Categories: uncategorized
Date: 15 October 2008 12:17:45
Sometimes it's interesting to look and listen to those who you often don't find yourself agreeing with, but whom you find directly or indirectly influencing the thinking of your corner of the world. As somebody who pretty much identifies as left leaning progressive evangelical Newfrontiers comes into the category of groups who challenge my thinking, at times appall me in their attitudes and yet also influence the sub-culture with which I choose to identify. Additionally, I have to remember that what ever I may disagree with them on sometimes they are still fellow Christians, as well as other people made in the image of God.
So anyway, I've been finding it interesting reading the interviews Terry Virgo did with the Free Church of Scotland which he has published on his blog part one and part two .
What is interesting is the way some of the hard questions are side stepped and so discussion of some of the key issues avoided. Example:
"What would you say to people who say you are just really empire building?
I'm not really aware of that criticism. We do have a sense of commissioning. God said ‘go into all the world and make disciples'. We are looking to grow. We work hard with our teenagers. We gather 6,000 of them every summer and encourage them to think about world mission."
The answer, as with a couple of other bits of the interview, avoids dealing with the issue of how many people in these churches are new / re-engaging and how many have migrated from other churches. Nobody is denying that the work that New Frontiers does is good, in many ways, but there are serious questions to be asked sometimes about the effect of the growth of their churches on others from which many of their members may have left, attracted by the "new brand".
There is also a question asked about the re-alignment going on in evangelical circles and the way what I would describe as the broad Christian right in this country is coming together. The answer to this question was both encouraging and worrying in equal measure. It showed that boundaries are being re-drawn and that there is a new spirit of co-operation going on, where previous "caractures" are being abandoned, but it also confirmed the way that in this new spirit of co-operation is in part built amongst strengthening a certain type of evangelicalism and not necessarily taking the centerist approach advocated by Edwards and others.
Finally when asked about the church in this country he highlights positive growth, and some of the reasons he sees for the fading out. What worries me is that whilst the growth in new, large churches is encouraging it seems to be at the expense of other churches who may need re-invigorating rather than leaving to fade away. This takes me back to my earlier point, that what he appears to have been avoiding, is the question of how much growth has been due to migration from other churches. The 1000 new churches is great, but what he doesn't address is how many have closed in the same time? Overall have we seen a net gain or a net fall?
Anyway, as I say an interesting interview which includes much to be commended aswell as some stuff to be a bit wary about.