now is one of significant dimension. At Kadesh only Joshua and Caleb called for uncompromised obedience. We must do what the LORD has commanded. We must go in and take the land. Their reward was rejection and abuse (Num. 14:10). The congregation discussed stoning them. However, can you name any of the other ten spies? I didn’t think so. They are remembered because they showed fidelity to God’s word and obedience to His command.

Real leaders lead. They muster the grace and humility that only God gives and do what he calls them to do. You are at a fork in the road Pastor. Yogi Berra says, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” You are there. Which path will you go down? Leadership is about modeling. If you will embrace the challenge and model leadership God will raise up a band of faithful men who follow your example. Together you will be a powerful leadership team that God uses to transform individual believers and the corporate body. The church will display God’s power and grace before a watching world.

Timing is critical in the transformation process in a local church. Jim Collins speaks to this in his book How The Mighty Fall. He provides an analysis of the life cycle of an organization. Hear what he says about the timing of diagnosing and correcting organizational dysfunction.

I’ve come to see institutional decline like a staged disease: harder to detect but easier to cure in the early stages, easier to detect but harder to cure in the later stages. An institution can look strong on the outside but already be sick on the inside, dangerously on the cusp of a precipitous fall.

Collins shares the account of running with his wife in Colorado. He could barely keep up with her. Six months later she had major surgery and endured a long recovery period. She looked healthy but was in fact seriously ill. This is true of organizations.

Rochester, NY, is the home of Eastman Kodak. In 1982 they employed 62,000+ just in Monroe County. Today they employ fewer than 18,000 world-wide. They are selling their patents to secure operating capital. As recently as 1995 the red “K” and yellow square of Kodak and the red Coca Cola logos were the two most recognizable logos in the entire world. In 2016 Kodak will close their doors. What happened?

They, like so many churches, ignored all the available warning signs of decline. They lost focus on their primary purpose. They refused to listen to wise counsel. They assumed that all things would continue as they always had in the past. They tried to navigate the challenging road of an ever-changing road to the future while looking in the rear view mirror. Fatal mistake.

This is not the only option. We would consider a patient that has contracted necrotizing fasciitis unwise if they decided to self-medicate. They need the best possible medical care available. It is equally illogical to attempt to “self-medicate” the decline of the church. If a pastor/church could correct the problems they are facing without assistance they would have already done so. Read footnote #1, the section on prognosis. This details the prospects for recovery.

Remember those two spies? They faced a very significant obstacle - - the entire congregation of Israel. They took courage (2Chron. 15:8). They knew what God had commanded and they were more than willing to obey. You will also face opposition when you lead a process that brings genuine legitimate transformation. Be wise. Be compassionate. Be unrelenting in your pursuit of all that honors Christ. Some will defame you just as they did Joshua and Caleb. Some will depart. But, many will be transformed into the glorious image of Jesus Christ. In that environment you will discover the joy of leadership like you have never previously known. Christ is honored and you are blessed beyond measure.

You can acquire greater proficiency in your capacity as a leader.

You can identify and incorporate God’s purpose for His church among the people you shepherd.

You can eradicate the inappropriate control factors and lead a healthy and thriving assembly.

The ministry of IgniteUS exists:

To build leadership competence to transform America’s churches into healthy, intentional disciple-makers.

Contact us @  info@igniteus.net or 803 413 3509.

David Wells - Prophet??

David Wells, Professor of Systematic Theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary has written a series of five (5) titles. The time line for this was 1993-2008. He rightly challenged the approach to ministry that is more marketing than theology. He repeatedly challenged the corruption of the Gospel. His thesis was and is - the Gospel is not Therapy.

Fast forward from 1993 to April 13, 2013. A NY Times article by T. M. Luhrmann titled When God Is Your Therapist. She is writing from the perspective of one who has spent 10 years inside an evangelical church in Chicago. Her observation:

One way to see this is that the books teaching someone how to pray read a lot like cognitive behavior therapy manuals. For instance, the Rev. Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” one of the best-selling books of all time, teaches you to identify your self-critical, self-demeaning thoughts, to interrupt them and recognize them as mistaken, and to replace them with different thoughts. Cognitive-behavioral therapists often ask their patients to write down the critical, debilitating thoughts that make their lives so difficult, and to practice using different ones. That is more or less what Warren invites readers to do. He spells out thoughts he thinks his readers have but don’t want, and then asks them to consider themselves from God’s point of view: not as the inadequate people they feel themselves to be, but as loved, as relevant and as having purpose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/14/opinion/sunday/luhrmann-when-god-is-your-therapist.html?_r=1&

Here is a listing in chronological order of publication of David Wells titles. They are a treasure of sound doctrine and historic evangelical orthodoxy. He writes with passion and exegetical precision. Any Leader who reads this series will be well equipped to accurately analyze the contemporary theological landscape.

                                                                                   
    

 Thank YOU Dr. Wells for this labor of love for the Truth once delivered to the saints. May we hold fast and stand on this foundation. (contend for the faith once delivered to the saints - Jude 3).

Altars East of The Jordan

In the Book of Joshua we read of an altar being erected by the Tribes of Reuben, God and the half-tribe of Manasseh. This action brought much to the consternation of the other Tribes of Israel. They prepared to go to war over this incident.

War was not necessary. The motivation for building the altar was not to provide an alternative place to offer sacrifices. It was rather a sincere effort to preserve the identification of these 2 ½ Tribes with the majority of the nation. The concern was that future generations would be excluded and shunned. The text says on this action:

No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?  For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."' And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.'  Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!" (Joshua 22:24-29)

Perhaps the evangelical church in America needs to re-visit this principle. The younger generations are abandoning the faith in significant numbers.

The church needs Leaders with the conviction and integrity to embrace history and restore the remembrance of the ‘faith of our fathers’!

DWYSYWD ??

Complete the following exercise.

Think back over the past 30 days. Make a list of the instances in which people did not do what they told you they would do. This may occur in a multitude of disciplines and realms. However, it occurs frequently in Customer Service venues. If you fly, the airlines, all of them, provide an endless supply of such events.

By now you are asking, 'What is the purpose of this exercise? Glad you asked.

James Kouzes and Barry Posner are the co-authors of The Leadership Challenge. This is an anthology published three times over a period of twenty-four years. They ask respondents from 85 cultures around the globe to rank order a list of important leadership characteristics. Mind you, that is a very significant and very diverse control group. The responses have Validity & Reliability. That is called The Truth as perceived by the respondents!

Each and every time this survey has been conducted the same issue surfaces as the #1 expectation on the part of people when they consider leaders - - DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO!!

Now go back to that list you created. Compare your list to this principle. It is tragically rare in the American culture when people follow through. There are instances when the failure to deliver is not the culpability of the one who made the commitment. However, it remains their responsibility. The proper response is deliver or provide an honest and timely rationale for the failure and a revised target date for correcting the failure. Caution - don't hold your breath while waiting for this to happen.

All people, mothers, fathers, vendors and most assuredly people in leadership roles MUST honor this principle. It is simple (not always easy but simple) and so vital.

The result? This is so rare that you will be regarded as one who delivers what you promise with excellence. You will be held in high esteem. Most importantly, you will honor the biblical principle of 'let your yes be yes' (James 5:12). That matters!

Lemmings & Leaders

Are you a Lemming or a Leader?

Lemming - A member of a crowd with no originality or voice of his own. One who speaks or repeats only what he has been told. A tool. A cretin.
(www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lemming)

Leader - One who takes initiative, sets direction, makes decisions that lead to effective personal and corporate fulfillment of purpose.

Fred Smith was a Christian Business man who started the enormously successful FEDEX. When he was considering hiring a man for a key role in that business he would say, 'Lets go to lunch, you drive.'

If on that trip the prospective hire simply followed the crowd, got in line, waited at all the traffic lights like all the other drivers, his opportunity for employment ended right then.

On the other hand, if he actively sought an alternative route that did not require wasting time in lines of traffic, he was accorded the next step in the selection process. He may or may not get the job but he at least put himself in the running.

The Application - Leaders get things done. They are focused on an objective and they take steps to achieve that in the most ethical and expeditious manner. They do not follow the crowd. They are not 'aggressive', which is often abusive and rude. They are 'assertive', which means they almost always choose a path that is economic (time) and effective (accomplishes a specific objective).

Are you a Lemming or a Leader?

Precise Exegesis is NOT An "Ism"!

There have always been battles raging in the realm of Theology concerning the formation and validity of Theological Systems. They exist today. Some are quite intense and sadly some very crude and malicious.

The existence of different conclusions resulting from the interpretation of the text of Scripture is a reality. Paul makes reference to such differences in his First Epistle to the Corinthians.

No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.            (1 Corinthians 11:19, NIV).

The challenge of the exegete is to come to the text free of pre-conceived notions or conclusions. This is no small task. Knowing that we are handling the very words of God should make every person engaging this noble endeavor think carefully and prayerfully about the process they apply and the conclusions they reach.

This brings me to my concern. Sound exegesis does not or should not produce any kind of “ism”! What we produce may be characterized by others as an “ism”. That does not ipso facto make it such. To engage in careful, accurate and irenic exegesis should produce sound theological conclusions that harmonize with God’s purpose. Every exegete is a sinner and therefore must submit to multiple valid principles of interpretation and also to a system of accountability. We should listen with humility to what other competent theologians say about our work.

There is a very important principle of logic that must be applied in this process of exegesis. It is the Law of Non-Contradiction. When two people interpret a portion of God’s word there are three identifiable and distinct possible outcomes.

1.  Person A is correct and person B is incorrect.

2.  Person B is correct and person A is incorrect.

3.  Both person A and person B are incorrect.

What is absolutely impossible is that they reach different conclusions and both be considered correct. The Holy Spirit has one and only one correct meaning or interpretation for each and every portion of God’s word. Further, God’s Word does not say one thing in one place and then contradict that in another.

To characterize the results of sound accurate and irenic exegesis as an “ism” so that you may then posit your contrary interpretation as correct is to denigrate the Special Revelation we are privileged to hold and the God who made himself known.

I make no pretense or claim that I have perfected this skill. I adamantly and persistently declare that labeling sound interpretations of Scripture as an “ism” is an egregious and serious distortion of the noble task of exegesis.

Your thoughts?

Football & Leadership - Then and Now!

Where were you when the lights went out in New Orleans?

Last night millions watched (sic) the Super Bowl. That is, until the lights went out. Like much of the American Culture the game has become as much or more about hype and commercials as the game of football. I must admit I watched the entire game, a rare feat for this viewer.

When I was a Senior in high school none other than Lou "The Toe" Groza was the speaker at our Football Banquet. He was the leading scorer in the NFL - - as a tackle. He kicked extra points and field goals. That was in the days when the Cleveland Browns scored touch downs! We were able to get him as our speaker because of his identity with many of the men in the community where I attended school. They were simple men. Many were first generation Americans. They worked in the stone quarry. Our nickname was the "Stonecrushers".

I never saw Lou dance after a score. I never saw him abuse his coach or a referee. I never saw him rip his jersey to shreds and strut around like a wounded peacock. I never heard him use vulgar and foul language in an interview - there was no need to bleep bleep Mr. Groza's speech. He just did his job and he did it so very well. He is an NFL Hall of Famer and rightly so.

There is a correlation between the conduct of contemporary athletes and leadership. Many leaders are all hype. They preen, prance and dance to draw attention to themselves. In the Old Testament only 3 in 10 leaders finished well. When they became proficient they also often became proud. You know the rest of that story. Pride comes before the fall and fall they did.

The world and most certainly the church can use some "Lou The Toe" types of leaders. Men who are incredibly proficient and effective. After they 'score' they simply go back to playing tackle with a quiet excellence that makes them true champions. Thanks Lou!

Metrics In Ministry

"You cannot measure what you have not defined." (Edgar Schein). In my doctoral studies one of my Professors, Dr. Gordon Lewis, required us to define with exegetical validation each and every term we used in creating an Applied Theology. Dr. Al Mohler in his book The Conviction To Lead correctly states that unless convictions are translated into action the watching world has no comprehension of what we say we believe.

Nearly all churches claim that their purpose is to MAKE DISCIPLES. Yet, when asked what a disciple is, they have no clear and actionable definition and therefore no Metric by which they can measure ministry effectiveness. IgniteUS, Inc. has such a definition. We have developed 14 Effectiveness Criteria that enable the church to know with reasonable certainty if their ministry is Healthy & Effective. We provide a process of collecting "Artifacts" to validate the existence of operative ministry principles. Very important for genuine accountability.

Edgar Schein is a Professor Emeritus at MIT. He made significant contributions to leadership in the area of Organizational Behavior. The following graphic and text provide an overview of his thesis.

Schein's model of organizational culture originated in the 1980s. Schein (2004) identifies three distinct levels in organizational cultures:

1. artifacts and behaviors
2. espoused values
3. assumptions

The three levels refer to the degree to which the different cultural phenomena are visible to the observer.

• Artifacts include any tangible, overt or verbally identifiable elements in an organization. Architecture, furniture, dress code, office jokes, all exemplify organizational artifacts. Artifacts are the visible elements in a culture and they can be recognized by people not part of the culture.

• Espoused values are the organization's stated values and rules of behavior. It is how the members represent the organization both to themselves and to others. This is often expressed in official philosophies and public statements of identity. It can sometimes often be a projection for the future, of what the members hope to become. Examples of this would be employee professionalism, or a "family first" mantra. Trouble may arise if espoused values by leaders are not in line with the general assumptions of the culture.[1]

• Shared Basic Assumptions are the deeply embedded, taken-for-granted behaviors which is usually unconscious, but constitute the essence of culture. These assumptions are typically so well integrated in the office dynamic that they are hard to recognize from within.[2]

Importance of Schein's Model
One can easily understand the paradoxical organizational behaviors and have an in-depth knowledge of the culture. Interpersonal skills also help in understanding culture. Helps to know the culture at different levels. The assumptions can be identified. Organizational culture is the most difficult to change, this model brought to light understanding of the organizational culture and can be applied to lead change.

Does the church where you are serving measure ministry effectiveness with Objective Accuracy? Give us a call and we will launch you on a Journey to making disciples fully formed in the Image of Christ. 803 413 3509 or info@igniteUS.net.