When Missional is Not Helpful

One of the best resources I know for learning about new models of church life for faithful witness to the Gospel in our post-modern culture is the Allelon web site found here.  Mark Priddy, who hosts a blog on the site, recently linked an article by David Dunbar, president of the Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, Pennsylvania in which he mentions the cycles of spiritual renewal in the Church that seem to ebb and flow through time and cultural transition.  The article reminds those of us who are zealous to see a transformation in the culture of mainline churches to beware of arrogance and impatience.  Here's an excerpt:

Throughout history God’s people have experienced cycles of spiritual prosperity and expansion followed by stalled growth and eventual decline. In such contexts, movements of renewal or revival have sprung up as the Spirit of God graciously worked to complete the cycle and restore the vitality of God’s people.

I like renewal movements. I grew up in a group that was the result of a powerful moving of the Spirit that began in the British Isles during the 19th century. My love for the Bible, my devotional life, my commitment to the church, and my approach to ministry have been deeply formed by this group. Although I no longer identify myself as a card-carrying member, I am still significantly influenced by what I learned in this tradition and I appreciate the heritage it gave me.

This may help you understand part of what attracted me to the missional church. It too is a renewal movement. I see it as a moving of God’s Spirit within the Western church at a very critical time in its history. We find ourselves (most Christians probably agree on this) in a time of decline. Churches in the West are in trouble: internal dissensions, the failure and discouragement of leadership, loss of our youth, widespread negative perceptions of Christians by outsiders, and the death of many congregations. Just the kind of dry-bones situation where the breath of the Spirit often begins to blow!

And this is what energizes me! I turn 60 this year and I realize that my life is quickly slipping away. How wonderful it would be to live into a new era of spiritual vitality and power for the church in North America! I can almost see it. I am impatient for the transformation, and that’s where the trouble begins…

The entire article can be found here:

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