Thursday, March 25, 2004
Artificial Harmony
Yes, this is gonna sound like a rant. I can't help it. I am totally frustrated to the point of disillusionment at the condition of the Church in the Phillippines.
I have been involved in ministering to the Body of Christ and her leaders for just more than 12 years now. Wow. That just shocked me. I've been at this for 12 years?!?! I CAN'T BE THAT OLD!!!!! My entry level experience was national level ministry with World MAP (Missionary Assitance Plan), the ministry of Ralph Mahoney. My local involvement was with UFCTC, a training center for pastors. Some where in between was involvement with Celebrate Jesus, a national worship ministry. And after all of this time, I do not see any significant results that can be measured in terms of societal transformation for the kingdom of God. I have seen ministries rise and fall...still no real and lasting fruit.
The Philippine Church has gone through some terrible times, largely due to the mistakes and mishandling of national level Church leadership. Politics (1998's JDV debacle) and witchhunts (S.O.A.R) have fragmented the Church and exposed it's false foundation.
What I am talking about is a fundamental absence of trust amongst the leaders of the national and local expressions of the Church in the Philippines. In this particular historical context (2004), I cannot meet up with any church leaders without someone asking me who I am voting for as President. It is election year, and this has become the foremost agenda of the Church. And this has exacerbated the problem, a lack of trust and security amongst Church leaders.
The Church has rallied behind a particular candidate and has labeled this as God's will. Now the fear begins. If I dont share their views, does that mean that I am not for the will of God? Why do I feel afraid to share openly and honestly when I am asked the President question? Why is it that I see people whom I have never seen as passionate for getting the Gospel out more passionate now than ever about campaigning for this candidate? I'm certain that if the Church could be even 50% as passionate as they are about the dissemination of the Gospel as they are about this election, we would have abated the kingdom of darkness tagibly and significantly more than we have in the past century.
We have had many events come and go, ministries come and go, national transformation initiatives come and go but to no lasting effect. Why? Because we (church leaders) lack a fundamental trust. We are not secure enough with one another to obtain authentic unity through debate and argument. Rather, we avoid conflict all together and settle for superficial harmony based on consensus rather than conviction. As one leader of a national transformation initiative once told me, "The unity that I have in this [movement] is fragile." True unity is not fragile but rather forged like steel in the furnace of healthy conflict and debate. Think about it, the most important and significant relationships to you are the ones you've had the most conflict and resolution, right?
Church leaders avoid this like the plague because we tend to see the presence of conflict as the absence of unity. Little have we realized that healthy conflict is the pathway to adamantium-like unity. And so, on goes the superficial harmony.
We will never see significant results as long as the Church is built on the quicksand of fear and distrust.
I have been involved in ministering to the Body of Christ and her leaders for just more than 12 years now. Wow. That just shocked me. I've been at this for 12 years?!?! I CAN'T BE THAT OLD!!!!! My entry level experience was national level ministry with World MAP (Missionary Assitance Plan), the ministry of Ralph Mahoney. My local involvement was with UFCTC, a training center for pastors. Some where in between was involvement with Celebrate Jesus, a national worship ministry. And after all of this time, I do not see any significant results that can be measured in terms of societal transformation for the kingdom of God. I have seen ministries rise and fall...still no real and lasting fruit.
The Philippine Church has gone through some terrible times, largely due to the mistakes and mishandling of national level Church leadership. Politics (1998's JDV debacle) and witchhunts (S.O.A.R) have fragmented the Church and exposed it's false foundation.
What I am talking about is a fundamental absence of trust amongst the leaders of the national and local expressions of the Church in the Philippines. In this particular historical context (2004), I cannot meet up with any church leaders without someone asking me who I am voting for as President. It is election year, and this has become the foremost agenda of the Church. And this has exacerbated the problem, a lack of trust and security amongst Church leaders.
The Church has rallied behind a particular candidate and has labeled this as God's will. Now the fear begins. If I dont share their views, does that mean that I am not for the will of God? Why do I feel afraid to share openly and honestly when I am asked the President question? Why is it that I see people whom I have never seen as passionate for getting the Gospel out more passionate now than ever about campaigning for this candidate? I'm certain that if the Church could be even 50% as passionate as they are about the dissemination of the Gospel as they are about this election, we would have abated the kingdom of darkness tagibly and significantly more than we have in the past century.
We have had many events come and go, ministries come and go, national transformation initiatives come and go but to no lasting effect. Why? Because we (church leaders) lack a fundamental trust. We are not secure enough with one another to obtain authentic unity through debate and argument. Rather, we avoid conflict all together and settle for superficial harmony based on consensus rather than conviction. As one leader of a national transformation initiative once told me, "The unity that I have in this [movement] is fragile." True unity is not fragile but rather forged like steel in the furnace of healthy conflict and debate. Think about it, the most important and significant relationships to you are the ones you've had the most conflict and resolution, right?
Church leaders avoid this like the plague because we tend to see the presence of conflict as the absence of unity. Little have we realized that healthy conflict is the pathway to adamantium-like unity. And so, on goes the superficial harmony.
We will never see significant results as long as the Church is built on the quicksand of fear and distrust.
