Where's Your Line?

Everyone has a line that he will not cross.

This is a big reason for continued divisions among churches.

Take the following case in point:

Members of Church A are longing to move in a different direction than the church has historically moved. They petition for changes, and their petitions do not have the desired effect. So they decide to form Church B. Their intentions are noble; they desire to be more accepting of those with different viewpoints.

But then something happens.

Someone crosses a line. It might involve worship style. It might be a particular viewpoint of a certain doctrine. It might even involve church organization.

What prevents Church B from making the same mistakes as Church A?

Unfortunately, the answer is not so simple. Throughout the annals of history are found stories of church plants that have bloomed, only to die soon after.

The problem does not lie with the intention of those involved. For the most part, people who start new "churches" have very good intentions. They want to reach more people, they want to touch more lives, and they want to help people see how Jesus is still relevant to life in 2008.

So what goes wrong?

Someone proposes something that someone else cannot accept. Someone offers a viewpoint with which someone else cannot agree. Or sometimes personalities clash to an extent that division ensues.

Understanding the dynamics in church plants is important because statistics reveal that most established churches are at best maintaining the status quo; at worst, dying.

Those who plant churches know these statistics and their knowledge compels them to act. But is there anything that can prevent the death of Churches of Christ, Baptist Churches, Methodist Churches, Roman Catholic Churches, Episcopal Churches, Lutheran Churches, Anglican Churches, Nazarene Churches, etc.?

Freedom in Christ.

There is the answer. Now take a deep breath, because as simple as it is to write, history has shown that it is nearly impossible to consistently practice.

At one time, in the American Restoration Movement, leaders proposed that the only test of Christian fellowship should be the test of Christian character.

That's it. Does this person exemplify characteristics of Christ in his life? If so, then we are in fellowship.

James O'Kelly advocated this. Barton Stone believed this, and later in his life, even Alexander Campbell promoted the "Christian character test."

If we truly practice this, here is how the religious landscape would change in cities all over the world. You would find three types of religious groups: Jewish, Christian and Muslim.

Every church that followed Christ would simply go by the name Christian.

Imagine that.

The power of freedom in Christ.

Leaving Heritage

It is quite an ironic fact that the American Restoration Movement was spearheaded by men who felt the burden of religious persecution. They felt that religion had been corrupted, and that the simplicity of serving God had evolved into a complex system of rules, regulations and rituals.

So they left (or were kicked out).

James O'Kelly, a prominent Methodist minister in North Carolina, left Methodism and formed what came to be called a "Christian Church."

Barton Stone, a Prebysterian minister in Kentucky, found himself out-of-sync with principles of the Presbyterian Church, so he left (before being kicked out) and started what came to be called a "Christian Church."

Thomas and Alexander Campbell, both ministers in the Baptist Church in Virginia (now West Virginia), were summarily kicked out by the Baptists, and started churches that came to be known as "Churches of Christ" or "Christian Churches."

These are some of my roots as a member in the Churches of Christ. My history consists of leaders who were not afraid to stand up for what they believed, and who preached the simple messages, about simply following a God who makes Himself known --not just to the theologians or clergy -- but to all who seek Him.

Unfortunately (and this is where the irony seeps in), the American Restoration Movement moved from the realm of the persecuted to the persecutors. We once championed "free discussion" and the right of everyone to hold "their own opinions." But we changed. We held debates to expose what we saw as the errors of others. We prided ourselves on being "people of the Bible" who understood the Scriptures better than our neighbors. We became spiritually arrogant and excused our lack of involvement in social issues by saying that we were too busy "preaching the Word."

And so we drew lines on others. And then we drew lines on each other. One division. Then another division, then another division.

Free discussion became a lost mantra, easily chided by religious aristocrats who were all too ready to determine who is accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven.

I don't want to forget my heritage.

And I do not want to leave it.

But what happens when it appears your heritage has left you?

O'Kelly, Stone, and Campbell -- where have you gone?

Deja Vu

My first experience at basketball camp came 25 years ago. It took place at Oklahoma Christian University and was directed by a new coach named Dan Hays. That first camp experience left an indelible mark on me, and after attending other camps I am still convinced it is the best camp to learn basketball fundamentals.

Coach Hays is a big reason why. He is in the NAIA basketball Hall of Fame. He helped coach the USA Men's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that won a gold medal. He has served as the NAIA Basketball Coaches Association President and also served on the USA Basketball Collegiate Committee. As a player, he played against the Soviet Union in 1971 as a member of the AAU All-Stars. As a coach, his teams have been ranked in the top-25 19 times out of the last 21 years.

Recently, I took my daughter along with some of her friends to this same basketball camp at OC. Each day I visited campus to catch a little of the camp. One special moment was listening to Coach Hays' during a session on shooting (his specialty). Later, I told my daughter that I remembered hearing all of those instructions 25 years ago as a camper.

The week was a good one for the girls. Each of them did such a great job. They worked hard from 6:30 in the morning till about 9:00 p.m. I was blessed to watch Katie, Ashley and Breanna play and improve as the week went on.

But something that I never imagined 25 years ago happened at the awards banquet at the end of camp. My daughter was given the Best Rebounder Award for her age group. It was a special moment, because she was not the tallest girl at camp (a 5'8 girl from Texas also won a rebounding award). In fact, in every game, Hannah played against girls her height or taller.

But what made this award so special is that I received a similar award 25 years ago. At that camp, I received the Best Defensive Player award. Never in my wildest imagination did I dream that I would someday have a daughter who would attend the same basketball camp and win a similar award.

Incidentally, I was 11-years old when I went to that first camp and won an award.

My daughter is 11.

Deja vu.

Why Individualism Needs Community

Before I get swamped under today's "to-do list" here are some preliminary thoughts on the link that Ted posted for us yesterday.

In that link, Richard Beck argues the case for individualism and bemoans the emphasis by religious leaders on community. Beck believes that communities tend to corrupt, and are therefore a greater threat to a person's faith and to the world at large. To help make his point he insists that prophets can only emerge within the context of individualism. His main example is the German reformer, Martin Luther.

While it is true that Luther took on the Roman Catholic Church for abuses he found unscriptural, misleading, and downright self-serving, he did not take on the Pope by himself. In fact, Luther had a community of supporters, without which he would have no doubt been burned at the stake. To better understand this, one has to journey back 100 years before Luther.

A Bohemian reformer named Jan Huss also took on the Roman Catholic Church. He (like Luther 100 years later) opposed the sale of indulgences, and was summarily excommunicated (like Luther) from the Roman Catholic Church. Yet, the fate of Hus was much different than the fate of Luther. Hus was declared a heretic and burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. The execution of Hus in light of the long ministry of Luther raises some significant questions.

Both men championed similiar causes. Both men drew the dire of the Pope by decrying the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church. So why did one succeed where the other failed?

Hus did not have a community of supporters. Of course, there were those who ascribed to his cause, but he did not have the community that Luther had. What enabled Luther to continue speaking out against Roman Catholic abuses was his community of supporters. Luther had the support of the German princes who were willing to protect him and dare an Italian Pope to try and stop their German preacher. Luther could not have accomplished his reforms outside the context of community. To use Luther as the poster-child for the promotion of prophetic individualism is misguided.

The result of Luther's community support by the German princes was the rise of nationalism, which has (and Beck would probably cite this)yielded some unsavory consequences. As history has shown us, the persecuted eventually become the persecutors and Luther was no exception as seen in his hostile reaction to the Anabaptists.

All of this is to say that prophets do arise, but while their rise helps move the Kingdom of God forward, it is their community of supporters that puts flesh and blood on their ideas and ensures they become reality (with the blessing of God). Community does not hold back.

Just ask Jan Hus.