The Role of the Academy

I was wandering around the blogosphere a bit tonight and ran into this comment posted by Jamie at emergent voyageurs:

"Many students, once leaving academy and entering into church ministry seem to stop thinking theologically, falling into business models of church structure and leadership. A gathering was held to explore why this happens and what can be done about it."

It caught my attention because I am in the "academy" right now hoping that I am thinking about things theologically and with a mind to listen to God in the midst of all this. I'm also thinking about the structure of church and how it should be changing. I thought about it a bit and made the following comments.

I have a couple of observations. I want to apologize ahead of time for the length of my ramblings and the simplistic generalizations. I hope they don’t offend.

The academy should be a place of blue sky biblical thinking - wondering what God wants to do with the church, imagining how the world can be changed because of a church that is doing what Jesus is calling them to do. It should be preparing people to understand their culture and see it with the eyes of Jesus. Instead the academy is often trying to prepare people for what the church looked like 20 years ago. So when students graduate from seminary they are often unprepared for the reality of church and culture as it is.

My experience upon leaving the academy was that it didn't prepare me to be relevant in the world or the church. It didn't prepare me to do theology in a real world environment. It didn’t teach me what people were really like or how to talk to them. It didn’t teach me about suffering and it didn’t tell me how much administration was involved in running a typical church. It didn’t tell me how political church life could be.

It did teach me to believe that the meat of the Word was a correct understanding of Reformed theology instead of humility, servanthood, death to self and learning how to hear and obey the voice of God. It taught me to preach theologically correct sermons instead of a message that changed my heart. It taught me that it was possible to study and understand the Bible in the original language and still be far from, and cold towards, the Word of God.

The academy lives in an ivory tower and the church has created an imaginary world in which to live. The church’s imaginary world parallels the business world in that they are both removed from real people. The business world’s success is measured by the bottom line and whatever it takes to get ahead. It uses people to make money and beat the competition. It needs effective leaders to make the tough decisions to grow the company – even if it means firing a few people or closing a few factories.

A church’s bottom line is often growth, measured by attendance, large buildings, many programs and a big budget. To accomplish this a good leader needs to be in place to make the tough decisions – even if it means firing a few people or eliminating some programs. Churches often use people to improve their bottom line. The leadership (pastor) is expected to put in lots of overtime to make it happen. The organization’s health and success is usually more important than the welfare of a few people who may become disgruntled. So a CEO type leader can be effective at running a large church. Firing staff when he needs to, getting people to run programs they are not gifted at (because we have to have a nursery/Sunday school/bus ministry/etc.) even if it means people are hurt or burned out in the process.

My response is that churches can learn much from many of the business models out there – especially the move toward teams and flatter, smaller organizations. However I think we made it the ideal that churches are to be big organizations instead of smaller organisms. A big organization needs a well-trained CEO. Most pastors are not effective in that role. A smaller group needs a father or a shepherd. The role of the academy is to dream. The role of the church is to disciple people to pastor in their place of business so that businesses can fulfill their role of providing honourable and equitable employment that gives value to people.

Appreciative Inquiry

There is an interesting thread at Vanguard Church on how to have an Appreciative Inquiry evangelistic conversation. He suggests that we start with creation rather than the Fall in our God Encounters. That means starting the conversation with God's grand intention for our lives instead of starting with our depravity and sinfulness. The diagram below gives you a hint as to where he's going with this. Worth a read.

Back Home Again

I arrived safely home last night at around ten. Even before I drove into my driveway I was reminded of why God called me here. My neighbour flagged me down and asked "How was Boston?" And then talked to me about his ailing mother and his prayers for her. Brigitte and I went for a walk later and talked to another of our neighbours about a significant spiritual experience he had. Then today we spent the afternoon with another of our neighbours. Neighbourhood life is rich and full and filled with God encounters as we see Jesus in the face of those around us.

My trip home was mostly uneventful but I found out later that the Mohawk Indian nation had roadblocked the bridge to Canada (at Cornwall/Hogansburg) and part of the 401 highway between Cornwall and Toronto earlier in the day and had planned on blocking it for the duration of the weekend. Fortunately some kind of settlement had been reached earlier in the day and I made it home in a timely fashion.

I drove through New Hampshire and Vermont and it is pretty there. The day was sunny and not too hot. I took some pictures as I drove along - and I am amazed at how nice they turn out going 100+ km/hr. The daytime picture is in Vermont and the sunset is just west of Trenton on the 401.

Although I enjoyed my time in Boston, it's nice to be home. However I won't see my daughter Kirstyn for another four weeks because she left for Germany last week before I got home from Boston. She's been blogging some of her thoughts and experiences at her blog. Check it out and leave a comment to let her know people are thinking of her.

On The Harbour

Or maybe I should write "harbor." I keep running into the "our" ending in many words here in USA. Words like behaviour and neighbour and harbour are spelled without the "u" south of the border. Most days it doesn't really matter but today we were talking a lot about the affecting the behaviour of others and it kept coming up as misspelled in my word processor (but not on the powerpoint presentation). I actually had to change my essay because I didn't think it would be all that well received.

At any rate, last night we went for a three hour cruise in Boston harbour - which is actually very expansive and has a number of islands and lots of lighthouses and a couple of forts. The whole Boston area is a history buff's dream come true. Boston was settled in the early 1600's and the founding dates of towns all around where we are is 1643, or even earlier. Just to put that in perspective, Thornhill was founded in 1795 - 150 years later.

it was a beautiful night and I posted some pictures here on the blog and on my Flickr site. The sunset was spectacular and the view of the city at night was amazing. We have a guy in our course whose sister runs a charter boat and we arranged to rent it for our class at cost (well probably below cost). They prepared an amazing meal for us and we spent a great evening together. Our class is quite small (only 6) and we've gotten to know each other quite well and we are having a good time.

We are doing school work as well and I'm in the middle of trying to put a proposal together for my next project which will also lead to what my thesis looks like.

100th Post

Wow! I've reached the milestone of 100 posts. Big deal.

Praying for a Friend

A friend of mine, Tim Huff, that I knew during my Evergreen days, just sent out a sad email about one of the youth he had been working with who took his own life. I thought I would share the email with you.

Dear friends,

I spent the afternoon at the hospital bedside of a seventeen year old homeless boy, just praying and being there talking to him (even if he could not hear me?) while the machines monitored the quickening pace of loss of brain activity. No family present. And this evening he has passed away. He took his own life, as his history and his world had worn him past what he could handle. As always, he took a piece of my soul that I can not get back and that will always leave me wounded – at least in this lifetime. But far more than that – he gifted me immeasurably with his presence, even into his final hours.

At the hands of death alone, I have said “good bye” to more than 40 teenagers in my 20 years among street-involved youth. All have deserved the best in life, all have been precious, fascinating young ones with extraordinary potential and countless dreams for life and love. And, having framed every bit of my own theology around the absolute that God is always both just and merciful…I believe all these ones, so damaged in this lifetime, so far removed from knowing sustaining love that reveals otherwise, are made new now in His care. I have to.

But it does not excuse a society that belittles, hurts and ignores those seen solely as a bother or nuisance or worst of all…someone else’s problem. A piece of all of us dies with ones such as this, whether we recognize it or not.

In his honour, and the good stead of what is a nonnegotiable when it comes to doing what is vital…I plead with you, that today you would cherish the young people in your arms-reach and have them know how special and priceless they are. In your home, at your camps, in your neighbourhood, in your school rooms, in your churches, on the streets…maybe just some nervous young person training at the till at a McDonald’s who needs you to be a bit patient and smile…anywhere. What you do and say on this day could change a young life forever. I believe it with all of my heart. Our sons and daughters, your sons and daughters, without question…God’s own.

Wearily and lovingly yours, Tim

First Week

We just finished our first week. It has been a very good week with lots of interaction and exchange of ideas. The main focus of this week of class has been the history of Christianity since the Reformation. We have looked at Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli, Zinzendorf, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield and the revivals and awakenings that happened as a result of their ministry. Fascinating stuff.

A number of things really jump out at me. The first thing was how closely connected the church was to the state and how difficult it was to actually express new ideas without getting censured, exiled or killed. These were brave men to express and stand on their convictions.

The second insight is the amazing similarity of some of the moves of God in the 1700's. During Zinzendorf's time they experienced a pentecost at Herrnhut (the Moravian community he established) complete with shakings, a tangible presence of the Spirit, healings and a deep experience of the love of God. During the Wesleyan revivals and during the Great Awakening there were swoonings, tears and loud screeching during the services as people were brought under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. There were many more supernatural manifestations than we are normally led to believe.

The third thing is what impact the revivals had on our history as the Western Civilization. These awakenings and revival have really shaped who and what we are as a country and as a people. It established morals and ethics and governmental systems that have strong biblical foundations.

Finally, I was impressed at how they expressed their Christianity in the social realm. The result of these revivals was orphanages, hospitals, schools, universities and the relief of poverty. The changes were not only political but deeply social and made a difference in the day to day life of one's neighbour. It has inspired me to see that the significance of the move of the Spirit is always felt in loving your neighbour.

Day One

I just finished my first day of classes of the two weeks of classes that I will have while I am down in Boston at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary working on my Doctor of Ministry Program. We had a short chapel this morning and then went on to reconnect with one another. It was interesting that of the ten students that started this cohort last year only six remain - and of those six all of us seriously considered not coming back for the rest of the program. However we all agreed to stick it out and to try and graduate together.

We also lost one of our professors (Dr. Steven Kang) who was replaced with Dr. Gordon Isaac. Dr. Isaac is teaching on the spiritual renewal portion of the course (revivals and renewal movements focusing on the Reformation and Great Awakening this term) and Dr. Ray Pendleton is teaching on the "systems" part of the course (how a family, congregation and church operate as a system and how you effect change in those systems).

The rest of the day was spent looking over the time period we will be studying (Reformation 1500's, Pietism 16-1700's and the Great Awakenings in the 1700's and 1800's). It actually is quite fascinating and I'm finding a lot of parallels with our current cultural and church situation. If we don't know or understand our history we will be destined to repeat it. Who was it who said that? Any guesses?

I'll try to post most days as I'm down here and maybe even provide a few pictures. You can see the campus by looking on the website. You can also see where we are staying by looking at the website for the Marriott Residence Inn.

First Day In Massachusetts

A beautiful day and a fairly quick trip. I made it to the Residence Inn where we're staying by 10:15 or so. I will be sharing a room with Dean, one of the same guys I was with last year. Chapel is at 8:15 and class starts at 9:00 so I will be in bed soon. A picture to remember my only stop.

Ruth Graham

According to an AP report, Ruth Graham-wife of renowned evangelist, Billy Graham-died on Thursday, June 14th at 5:05PM, at her home at Little Piney Cove, North Carolina. She was surrounded by her family and husband, who had earlier in the day been "huddled at her bedside."

A lovely lady putting up with a travelling salesman (one of the best) for a husband (smile). See the full story here.