Christian Standard | July 2017 by Christian Standard Media

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JULY 2017

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- LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER -

A PLEA FOR THE

restoration movement “It’s foolish to want all Christians to be in unity if we can’t be unified in our own brotherhood. “We need to fight for relationship in all the issues that could potentially divide us. Otherwise, no one should take this Restoration Movement seriously. The first-century church had more difficult challenges that threatened deeper divisions than we do now. We must learn the same lessons of living out the fruit of the Spirit that they did. We can’t allow ourselves the prideful position of proving ourselves right over the greater need of loving each other. If we can agree on the unwavering truth of Scripture and the authority of our Savior, we can be one people, not defined by our differences but by our love.” This is a 21st-century way of saying what Isaac Errett said almost 150 years ago in a Christian Standard editorial from 1869 (p. 213).

Jerry Harris Publisher | Christian Standard Media

Some might say that seeking unity in our movement is foolish. We have no denominational hierarchy, no common creed, no ecclesiastical authority outside the local church . . . yet these things are precisely what have made us—a desire to find unity that isn’t forced or enforced, but fueled by a desire to fulfill Jesus’ prayer in John 17, and through it, to change the world.

Stay Connected

It won’t be easy. Unity never is. There are so many things to divide us . . . so many points of debate and potential division that can

@_jerryharris /jerrydharris

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JULY 2017

irresistible unity Restoring unity to the Restoration Movement

more on Page 40

THE NEW FACE OF

rural ministry Roachdale Christian Church has been faithful to its mission for 129 years and seen its share of preachers come and go over that time, but lately the church is looking a whole lot younger! more on Page 34

- LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER gnaw on our instincts of pride or fear. It’s a flaw in our fallen nature reflected in 10 of the 17 sins recorded in Galatians 5 that define our sinful default. Satan exploits this because he knows that Christian unity can quickly become an unstoppable force for God’s greater good in this world. Only in keeping the coals divided can he extinguish the flame. We struggle to resist the temptation to divide. The sword is lighter than the plow, after all, and easier to lift, but we easily forget that only one of these items produces a harvest. Our movement was forged out of diversity—of Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian iron. It found its unity in the furnace of God’s Word, the anvil of divine authority, and the hammer held in a nail-scarred hand. It has been tempered through the years, resisting the relentless bending and twisting, always springing back to its original shape. It’s worth fighting for. Have we forgotten that the raw material of the Cane Ridge Revival was a common Communion service attended by different spiritual tribes in the woods of central Kentucky? Have we forgotten the passion of men on horseback spreading the gospel? Have we forgotten the incredible sacrifice of comfort, the daily risks, the countless tragedies and losses, and the unending investment of these brave pioneers? Barton Stone said, “Let Christian unity be our polar star!” We stand on the shoulders of the shoulders of the shoulders of these men and women. We owe them! We have inherited their hopes and dreams that were dreamed in tiny, six-windowed, white clapboard church buildings that dotted the American countryside. Look at what we’ve inherited—1.3 million members, 5,300 churches, 18,000 ministry professionals, 20,000 students in undergrad and grad schools, 900 missionaries, 48 colleges and universities, $1.3 billion C H RIS T I A N STAN DA R D

invested and put to work in our extension funds, and the largest gathering of church planters in the world. The relationships we have with a cappella churches of Christ could double that influence. Think of what God can do with all these resources! Then think of how these resources would strike a harder blow at the darkness if they were wielded in unity!

Christian Standard has been our witness of this great movement of God from the beginning. The first issue on April 7, 1866, bore witness of the passing of Alexander Campbell. The first editor, Isaac Errett, had been Campbell’s co-editor of the Millennial Harbinger and he was a close friend of Walter Scott. For 151 years, the gray lady has born witness to all the triumphs, the turmoil, and the tragedies of this movement, and through all of that, this magazine has labored to hold us together, to keep us on the straight and narrow path, and to do its part to build this great kingdom. God has done his part to keep our great treasure from being consigned to history by providing for its future. We are doing our part to make it the best and the most practical and useful it has ever been. Now it’s time for you, the children of God and this movement, to do your part and make Christian Standard your own again, embracing the incredible power of unity that it brings all of us, reminding us that we are bigger and stronger than what we see in our immediate surroundings, and that we are so much more! Sincerely,

Jerry Harris is the new publisher of the Christian Standard . He is the senior pastor at The Crossing, a multisite church located in three states across the Midwest. - 4 -

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CHRISTIAN STANDARD —

FOUNDED 1866 BY ISAAC ERRETT Devoted to the restoration of New Testament Christianity, its doctrine, its ordinances, and its fruits.

The Staff Jerry Harris, Publisher Michael C. Mack, Editor Jim Nieman, Managing Editor Megan Kempf, Graphic Designer Abby Harris, Photographer

02 A PLEA for the RESTORATION MOVEMENT Meet the new publisher of Christian Standard and hear his heart for our movement.

Subscription Information

To order Christian Standard for yourself, your church, or your group, visit christianstandard.com or contact Customer Service. Bulk pricing is available.

IRRESISTIBLE UNITY

CUSTOMER SERVICE

800.543.1353 info@christianstandardmedia.com

by tyler mckenzie Volume CLII. Number 7. Christian Standard (ISSN 0009-5656) is published monthly by Christian Standard Media at 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Periodicals postage paid at Parker, CO, and additional offices. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Christian Standard Media, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Phone: 1-800543-1353. SUBSCRIBERS: Send address changes to Christian Standard, 16965 Pine Lane, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134. Send old and new addresses, complete with zip codes, at least six weeks before delivery date. This publication is available in microform from UMI; call 800.521.0600.

Christian Standard is published by Christian Standard Media, www.christianstandardmedia.com

Printed in USA

34 THE NEW FACE of RURAL MINISTRY

How one special church in sleepy Indiana is looking younger than ever!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I N Wayn e’s OWN WO RD S

—

IN E V E RY IS SUE by barry cameron

2-4 | L ETTER F R O M THE PUBLI SHER A Plea for t he Rest orat ion Mov ement Jerry Harris

11-13 | MOVEMENT

46 A PROFOUNDLY INFLUENTUAL LEADER

by Ken Idleman

5 Reason s Church Plan t in g Sh ould Ma tter t o You David Dummitt

14-17 | METRI C S Lar ge-Ch u r ch Insig hts Kent Fillinger

20-24 | REL EVA NC E Called t o Serv e M illen n ials, but C a n We Reach Them? Haydn Shaw

26-27 | CREATI V E

The Restoration Ideal STILL WORKS

3 Th in gs t h at Ma ke a Wor sh ip Leader Grea t Chuck Dennie

by Ben Merold

34-39 | FEATURE AR TI C L E Th e N ew Face of Rura l M in ist r y How one special church in sleepy Indiana is looking younger than ever!

56 M I SPLACE D LOYALT Y ?

by jeff faull C H RIS T I A N STAN DA R D

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62 | COMMUNI O N

MEDI TATI ON

Kidn apped by the Taliban Ron Davis

63-64 | LETTER FR O M THE

EDI TOR

Michael C. Mack

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Go deeper. ADULT BIBLE COMMENTARY & SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM Standard Lesson Commentary® is designed to take you and your group deeper into God’s Word. As a reliable resource for over 60 years, the verse-by-verse commentary will take you through Scripture step-by-step and guide you in an in-depth study of the Bible. Following the International Sunday School Lessons (ISSL)/ Uniform Series, the Standard Lesson Commentary explores new topics every quarter. Flexible options are available for small groups, large groups, Sunday school classes, midweek studies, and more! Available in KJV, NIV®, and ESV®—a complete list of resources can be found at StandardLesson.com 2017-2018 TOPICS TO DISCOVER • Covenant with God

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Download complete sample lessons in each translation at StandardLesson.com

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5 Reasons

CHURCH PLANTING should matter to you

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- MOVEMENT -

BY DAVID DUMMITT

ot long ago, when you talked to church leaders about church planting, eyes would glaze over and conversation topics would awkwardly shift. I’m excited to live in a time when this is changing. Organizations like NewThing, Stadia, Passion for Planting, Orchard Group, and others demonstrate that more and more churches are passionate about planting even more churches around the globe. Whether you lead a congregation of 50, 500, or 5,000, your engagement in church planting is critical to the mission that Jesus gave us to be and make disciples. Multiplication is a charge for each one of us, regardless of budgets or head counts. Here are five reasons why church planting should matter to you:

New Churches Best Reach the Unchurched My friend and fellow church planter Patrick O’Connell said it well: “In all the places where Christianity is thriving, church planting is a priority.” Research shows the average new church gains most of its new members (60 to 80 percent) from people who are not attending any church. Additional statistics show new churches baptize 75 percent more people than churches 10 years old or older. Not only do new churches attract more unchurched people, they also attract a higher percentage of venturesome people who value creativity, risk, and innovation, and who are futuristic. This allows new churches to plant with a churchplanting mind-set and to draw visionminded individuals who can help propel the mission forward with new ideas, innovation, drive, and passion.

The Law of Life and Reproduction

The dictionary defines life as “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.” Your church, however big or small, is meant to be a living thing. Living things grow. Living things reproduce. Church planting is not one of the things a church does—it’s part of the identity of a living church. When we no longer reproduce and we fail to reach more people with the gospel, our mission stops moving forward.

the need for more churches is real

The United Nations reports it took thousands of years for the world population to grow to 1 billion (that happened in about 1800), but only about 200 years more for a sevenfold increase to about 7.5 billion people. We are not planting nearly enough churches to keep up with this level of growth! In contrast to this population boom, the United States is experiencing an overall decline in church attendance. According to Barna Research: • 48 percent of all American adults are considered “postChristian,” defined as a person who lacks Christian identity, belief, and practice. • In just two years, the percentage of Americans who qualify as “post-Christian” rose by 7 percentage points, from 37 percent in 2013 to 44 percent in 2015. • Overall church attendance dropped from 43 percent in 2004 to 36 percent in 2014. The need for gospel-preaching, people-loving, outreachfocused churches is real. We’ve got work to do! C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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Church Planting Keeps Us Humble and Dependent on God As you lead your church, you may at times feel tempted to make stability the goal: stable budget, stable management. Sometimes you just want to feel like you’ve got a handle on things. But the truth is, if you are not constantly looking to God to come through, your dreams aren’t big enough. An even greater goal than stability is living a life full of God-sized dreams. Church planting is not comfortable. It challenges us to pray big prayers, take big risks, and depend on God with everything we’ve got. When we are focused on who God is, and the enormity of the mission at hand, we are humbled. None of us has all the answers, but we know the One who does, and I’m sure we can all agree that lives being transformed by the gospel of Jesus are worth every prayer, minute, and dollar invested in planting more churches.

- MOVEMENT -

Here Versus There, and the Economy of God

Two years ago at 2|42 Community Church, we had a sharp, talented, high-character guy named Travis Whittaker as a leadership resident on staff. Four times during his 18-month residency, Travis came to me to discuss the possibility of planting a 2|42 campus or planting an entirely new church. Travis felt called by God to plant a church in his hometown, which, by the way, is 15 minutes down the road from 2|42. I was uncomfortable: What if he took our people? What if he took big givers? I wanted to focus on “here,” but it became clear to me over time that God’s next step for Travis was to launch Mile City Church “there.” So, our staff followed God right alongside of Travis. We gave him opportunities to teach and talk about his church from the 2|42 stage, and we gave Travis $100,000 to get started. Mile City Church launched last year, and 400 people were at her first Easter service. I had been worried that 2|42 would be negatively impacted by investing in a church plant right down the road. But since Mile City launched, we have grown by 1,500 people! Churches helping other churches plant more churches is a winning game plan for all of us. We don’t have to be afraid of investing in kingdom growth. We must not be so focused on our own castles that we lose sight of the kingdom. When we focus on “there,” the “here” will take care of itself.

esus commanded each of his disciples to go and make more disciples. Our mission is the same, and church planting is the vehicle. Each one of us has a place at the church planting table, no matter the size or budget of the church we lead. Let’s trust God for bigger things, and let’s move forward with a multiplication mind-set; the need is real, and the charge is ours. 

David Dummitt is the lead pastor and planter of 2|42 Community Church, one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the country. He is also on the lead team of NewThing Network, a catalyst for reproducing churches worldwide. /DavidDummitt

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- METRICS -

LARGE-CHURCH

INSIGHTS Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to share key metrics and findings of 94 large churches (average weekly worship attendance of 500 to 999) from our recent church survey. The August issue of Christian Standard will provide an overview of the 88 medium-size churches surveyed. And if you missed the big picture snapshot of the 133 megachurches and emerging megachurches, check out the May issue online.

GROWTH & ATTENDANCE

The large churches we surveyed grew 4.3 percent last year, faster than any other segment of churches. Large churches have grown an average of 4.4 percent annually over the last three years. Megachurches, by comparison, grew an average of 2.7 percent each year during the same period. Overall, 69 percent of the large churches surveyed grew in 2016. Again, this was the best for all sizes of churches. By comparison, 61 percent of megachurches (average worship attendance of 2,000 or more) and emerging megachurches (average attendance of 1,000 to 1,999) grew last year. The three fastest-growing large churches last year were Rise City Church (Lakeside, California), which grew 87 percent; Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Church (Effingham, Illinois), 35 percent; and Southern Hills Christian Church (Carrollton, Georgia), 31 percent.

BAPTISM RATIOS

While large churches grew the fastest, they had the lowest baptism ratios. Large churches averaged only 5.9 baptisms per 100 people in attendance last year. The three-year baptism ratio average for large churches (6.2) was also lower than both megachurches (7.6) and emerging megachurches C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

(6.7). Large churches, on average, baptized 42 people last year. The churches with the best baptism ratios last year were Jessamine Christian Church (Nicholasville, Kentucky), 43.2 baptisms per 100 in attendance; North Terrace Church of Christ (Zanesville, Ohio), 12.9; and Wentzville (Missouri) Christian Church, 12.5.

LEAD PASTORS

Large-church lead pastors had an average age of 49.7, slightly younger than their counterparts in emerging megachurches (50.9) and megachurches (52.3). That same pattern held when comparing average tenures among lead pastors: at large churches it is 11 years; emerging megachurches, 14 years; and megachurches, 15 years. Lead pastors at large churches were more likely to be hired from outside the church than their larger church counterparts, but the churches they serve are less likely to have an emergency succession plan or a departure defined succession plan in place. Sixty-one percent of large churches donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any succession plans.

WORSHIP VENUES & MULTISITE

One in five large churches held worship services in multiple rooms on the same campus last year, compared with 66 percent of megachurches. Large churches were also far less likely to use a multisite model. Only 10 percent of large churches had more than one geographic location, while 62 percent of megachurches and 30 percent of emerging megachurches use a multisite approach. Despite the smaller percentage of multisite large churches, they had a similar percentage of people (76 percent) - 14 -

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4.3%

large churches grew by thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faster than any other segment of churches!

BY KENT FILLINGER

attending the original campus as did megachurches and emerging megachurches.

1 in 10

large churches

had more than 1 campus

GIVING & DEBT

Large churches have grown an average of 4.4% annually over the last three years Megachurches grew an average of 2.7% annually during the same period

highest baptism ratios

Average per person weekly giving in large churches was $30.49 last year. This was lower than both megachurches and emerging megachurches, but higher than medium-size churches (average weekly attendance of 250 to 499). The average general fund giving for large churches has been just over $1 million annually the last several years. Of the churches surveyed, the 59 percent of large churches in which giving exceeded budget last year was the highest among the various church-size categories. Over the last two years, large churches gave an average of 14.4 percent of their budget to ministry outside the walls of the church. This figure trailed only the medium-size churches (14.7 percent). Large churches invested an average of 47 percent of their budgets on staff, with spending on staff increasing each of the last three years. Still, large churches spend a smaller percentage on staff than the average megachurch and emerging megachurch. Last year, the average large church had $2 million in debt. This equates to about $2,800 of debt per person, based on average attendance. Twenty-one large churches were debt-free last year,

0f large churches grew in 2016

jessamine christian church 43.2 : 100

north terrace church of christ 12.9 : 100

wentzville christian church 12.5 : 100

shaw Article

C H RI S T I A N S TA N DA RD - 16 JU LY 2017

MINISTRY INITIATIVES

Churches in the survey were asked about their plans for 2017. From a wide variety of responses came a few common answers. The most frequent response was a plan to increase the level of community service or local outreach. For example, Discovery Christian Church (Broomfield, Colorado) is going to develop its property to serve the needs of the city. After speaking to city leaders, Discovery decided to launch a counseling center, equine therapy, and affordable housing initiatives. Bright (Indiana) Christian Church is building a sports outreach center. And Libby (Montana) Christian Church is exploring ways to change its community through employment opportunities and sustainable jobs. New worship services were also a recurring theme. Several churches are planning to launch additional services this year. An element that stands out is the number of churches planning to launch â&#x20AC;&#x153;nicheâ&#x20AC;? worship services. For example, Newberg (Oregon) Christian Church launched a new service on Thursday nights that is identical to its weekend services. Harmony Christian Church (Georgetown, Kentucky) plans to continue to invest in its new Thursday-night service, as well

JU LY 2017

as adding a vintage chapel service on Sundays. One church is focused on creating an ethnically diverse service, while another planned to launch a Hispanic service. Large churches, and churches of all sizes, continue to focus on small group development and creating a better process for discipleship. At 71 percent, large churches were the most likely to use a combination of classes and small groups as their primary method for discipleship. New building programs, expansion projects, and building renovations were mentioned by 10 churches. Seymour (Indiana) Christian Church is starting construction of a 1,000-seat worship center. And two newer churches will either purchase a permanent facility or start building a permanent facility this year. Southern Hills Christian Church (Carrollton, Georgia) is building a community center called City Station that will include a restaurant, community meeting rooms, student housing for a nearby college, and more. Southern Hills plans to hold its worship services and ministry programming in the community center. ď §

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and large churches had the second-lowest, perperson debt average among the churches surveyed. Megachurches have the least amount of debt per person ($1,895).

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- METRICS -

Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting and director of partnerships with CMF International, Indianapolis, Indiana. /3strandsconsulting

www.3strandsconsulting.com

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- RELEVANCE -

CALLED TO SERVE

millennials BUT CAN WE REACH THEM?

Churches have three main options for reaching millennials (born 1981–2001). When I consult with churches, I usually recommend the first, and sometimes the second, but never the third because it’s the one that doesn’t work.

BY HAYDN SHAW

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Option 1: Change the church now This is the best option for most churches. It’s important to hear what people who never grew up in the church have to say, so research is invaluable (my Generational IQ book is one resource, but there are many other helpful generational resources). Since 30 percent of the unchurched used to go to church, don’t forget the valuable resource that is (or was) sitting next to you in the services. Ask people of the younger generations who still attend if they’ve thought about leaving or why their neighbors or the people at work don’t come. Or ask the younger people who stopped coming why they quit. You also might want to contact a church health organization or church consultant to help with sorting through everything you’ve learned. They will usually save you months of meetings as you try to determine your next steps.

When you understand what your congregation will need to do differently to reach the younger generations, you will be excited or scared (or likely both). It’s easy to get carried away when we are considering new ideas and possibilities. That’s why we need to pause and ask, Will we be able to do it? It’s funny that while I get hired by churches to help them figure out how to reach the younger generations, I spend more of our time helping them figure out if they are able to do it. Let’s look at the possible answers.

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- RELEVANCE -

Sometimes the answer is yes. The church is ready, it has the right staff and leaders and the right skills and structure, and it’s just a matter of moving forward.

Sometimes the answer is no. I know what you’re thinking: Some consultant you are if you let churches see the need around them and then let them say no. But some

congregations don’t want to change the way they do church; the people would just leave and find another church more like theirs used to be. Sometimes the answer is no because the church doesn’t have the skills. The church staff may be skilled at leading a more traditional congregation but not know how to relate to younger generations. I consulted with a noninstrumental church of Christ in the South whose godly senior minister desperately wanted to reach young families, but after watching him interact with people of different generations, it was obvious he was completely at ease with boomers (born 1946–1964) and traditionalists (born before 1945) but awkward with gen Xers (born 1965–1980) and millennials. He was a good man, used by God, but communicating with the younger generations would never be his strength, no matter how many conferences he attended. I’ve learned in business, as well as in churches, that there’s nothing worse than taking a person out of a job they’re really good at and putting them in a spot where they are only mediocre.

Most often the answer is not yet. The congregation isn’t ready, they have not yet learned why the younger generations don’t come to church, or they don’t have the right staff or structure. But they could in the future. A couple of years ago I worked with a Methodist church whose average age was 55; only 10 children were attending. The people were worried their church would eventually die unless they reached younger families. When a Christian church three miles from theirs, which had been their size for years, doubled in size by reaching young families, some people in the congregation pushed for a gymnasium, which was promptly voted down by half the church. The church hired me to help them decide whether they should build a gymnasium. So for a day and a half, I interviewed the fine people on both sides of the issue and discovered that they understood how to get the money for the gymnasium better than they understood what it would take to fill it with children and young families. That’s

“ THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN TAKING A PERSON OUT OF A JOB THEY’RE REALLY GOOD AT AND PUTTING THEM IN A SPOT WHERE THEY ARE ONLY MEDIOCRE.

why I recommended they target boomers and traditionalists and grow old together. The chairman of their board told me two years later that they went ahead and built the gymnasium because my questions pushed them to decide what kind of church they wanted to be and whether they were willing to make the changes to do it. They weren’t ready then, but they were later.

Option 2: Grow old together, and serve Millennials Many people are shocked when I suggest to churches that they grow old together. They can still serve the younger generations while focusing on the older ones. We need some churches to grow old together because, as more churches target the younger generations, some of the older members will leave because they won’t want to be in a younger church. I’m not opposed to churches talking about their options and realizing they will not be able to make the transition to a younger congregation. I am opposed to churches that think they’re not growing old together when they are. They insist they want to reach millennials, but their music, graphics, dress code, and social networks appeal to older boomers and traditionalists. All churches target generations; it’s just that most churches do it unconsciously. I’m also strongly opposed to churches that grow old together but don’t care about or do anything for the other generations. Selfishness has no age limitations, and churches don’t retire. That’s why option two is “grow old together, and serve millennials.” The “and” is what the

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- RELEVANCE church determines God is calling them to do beyond flipping months on the calendar. Your church can target boomers and traditionalists and serve millennials in several healthy ways:

• Start new churches or satellites with very different worship services and structures to reach the younger generations. • Raise money from their traditionalists and boomers, the generations blessed financially beyond any in history, to fund reaching the next generation here and around the world. • Send their people around the world to serve and lead. • Then, and this is huge, before the church shrinks out of existence, hand the keys to the building over to another church that is reaching younger people who don’t have the money to buy it.

Option 3: Pretend you can reach all five generations This is the one approach that doesn’t work, but it’s the one I see most often. In my experience, churches that get stuck in this option use it to protect themselves. As long as they think they can reach all the generations, they don’t have to talk about their fears that another generation will come in and change things. A church that thinks it can reach everyone puts the focus on their church, not on the people they are trying to reach. Go young or grow old together—both benefit the kingdom of God. Just don’t fool yourself into thinking you can do both if you keep doing what you’ve been doing. 

/TheHaydnShaw @TheHaydnShaw

Haydn Shaw is an ordained minister who speaks to and consults with churches and religious organizations to help them grow. He is founder of People Driven Results and is a leading expert on helping the four generations work together. This article is excerpted from Generational IQ : Christianity Isn’t Dying, Millennials Aren’t the Problem, and the Future Is Bright , which he wrote for churches. Learn more about generations in the church and find free resources at http://christianityisnotdying.com.

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3 things that make a

worship leader

great BY CHUCK DENNIE Chuck Dennie is an award-winning musician, producer, and director. He was a founding member of By The Tree and worship leader and campus pastor for Life.Church. He serves as creative director with The Crossing, Quincy, Illinois and lives in Franklin, Tennessee. Chuck can be contacted at info@worship.live. @ChuckDennie

@ChuckDennie C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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- CREATIVE -

was a beautiful spring day when I pulled into the long driveway of a church that had a large property. The pastor had asked me to spend time with the church’s worship leader. As I approached the building, I saw beautiful landscaping, a well-manicured pond, and someone mowing the grass. I was about an hour early, and the pastor greeted me at the offices. I asked if we could get started early and if he would introduce me to his worship leader. He pointed outside to the guy mowing the grass and said, “There is my worship pastor.” In that moment I realized something in my thinking needed to change in my assessment of worship leaders. We live in a world that loves to measure success. As church leaders, we can measure the health of our church in many ways—baptisms, attendance, small groups—but how do we measure a worship leader? This question has frustrated church leaders for as long as I can remember. We all have different genres and styles of worship we appreciate. Some prefer hymns led by one person accompanied by a piano. Others prefer the stadium worship pioneered in the late 1990s by bands like Delirious and Sonic Flood. Today, worship styles by the likes of Hillsong, Bethel, and Chris Tomlin have been adopted by many of our churches. No matter what the style or genre of worship in your church, we can measure the success of a worship leader three ways.

Authenticity We all want to connect in today’s world, where so much is artificial. We compare other people’s social media highlight reels with our day-to-day existence, and our lives seem mundane. This compels us to strive to be something we are not. I see this happening with modern worship music as well. We go to a big conference and experience the sounds, lights, and videos of worship in a 10,000-seat arena and try to copy and paste that into our 150-seat sanctuary. But maybe an acoustic guitar, a cajón, and a couple of singers are a better fit in your home church setting. Leading worship authentically means knowing your audience and finding your voice as a leader. My point is, be you. God created us in his image (Genesis 1:27); he doesn’t intend for any of us to be a carbon copy of another worship artist. Find your voice, know your audience, and lead authentically.

Serving Leadership greatness is measured by how well a leader serves, not how well he or she sings. Please understand, I don’t mean our worship leaders shouldn’t sing well. I just wonder if we place too much emphasis on one area—the stage. When I saw the young worship leader out mowing the grass, it inspired me. It reminded me of when David tended sheep and served Saul long before he became king. “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28, New Living Translation).

Engagement If you want to know if a worship leader is great, stop watching the stage and start watching the congregation. I am confident that every decision we make as worship leaders either connects or keeps people from connecting with God in worship. For instance, technological advances save us time, yet worship leaders who look only at their iPads during the service do little to engage with the congregation. In the same way, when worship leaders close their eyes the entire time, they disconnect themselves from their role in the church. Our mandate is to lead people into the presence of God, not to be lost in our own world. Imagine meeting someone for lunch who never makes eye contact with you, or who spends the entire time on his phone—how uncomfortable would that be? As worship leaders, we must realize that every decision we make connects or fails to connect people to God in worship. Experiment with removing tablets, music stands, and anything else that distracts people from engaging in worship. I know how difficult it can be to do all of these things well. In which area do you struggle most? What can you do today to take a step toward improving? I encourage you to write down your frustrations and formulate a plan. Everyone ends up somewhere, but few people end up there on purpose.  C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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restoring unity to the I love the principles of the Restoration Movement. I was raised in one of our churches, educated at one of our schools, and lead one of our churches. I know all the one-liners: • Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we’re silent. • We have no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible, no name but Christian. • We’re Christians only, but not the only Christians. • In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, love. But the most compelling principle to me has always been our commitment to live in the tension between truth and unity. Perhaps it’s time to call for a restoration of that ideal in our movement, because I believe we are out of balance. Honest question: Do we fight for unity with the same enthusiasm we fight for truth? I see this movement’s leaders fighting publicly for truth or sometimes with one another over truth, but I see few fighting for unity. Why is this? C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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restoration movement BY TYLER MCKENZIE Perhaps preachers have mistaken unity for uniformity. Perhaps ministers confuse changing methods with changing mission. Perhaps theologians elevate an exhaustive list of doctrines to the level of being absolutely essential. Perhaps leaders have allowed our autonomous approach to the local church to turn into a competition rather than a kingdom.

Principles of Unity From what I read in the New Testament, unity was an undeniable essential for the earliest church. We desperately need to swing the “truth and unity” pendulum back to a more balanced place. Here are four principles that I hope will move us in the right direction: Humility—The calling card of the humblest people I know is a willingness to listen. Listening generates empathy and understanding, the key ingredients for peaceful disagreement. It’s saying to your counterpart, “You talk first.” Through listening, we earn the right to be heard. Listening is acknowledging that no one has all the answers. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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I’m not suggesting humble people are passive or lack confidence. In fact, passivity often is just a different form of pride. The student who fears raising his hand to answer a question is just as prideful as the one who always raises his hand. Both are self-absorbed. Both care too much about how their peers see them. Humility isn’t about having high self-esteem or low self-esteem. Humility is having no selfesteem, but rather esteeming Christ alone. If you esteem the One who gave his life for his enemies, you will certainly be willing to listen to your fellow Christians. Accommodation—By its very nature, unity demands joining with people whose views differ from yours, and yes, that is possible to do. It requires making a calculated decision to prioritize common ground over personal opinion, mission over method, Jesus over generational difference. It’s much like the accommodation Paul described in 1 Corinthians 9:22 when he said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”* It’s the kind of unity James articulated in his letter to Gentile Christians when he asked them to “abstain Humility isn’t from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled” (Acts 15:29), so they might about having be in fellowship with Jewish Christians. Truth—Unity is not uniformity, but it can cultivate it when we lead with humble listening and accommodation. The trick here is sharing the truth in love. We need both in equal measure. Love without truth isn’t love at all. It’s enablement. Truth without love will never be heard because it’s self-righteous. But when we balance both truth and love, suddenly we find ourselves on common ground with a common goal. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting like family rather than enemies. These first three principles all point to the final one . . .

high self-esteem or low self-esteem. It is having no self-esteem, but rather

esteeming Cross-shaped love—This is the cruciform love Jesus selflessly embodied and which we bear when we choose to carry our own cross. On April 17, 2016, Bob Cherry, the founding minister of Northeast Christian Church, handed me the baton of leadership. Bob planted the church in 1977, and over 39 years grew the body to about 3,000 people. He’s a living legend, and he handed the baton to me . . . Tyler . . . a 29-year-old kid who was (and still is) overwhelmed and underqualified. As church succession planning becomes an increasingly hot topic in our movement, most leaders have come to realize transitions are always messy. Several consultants told us one of two things would happen: (1) If we transition wrong, the church would split, or (2) even if we transition well, we should expect a 15 percent loss of people and giving. We took their word for it, did our best to prepare, and braced for the storm. But, I’m humbled to say, no storm has come. In the year since, we’ve grown more than 20 percent as a church, and our culture is healthier than ever. Why? One word, unity. Not strategy—we aren’t doing a whole lot of things differently. Not staff—it’s basically the same staff. It’s certainly not me—I have no clue what I’m doing. It’s the unity we fought for. And that unity started with the willingness of one man to choose cross-shaped love. From the moment a few C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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Christ alone.

years back when Bob told me I was his successor, he made it clear he would have two priorities until transition day—to put the church’s interests and my interests over his interests. I don’t know if you have ever experienced that sort of radical, selfless, cruciform love in your life, but I did, and its effects were supernatural. I think cross-shaped love either repels others or transforms them. You either run from that love and resent it because it’s just so strange, or you can’t help but reciprocate it. In our context, Bob’s love was contagious. His servant leadership trickled up the organizational chart. My leader chose love, so how could I not? I chose love, so how could our staff not? And our staff chose love, so how could our congregation not?

Our Greatest Apologetic Full disclosure, if I’m being honest (and I am), we aren’t more spiritual than you. We kind of stumbled upon this recipe for success, but we should have known! We should have known all along God would bless unity. Jesus told us this much in John 17:21: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me” (New Living Translation). Jesus said our unity should be so different that it seems divine. It should be so irregular, it’s irresistible. Perhaps this is the greatest apologetic the American church today has to offer in the United—or, maybe more accurately, the Divided—States of America. Perhaps this is our greatest evangelistic tool. I can’t help but think in a country so clearly divided along political lines, in a day when families and marriages are failing more than ever, in a culture where We have an racial tensions are high, in a time when the old have lost hope in the young and the young have lost respect for the old . . . opportunity to shine I can’t help but think we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity to shine the countercultural light of unity and give the watching world a glimpse of the presence of God and the countercultural reconciling power of the gospel. How irresistible would it be to see all races, colors, and cultures worshipping together? How strange would it be to see Democrats and Republicans praying together? How aweinspiring might it be to see a community where the young heed the wisdom of the old and the old encourage the young? Would people not notice if our marriages never dissolved? Would they not wonder about a group that is “one”? Our Trinitarian God is One because of his commitment to unity. His essence could not be love without his commitment to selfless unity. And so, let it be with us! We know we cannot always be right, but we can unite. We know we cannot always win, but we can be one. And oneness will evoke wonder in this divided day. 

light of unity and give the watching world a glimpse of the presence of God and reconciling power of the gospel.

Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor with Northeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky. He is the husband of Lindsay and father to Palmer. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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*Except as noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version of the Bible.

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- FEATUREARTICLE -

THE NEW FACE OF

RURAL MINISTRY Roachdale Christian Church has been faithful to its mission for 129 years. Over that time, it has seen its share of preachers come and go, but lately the church is looking a whole lot younger! Since starting, the church building has been located on the same corner in Roachdale, Indiana, a sleepy little town of just over 900 in the middle of Indiana cornfields, about an hour west of Indianapolis. A circa 1888 white clapboard building was replaced in 1924 by a larger brick structure. An educational wing was added in the 1960s, and in the ’90s, a worship center offered more opportunities for ministry. This church’s story is similar to many congregations in the rural Midwest, with one exception. The entire pastoral staff of Roachdale is made up of millennials . . . no one over the age of 31! What’s even more interesting, three of the four ministers are local products, as is the church’s ministry assistant. After earning Bible-college degrees and serving in ministry elsewhere, these three decided to return home and build the church that had invested into them . . . and the church is growing . . . from averaging 130 two years ago to more than 450 today. The ministers behind this growth include Braden Etcheson, senior minister; Lindsey Etcheson, children’s and family minister; Molly King, student minister; and Brandon Jones, worship minister. (Lindsey is the only nonnative.) Recently, Christian Standard sat down with these young guns to figure out how they’re doing it. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D C H RIS TIAN STAN DA R D

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What was it like growing up in Roachdale?

hesitant to hire a younger minister, but there was a difference here. Our elders are known to say, “Great fruit comes from deep roots. We not only know where you’re coming from, we are from where you come from.” One of the elders said to me, “You’re the monsters we created!” Those things spoke to us about the potential of working together. Lindsey: We were ministering in Nashville, Tennessee, and after a conversation with the Roachdale elders, Braden came into the room with a stunned look on his face and said, “Our church needs us.” The church was in a rough spot. They had gone through a split and felt that they were at rock bottom. Brandon: It was a very different church from the one we left when we went to Bible college. Each of us felt like Nehemiah standing next to a crumbling wall.

Brandon: We grew up across the street from each other. It was [a place] where you trusted everyone, you loved everyone, and everyone was a part of your life whether you liked it or not. It was a very tight-knit community where no one was a stranger. People were always welcome in your home, and [neighbors] would look after you or your home when you were away. Community was family and family was community. Molly, your dad was the high school football coach. What was that like? Molly: For our family, a lot of things depended on how well the team did on Friday nights. That added some stress to things, but that was an outgrowth of being a community. While Roachdale is small, it still has its institutions, and they are very important to the people who live here. That would include the church. My mom taught Brandon in elementary school, Brandon’s mom had me in preschool, and Braden’s dad was the local bank president and an elder. Just recently, I attended a football game after being gone for years, and people still knew I was the former football coach’s daughter. They still put my parents on a pedestal.

Brandon and Molly, you both came from ministries in megachurches. How did a move like this affect you? Brandon: I left Roachdale to see what else was out there for me. I had been in ministry at a multisite megachurch for eight years and felt called to the mission field in Haiti. When that door closed, I was wondering what was next, and that’s when Braden called me. He shared his vision for the church and left me to decide. It was my Nineveh. I knew I was being called here, but I didn’t want to go. The vision Braden shared began a transformation in me, and following that call has been the most positive and unexpected experience in my life. Molly: Much of my ministry experience was happening in the context of wrestling with God. My last church experience left me homesick for family. In prayer, I felt that God was calling me away, but I had no direction of where I was going. When I was contacted by the rest of the team, my initial reaction was to say no, but after the vision was shared

Did any of you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would be doing full-time ministry here? Braden: No. We felt a call from God to come here, but it wasn’t something we sought out to do. After I committed to be here and the vision started to form, it was easier for me to communicate the potential I felt to the others. Lindsey: When we first considered it, we were in a very difficult season, one in which we were considering stepping out of the ministry altogether. Braden: Most churches would be very C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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- FEATUREARTICLE with me, I knew that this was the place God was preparing me for. When did you come here and what was the attendance then?

braden etcheson senior minister

Braden: We started in March 2015 and the church was running about 130 at that time. So, it’s been a little more than two years and now the church is averaging 450, so attendance has basically tripled. How did that happen?

brandon jones worship minister

Molly King student minister

lindsey etcheson children’s & family minister

Braden: White-hot vision and mission. It wasn’t something I brought here. It was something the elders and I prayed through together. It was obvious to us that something was seriously broken, so we prayed for a God-sized vision, and that’s when we came up with the words, “Love Roachdale.” It’s on our shirts, our walls, our building, and our hearts. We said, “If it’s on our building, we’re going to be committed to it!” We exist to love our community like Jesus, and that’s what pulls us together. We want to be a church more prominent inside its community than inside its church walls; we want people to experience the love of God by just driving through our town. It’s a vision that comes from the last chapter of Ezekiel as the prophet sat in a broken city and envisioned a new one with the name, “The Lord is There.” Every week more people are pouring in because this town needs a lot of love. Brandon: Every exit of our church building points to another small community a few miles away. Over each exit, we have a sign that says “Love” and then the name of that town. It keeps us focused outward. Lindsey: You can’t love who you don’t know, so we have to know the people of our community in order to love them. We know their names, their connections, and their families and extended families. Families gather C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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the tension is between the young and the old, but I don’t agree with that. I think its inward versus outward thinking. Most of the tension in worship styles today is between two inwardly focused groups catering to their own desires.

here [at the church building], but life happens out there. Every year we put on four major carnivals just to meet people and give families an opportunity to create memories. We don’t have to push people to come to church—they already know

You can’t love who you don’t know, “ so we have to know the people of our community in order to love them. ” One of our struggles has been how we can efficiently use our space. We have an early traditional worship service in the old sanctuary and then, in about seven minutes, transform the space into a children’s worship area for our later two services. It’s a big challenge.

who we are and they show up. Twice a week we minister in the schools, because in tight-knit communities like Roachdale, the people trust us based on the relationships we’ve built over the years. Molly: We also lead Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Opportunities like that happen even when we’re just out walking the dog. And this isn’t just a staff thing . . . the whole church is taking on this personality now. The schools tend to be the heart of small communities, so we pour a lot of our resources into them. We feed the teachers, buy school supplies, purchased a sound system for them, and do a lot of our events there.

How is this ministry challenging you? Molly: All of us are in positions that are new to us. A Bible-college degree doesn’t prepare you for your job or the environment that job is in. You can feel like you’re in over your head and experience a desperate need for God to fill in the gaps. It’s during those times we remember that God started the church with incompetent people, so that helps us to feel right at home. Lindsey: I remember two years ago, in March . . . we had just moved here and were trying to get our footing when we got a large amount of snow on Sunday morning. During our main service, I counted 16 people at church. That morning, Braden and I had just found out we were pregnant, and my heart sank. I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into and if we were going to have a job or a future. There were no children here that weekend except ours. Today, we have more than 120 children each weekend. That’s a new challenge, but I’m definitely thankful for it.

Tough question: How did you deal with the old guard? Braden: Every church has them, but they were ready for something more. They trusted us, and I wanted to be careful to hear where they were coming from. That generation understands sacrifice, and we are standing on the shoulders of their accomplishments. They understand the idea of giving up something you love for something you love even more. Some of the changes we’ve brought have been difficult, but having their grandkids and great-grandkids coming to church speaks to something deeper. The default in our culture is to believe C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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- FEATUREARTICLE You’ve definitely outgrown your facilities. Previous ministries provided you with a lot more tools. How do you manage with so much less? Braden: Our previous ministry had a $100,000 budget for a youth group of just over 30 kids. Lots of ministries are over-resourced but don’t produce. We don’t concentrate on what we don’t have—we strive to get the most out of what we do have and put whatever is left

The older generation has seen the sun go up and down far more than us, and they have the wisdom, but they need to give us the authority to reach our generation and pursue innovation. The younger generation wants to have that Lion King moment when Simba comes back to Pride Rock. We grew up on that movie. It is definitely attractive to do ministry like this if the environment is right.

hard for millennials to do ministry “likeIt’sthisveryunless there is some real ownership and authority to follow God’s call. ” into our community. We do have limited space and limited funds, but our people are our greatest resource, and God has been very generous with them. Would you recommend a ministry like this to other millennials? Brandon: Since we’re from here, there’s a lot of grace. They’ve allowed us to make mistakes, and we’ve definitely made them. I don’t know how easy that would be if we didn’t have those relationships. Braden: There needs to be trust equity. Our circumstances have to be pretty unique. So many seeds were planted when we were kids here, and the harvest is coming now. They’ve given us the freedom to do it. It’s very hard for millennials to do ministry like this unless some real ownership and authority are given to follow God’s call. If a church hires a millennial but keeps him stuck in that same old model of ministry, it’s probably not going to work. I think there has to be a space for them to lead, and if they are given permission to reach out to their generation, that would be attractive. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

So, what’s next? Braden: One of our oldest elders—who’s getting ready to retire from the board after decades of service—told me recently, “Every little town needs a church like this one.” We are going to keep loving Jesus by loving this town, and if he gives us an opportunity in another town to spread that influence, we’ll step up to take it. We’re not going to stop blazing these trails. 

If you would like to contact the staff of Roachdale Christian Church to ask questions, they would love to hear from you. Contact them at www.loveroachdale.tv or info@roachdale.tv. - 39 -

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in WAYNE’S own words BY BARRY CAMERON

Wayne B. Smith is fondly remembered for many things: his humor, passion for preaching, love for fellow ministers, and hope-giving encouragement. He also is remembered for a willingness to state his position on hut-button issues. But don’t take our word for it.

Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Everyone knows that name: Jesus. Almost everyone in the Christian church knows another name as well. It’s a name that evokes smiles and stories in the hearts of those who hear it: Wayne B. Smith. For 40 years, from 1956 to 1996, Wayne served as senior minister with Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky—one of our flagship churches. He was often referred to as “the Bob Hope of the Christian Church” and lived up to that, bringing humor, hope, and encouragement to preachers and others all over the country. Bob Russell, retired pastor of Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, Kentucky, called him “the most popular preacher in our movement.” Others have said he was more popular than the governor of Kentucky. While that would be hard to prove, there is no debate that Wayne B. Smith was one of our most loved preachers. Wayne loved to preach and will be known as one of the greatest we’ve ever had in the Christian church. He is famous for saying, “Preach the gospel, brother, preach it. Put it high where men can teach it, put it low where men can reach it. Preach the gospel, brother, preach it.” He also said, “When better sermons are written, I will preach them.”

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Following are some gems in Wayne’s own words. First, from the North American Christian Convention (NACC) in Atlanta, Georgia, July 18, 1984: “There are 26 letters in the alphabet, arranged in 800,000 words. Books, magazines, articles, documents all started with 26 letters. There are 7 basic notes and the piano has 88 keys. Yet by using these 7 notes, a musician can arrange them in a variety of melodies, operas, and classical music. “There are only 10 numbers, 0 to 9. Yet they are the backbone of mathematics. There are 3 basic colors: red, yellow, and blue—yet they blend into a variety of endless tints and shades.

“

Wayne B. Smith was known as ‘the Bob Hope of the Christian church’ and some have said he was more popular than the governor of Kentucky. There’s no debate that he was one of our most loved preachers. “The point is, God never gives us much to work with. “Talents are few, but Shakespeare only had 26

letters. Beethoven only had 7 notes. Rembrandt only had 3 colors. Einstein only had 10 numbers. “How much do you have? Are you doing the best you can do with what you have to the glory of God? If so, you are a success whether you preach to 30 or 3,000. If not, you are a failure.” Wayne loved the NACC and spoke at the convention numerous times (in 1964, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1992, and 2006). Wayne loved to tell the story about his friend Jack Ballard teasing him after one of his NACC messages. “You read the whole thing,” Jack teased. “You didn’t read it very well, and it wasn’t worth reading.” What a blessing that we have so many of Wayne’s messages today. By the way, they’re all worth reading. He served as NACC president in 1977 when the convention was in Cincinnati. His theme? “The Word of God—Forever.” Here’s a portion of what he preached that year: “Whatever happened to preaching? A group of men went to Chicago to consult with Billy Sunday, the famous ballplayer who became an evangelist. They went to the seventh floor of his hotel. They knocked on the door. He asked why they came. They said, ‘We want to know about your preaching. What gives power to your preaching?’ He said little before he walked over to the window, looked

Wayne never avoided tough subjects or political hot potatoes in the pulpit. He handled them with his signature humor and gracious spirit. But he always took a stand for the Word of God. Some of those messages were reprinted in their entirety in the Lexington Herald-Leader, the city’s main newspaper. Not only did the Southland Church

“Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday, which means ministers all over America are encouraged to preach against abortion. Fourteen years ago, January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court said an unborn child is not human—and can be killed! This is not my favorite sermon. “We come here today to tell the truth. Abortion is wrong. Abortion is unscriptural. Abortion is antiscriptural. Abortion is murder. Abortion, however, is the tip of the iceberg . . . Each year America aborts enough babies, the equivalent of wiping out seven cities the size of Lexington. Abortion on demand has buried a nation of children as big as Canada. “Every 20 seconds a baby is killed. More unborn lives have been snuffed out than 10 times the total

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know where he stood on capital punishment, abortion, drinking, and other social issues, the whole city and beyond knew. He was asked one time how he knew who to vote for. His answer? “I try to vote for the right person. However, I could never vote for a candidate or platform that includes homosexuality or abortion.” He was also asked, “If you were not a conservative, what would you be?” Wayne’s response? “Ashamed.” Here’s a portion of his message on abortion from Sunday, January 18, 1987:

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down seven floors, and called the men over to look. They looked down and saw the people walking to and fro on the sidewalk, and all that Billy Sunday said were these words: ‘They are going to Hell. They are going to Hell. They are going to Hell.’ My brethren, do you know that we’re going to be saved by the foolishness of preaching? ‘Woe unto me if I preach not the gospel.’ “Notice the place of preaching in the early church—its history began with a sermon; the New Testament church moved across the pagan Roman Empire on the wings of preaching. ‘Daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.’ The first martyr was a preacher (at the end of a three-hour board meeting). “‘They that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word’ (Acts 8:4). ‘Then Phillip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them’ (Acts 8:5). Gentiles were ushered into the kingdom through preaching. Paul cited an Old Testament passage: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that’—do what, do what?—‘preach’!”

number of Americans lost in all our wars. America and the world were shocked into disbelief that Jim Jones and Jonestown could be a reality in the 20th century. Every seven hours we kill as many as the mass suicide in Jonestown. “It’s a federal offense if you kill an eagle, but you can kill a baby. It’s illegal to ship pregnant lobsters to market—$1,000 fine and a year in jail—but you can kill a baby. The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that goldfish cannot be awarded for prizes because it violates the state’s anticruelty law. But the same state upheld mandatory funding for abortion. The same senators who voted to protect dogs from experimentation voted for abortion. Man’s best friend, the dog, came out better than man.”

new?’ The other responds, ‘Nope, nothing new. Oh, they say Nancy Lincoln gave birth to a baby boy last night in her cabin, but nothing really important ever happens around here.’

From a Christmas message preached December 22, 2002, he shared his love for the Restoration Movement: “There’s an old saying, ‘Big doors turn on little hinges.’ God often selects small places to do big things. A famous cartoon used to be printed in newspapers around the country on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. It showed two Kentucky farmers talking over a rail fence. One asked, ‘Anything

“Who would have ever guessed that America’s most loved and respected president would be born in Hodgenville, Kentucky? Who would have guessed that anything significant would ever happen at Cane Ridge, Kentucky—a little crossroads a few miles outside of Paris, Kentucky? Cane Ridge was the site of a gigantic revival led by Barton W. Stone, a Presbyterian minister in the early 1800s.

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“

Wayne never avoided tough subjects or political hot potatoes in the pulpit. He handled them with his signature humor and gracious spirit. But he always took a stand for the Word of God.

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“That revival, which lasted for weeks and welcomed as many as 30,000 people, was the impetus for a spiritual awakening that brought people together from various denominational backgrounds. They concluded it was time to abandon divisive denominational creeds, allow the Bible to be the only guide, and to be called Christians only. “In time, the movement of Barton Stone at Cane Ridge joined with a similar movement of Thomas Campbell from Brush Run, Virginia, and the Christian church and churches of Christ became the fastest-growing religious movement on the frontier. “Interestingly, on September 18, 2002, The New York Times listed the fastest-growing religious movements in America during the decade of the

“

Salvation is free, but it’s not cheap. We’re not saved by works, but we’re saved for works, and God wants you in that game, and it’s only the love of God that will keep you in that game until you cross the finish line. 1990s, and the independent Christian church was second with an 18 percent increase—less than one percent behind the Mormons. All that began in a little out-of-the-way spot called Cane Ridge, Kentucky. God still chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” The sermon Wayne is most famous for is “Playing Hurt,” a message he began preaching every Super Bowl Sunday back in 1983: “The greatest thrill, the greatest dream, and the greatest goal of a football player’s career is to play in the Super Bowl. To be able to wear the ring of the Super Bowl champion is the greatest accomplishment of all. I’m told that running with a football in an NFL game and being tackled is somewhat like running into a brick wall! In spite of their unbelievable conditioning, nearly all of these players play hurt. “The message is simple and it all boils down to C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

this: Whether you’re on a football field or in the kitchen or in the office, you’re going to be hurt. All of us have hurt in our lives. We’ve either had problems, are having problems, or will have problems. The Bible tells us that suffering is inevitable. “Salvation is free, but it’s not cheap. We’re not saved by works, but we’re saved for works, and God wants you in that game, and it’s only the love of God that will keep you in that game until you cross the finish line. “Go home and read 1 Peter 4:12. ‘Dear friends, do not be surprised about painful trials you’re suffering, don’t be surprised as though some strange thing is happening to you.’ Don’t act like, Oh, my, I didn’t know this illness would come. I didn’t know this offense would come. I didn’t know someone in my church would disappoint me. ‘But rejoice that you could participate in the sufferings of Christ.’ “He suffered, and the servant is no better than the Master. “There it is. Suffering is inevitable; misery is optional! “Suffering is inevitable; misery is optional! It will come to you one way or another, in some form, and you either play hurt or you don’t play at all.” One of the last messages Wayne shared to preachers were these words: “I love preachers and preachers need the fellowship of other preachers. “If the task is once begun, never leave it ‘til it’s done. “Be the task big or small, do it well or not at all.” Well done, Wayne B. Smith! 

Barry L. Cameron serves as pastor with Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, Texas. Wayne Smith was his hero, mentor, encourager, friend, and spiritual father for 54 years. When Cameron was just 9 years old, Smith told him, “You’re going to be a great preacher someday. - 45 -

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BY KEN IDLEMAN

LEADER

a profoundly influential

Joseph, whose biography is detailed in Genesis 37 to 50, was just such a dynamic and deep leader. His life story will cause you to shake your head in amazement time after time. Joseph was a survivor and he is a model. He was a survivor of abuse, betrayal, discouragement, temptation, and success. He is a model of God-honoring leadership whether at home or in a foreign culture, a model of forgiveness, a model of death with dignity, and a model of how to leave an honorable

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of the contributing factors in maintaining ourselves as a nominally Christian nation is the presence of moral leadership in the White House. Some of our presidents have used their considerable influence to point us to the God of the Bible: George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush, to name just a few. Without question, we have been blessed as a people when our most prominent national leader has demonstrated godly convictions and character.

legacy. Joseph has been called the “Jesus of the Old Testament” because, in 14 chapters of Scripture, we do not find a single flaw in his character. Nothing negative is known about this profoundly influential leader. Even secular history records that when Joseph became prime minister at age 30, Egypt was a third-rate nation; but after an incredible 80 years of his leadership, Egypt was the dominant world power.

older brothers hated him and would not speak a kind word to him. He grew up with three stepmothers in a household that surely had daily head-butting, constant infighting, and jockeying for position. But despite the damaging chemistry of his formative years, Joseph nurtured his dream that God was at work in him and would be at work through him in the lives of others.

So, what was it that made Joseph such an exceptional leader? The answer is bound up in the character traits that marked his life from his teenage years. The blessings that flow from his example are fully transferable to anyone who aspires to lead a Christian community—whether small or large.

I remember having a strong calling on my life at about the same age as Joseph. At 17, I dreamed of one day being both a preacher and a pastor. I wanted to be in the vanguard, holding up the Word of God, living and written, and rallying people around it. At the same time, I wanted to be in the rearguard, picking up people who had fallen, helping them get back on their feet, helping them get their heads on straight and their hearts right.

Discovering, embracing, and then imitating these attributes will result in the same kind of favor evident in the life, leadership, and legacy of Joseph.

•••

Having a Dream “Joseph had a dream” (Genesis 37:5). And his dreams were prophetic. They are evidence that God was building into the circuitry of this young man’s heart a literal visualization of the possibilities into which he would enter as he moved through life. Though only 17, Joseph already had a sense of mission, a sense of destiny, a ministry call on his life. He was the personification of the purpose-driven life, propelled forward into a productive future by this God-honoring dream. It amazes me Joseph could maintain his dream when his life was encumbered with so many potentially destructive influences. His father was morally passive and showed relational favoritism in the family with his wives and with his children. In addition, Joseph was reared in what might be considered a singleparent home—motherless from age 10, when Rachel died giving birth to his younger brother, Benjamin. His abusive

I wanted to marry a virtuous woman who would share my sense of calling; and together with my wife, I wanted to rear children who would know, love, and serve the Lord. And the things I dreamed of experiencing have been defining and animating my life for almost five decades now. When I turned 50, someone gave me a copy of Halftime by Bob Buford. That book impressed on me, a midlife leader, of my need to establish new dreams. So, I started a discipleship group for men, began taking an annual mission trip, assisted in the planting of a new church in California, and began mentoring younger church leaders. Having a dream was the cornerstone of Joseph’s influential leadership. Do you have a dream about how God might use your yielded life? Do you need to pray for conviction about a dream? Don’t outlive your dreams.

•••

Being Committed to God-Honoring Excellence “The Lord was with Joseph . . . and . . . gave him success in everything he C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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or be imprisoned. But he managed to thrive—despite being regularly victimized by injustice and having to adapt to a new language, customs, and culture—because of his faithfulness to pursue God-honoring excellence.

did” (Genesis 39:2, 3). As you study the life of Joseph, you quickly see that he was irrepressible. He always started at the bottom and rose to the top. He consistently surfaced as a difference maker. He started out as the youngest of the sons of Jacob and wound up being entrusted with the household chores that were typically assigned to the more responsible children. He started out as the lowest slave in Potiphar’s house, and eventually became his master’s administrative assistant. “And the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Genesis 39:5). Later, Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison and advanced from being the lowest prisoner to becoming the trustee who checked on the welfare of the other prisoners. Joseph’s story in brief: His brothers put him in a pit and it became a shortcut to the palace.

Joseph’s commitment to excellence is observable not only in his work but also in his relationships. He valued every person in his life. He had no disposable people in his world.

We live in a “whatever” generation where mediocrity is revered and excellence is undervalued. Some people even say excellence is overrated and authenticity is of greater value. Sorry, but I do not want a likeable, sincere, and genuine surgeon working on me unless he is also an excellent doctor.

•••

Being Loyal to People

What was Joseph’s secret? His success was centered on three key ingredients: hard work, a commitment to excellence, and prayer. That’s not a secret; all people have access to this formula.

It is not self-help. It is not new age. It is not positive mental attitude. It is not aligning yourself with the universe or “naming it and claiming it.” It is taking hold of your situation, even when it is not presently what you want, and discharging it in such a way that honors God. It is opening your life to him in prayer and taking what you have to work with and doing it with excellence—being a good steward of your health, years, abilities, and opportunities. Be assured, Joseph did not want to live in Egypt or be a slave in Potiphar’s house C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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“So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care. . . . So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there” (Genesis 39:6, 22). Joseph’s commitment to excellence is observable not only in his work but also in his relationships. He valued every person in his life. He had no disposable people in his world. He was loyal to his father when the rest of his brothers were selfishly exploiting the family agribusiness. But he was not disloyal to his brothers. They brutalized him and robbed him of his youth, selling him to a band of slave traders. He forgave them and wept loudly for the joy of reconciliation! He was loyal to his employer. He was loyal to the warden and to his fellow prisoners. And even though his father was a polygamist and a poor role model as a dad, Joseph was married to just one woman and reared two sons, both of whom he gave God-honoring names. He believed that every person in his life was there by divine design. He tried to deal graciously with everyone. He was not dismissive. He did not burn his relationship bridges. While you cannot control what others say

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to or about you, and you cannot control whether others associate with you or are loyal to you, you can control your own attitudes, words, actions, and reactions. James 3:17 reveals one way you can know the Holy Spirit is active in your life is by an absence of alienation. If you are running your life with the wisdom that comes down from Heaven, you will be peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial, and sincere. These terms signify healthy interpersonal relationships. Spirit-filled people typically don’t have much drama and conflict with others. In consideration of these things, do you need to write a letter or e-mail, make a phone call, or have a face-to-face? “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

•••

Maintaining Integrity “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph’s question is rhetorical. He was saying, “I cannot do this wicked thing [commit adultery with his master’s wife] and sin against God!” Even though his father, Jacob, was both a deceiver and morally passive, Joseph did not allow his father’s lack of a moral compass to become a pass for him to live the same way. Joseph ordered his life according to God’s best. He did not try to “get by” with things; he sought the heart of God in his personal life and faith. His integrity was tested exactly as we are tested—with money and sex. Potiphar trusted him with his wealth and his wife. And Joseph did not betray that trust despite the false charge of sexual aggression brought against him by Mrs. Pot-of-Fire. Joseph was trustworthy, and trustworthiness is the essence of leadership capital. Joseph’s integrity was not for sale at any price. Although Potiphar’s wife was surely a stunning Egyptian beauty

who did not imagine her advances would be rejected, Joseph first refused, then resisted, and finally ran from her presence (a good formula for handling attempted seduction).

Integrity comes from the word integrate, which means to become one, united, whole. Perhaps our most critical decision, when we stand at Joseph was trustworthy, the moral crossroads of and trustworthiness is the temptation, is whether we essence of leadership capital. will be one person living in one body or whether, instead, we will compartmentalize our morality and become a spiritual schizophrenic. Integrity is the bedrock of moral authority, which is our greatest authority in the home, church, community, and workplace. Being a person of integrity means you are the same person in the sunlight as in the shadows, in the family room as in a motel room, in the home fellowship group as on the golf course. As you assess your leadership today, what is your dream? Are you committed to God-honoring excellence? Are you loyal to the people in your life? Are you living a life without secrets? None of us can achieve the character to be profoundly influential spiritual leaders on our own. It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, appropriated to us by faith in him, that makes us truly good and godly. 

Ken Idleman served as the fourth president of Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri, was senior pastor for 10 years at Crossroads Christian Church, a megachurch in Newburgh, Indiana, and is presently mentoring pastors as vice president of leadership development with The Solomon Foundation. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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t r i s w

h e d t o

e s e i r

t o r a t i o n a l l l k s

t h e

by ben merold

s o u r c e

The Missouri River—the “Big Muddy”—runs past the city of Omaha, Nebraska. If we wanted to get pure, unpolluted water from this river, we have two basic choices. We might, as Omaha has done, install a filter to remove the mud that has accumulated in the water during the river’s meandering path south and east. But that treats only a small portion of the water, and the great body of the river runs on as muddy as before. If, however, we go to the source, we would find pure water that comes fresh from the wellspring. Similarly, if we want the pure, unadulterated Christianity given through divine inspiration, we must go back to the source, before the evils and impurities entered the church. Herein is the difference between Restoration and Reformation. I have just given you one of my favorite illustrations about unity. I found it years ago in the book 600 Doctrinal Illustrations published by Standard Publishing in 1941. We should seek unity in the church, if for no other reason, because Jesus prayed for it. When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed for himself and his disciples. Then he prayed, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20, 21). So, we can’t criticize a biblical emphasis on unity. To do so would be to criticize this prayer of Jesus the night before his death on the cross. Jesus stated clearly that the world would not believe if there were not unity in the church. To have this, we must go back to the source. I do not believe such unity exists in the churches today. As a result, we have failed to evangelize the world, and the church seems to have more divisions today than in the past. While many efforts toward unity have been made, our own brotherhood, the Restoration Movement, has been about the only group that constantly reminds us to go back to the source.

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We seem to meld together both practical and scriptural emphases when we stay with our plea of getting back to what the New Testament teaches about salvation, church structure, and Christian living. This concept of going back to the New Testament for our doctrine and structure seems to be very acceptable in our present culture of tolerance concerning almost everything. There is still a great opportunity for this brotherhood of local churches that promotes unity by getting back to the source.

B e Op tim is tic We are not a dying movement. Our future is bright. I can think of at least four reasons this is true. First, our brotherhood has many large churches that are still growing. The number of megachurches in proportion to the number of congregations is phenomenal. Second, our foreign missionary efforts are many times larger than they were 40 years ago and, unlike many denominational reports, we usually count only full-time missionaries. Third, our brotherhood is still evangelistic and our educational system is still very much alive. Fourth, we are recognized as leaders in church planting and we hear many reports of fastgrowing new churches. A well-known denominational preacher recently said, “Where in the world did you people suddenly come from?” However, we have not yet accomplished our purpose of unity, even though we offer a solution—that of going back to the New Testament as the source of Christianity.

H ol d to th e Re s toration I d e a l The Restoration ideal still works if we will work it. It offers a basis of unity to all who believe the Bible to be the Word of God. We are a unity movement, and that unity is based on Scripture. We offer a plan of salvation that is scriptural. We believe that salvation is by grace; it is a gift from God and is the result of Jesus Christ

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dying on the cross to redeem us from sin. He was resurrected from the dead, he ascended to Heaven, and he is coming again. And so salvation is a gift. It is by grace. It is something we must have but cannot accomplish on our own. Still, a gift must be received, or we do not possess the gift even though it is available. Therefore, because God loves us, he also teaches us that we are under a new covenant, and the New Testament clearly articulates how people accept this gift: Those who became Christians heard the Word of God and believed it, they turned to God in repentance and confessed their faith in Jesus as their Savior. They were then baptized into Christ and were looked upon as redeemed and added to the church. (See Acts 2:36-47.) The book of Acts goes to great length to give us story after story of people who were converted to Christ and added to the church. The pattern of conversion was always the same even though the experiences of the converts were often different. We must teach salvation by grace, but we must also teach that, as individuals, we appropriate that grace by following the New Testament pattern. As is often said, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” We are all saved the same way. But when we are added to the church, we are confronted by another New Testament concept. The local church is to be led by its own elders and deacons. In the New Testament, each church cooperated with other local churches, but no denominational form of government existed. This too is a great foundation for unity.

Dis p lay Our Mottoes Our movement has been identified by some unusual mottoes from the past. Here are three: “We do not claim to be the only Christians, but we do claim to be Christians only.” I have heard it worded somewhat differently, but you see the point. We are not this type of Christian or that type of Christian. We want to be the kind of Christian found in the New Testament.

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“The Bible only makes Christians only.” See the basis of unity here? It takes the Bible and something else to make a person a member of a denomination. “In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things, love.” We must be obedient in the matters of faith that are taught in the New Testament, but in the realm of opinion we have liberty. However, let’s attempt to show love in all things. Today’s young people grasp the meaning of these mottoes and are seldom offended by them. We need to refer to them and display them.

Te ac h Ou r Dis tin c tive Doc tr i n e s Let’s never fail to communicate the biblical doctrines our movement has consistently professed. First, consider baptism, which is for a believer who has turned to Christ in repentance and willingly confesses Christ as Savior. It is immersion in water for the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5.) Every denominational preacher I have talked to about baptism has admitted that the immersion of a believer into Christ for the remission of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit is right and scriptural. Therefore, let us continue to practice it the way everyone admits is right. This too is a basis for unity. Then there is the Lord’s Supper, often referred to as the Communion service. This simple act of taking unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine in remembrance of the fact that Jesus died for our salvation was the central act of first-century Christian worship. It was the way Jesus asked us to remember him. The New Testament proclaims that in observing this, “you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26)! When we take the Lord’s Supper, we preach a visual, practical sermon about the body and blood of Christ. These two ordinances are essentials and can become another basis of unity when the clear teaching of Scripture is accepted. - 54 -

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B e wa re of L e ga l is m

We are a part of a great movement to get back to the source—the New Testament—and restore the church in its doctrin and structure.

Legalism comes in many forms. It often appears when we try to make our opinions matters of faith. Legalism often adds to New Testament teaching in the same way the Jewish religious teachers added to the law of Moses during the time of Jesus on earth. An incident at our church illustrates this well: We had closed a morning service with several baptisms. As soon as the service was dismissed, a man who was visiting ran forward shouting, “Those people were not scripturally baptized.” We had baptized the converts in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for remission of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit. What could be his problem? As I questioned this man, I learned that while our staff member in the baptistery had given the New Testament reasons for baptism, he had not said some of the additional things that were said during baptismal services in the visiting man’s home church. This is one example of legalism. Let us be careful not to attempt to force our opinions in nonessentials on others. We are part of a great movement to get back to the source—the New Testament—and restore the church in es its doctrines and structure. In doing so, we offer a basis of unity to a divided church world. I ask you to pray for our brotherhood and for our churches. Please pray that God will use us to remind the world of the Savior and the simple teachings concerning salvation and the church as taught in Scripture. Let us take advantage of what the Lord has given us and renew our purpose without apology. 

Ben Merold serves as minister-at-large at Harvester Christian Church, St. Charles, Missouri. He and his wife, Pat, travel extensively as speakers for retreats, conventions, and seminars.

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Attitudes toward the Restoration Movement from within the movement are greatly varied. They range from a blind, unquestioning loyalty to the movement—its founders, champions, and slogans—to a lack of interest and an assessment that our historic plea and positions are irrelevant, all the way to an overt disdain and intentional distancing from our heritage and history. Myriads of articles have been written about the ongoing decline of denominational loyalty. The editors of Christianity Today even put a tombstone under the headline “Are Denominations Dead?” on their June 2010 cover, highlighting a piece on waning tribal commitment by Ed Stetzer. Some welcomed declining denominational loyalty as a positive development, while others have bemoaned it as another sign of an unraveling culture. How should we in the Restoration Movement respond? How is loyalty to the Restoration Movement different from denominational loyalty, and when, and in what way, is our loyalty appropriate? First Corinthians 1 offers warnings and a framework for considering loyalty to our movement. It can help us answer this question: When is loyalty to a plea or a movement appropriate? When it still acknowledges the beauty and breadth of the church. Paul began his letter to the very flawed church in Corinth by addressing them as fellow believers, belonging to Christ as saints under the lordship of Jesus. His acknowledgement of their standing is clear. He wrote “to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2).* This is not a sort of ecumenical tolerance that commends and acknowledges every brand and stripe of theological diversity, but it is a realization that despite all the imperfections and flaws in the Corinthian

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church, God still saw them as his church. Marshall Leggett, in his book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal (Standard Publishing, 1986), aptly defined the Restoration Movement as, “A movement within the church calling all believers back to the church as it was given to the apostles.” Loyalty to New Testament Christianity means calling for truth and purity while, at the same time, acknowledging the scope and magnitude of the body of Christ. When it attempts to be of the same mind. The New Testament consistently calls us to be of the same mind, to agree with one another. Of course, that does not mean we all think exactly alike. That will never happen on this earth, nor does God intend for it to happen. People come from different backgrounds, environments, and perspectives. We will never be exactly aligned in everything, and perfect agreement is not the intent of Paul’s directive. But neither does it mean we need to compromise truth for the sake of agreement. The Holy Spirit reveals through Scripture that the church is to be the pillar and support of the truth. We are to contend earnestly for the faith and guard what has been entrusted to us. Further, we are to watch out for false teaching, hold fast the word of life, and stand firm, rejecting teaching and teachers that contradict the truth of the gospel. We are called to test everything. A primary purpose of the letters in the New Testament is to correct false teaching—to draw some lines—and keep us on track as Christians. However, we cannot force everyone to agree with us. I once heard Don DeWelt say, “I considered writing a book entitled Agree with Me or Go to Hell, and then I realized that God had already written a book by that title, and he has his copyrighted.” He also said, “We say

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we have the truth, but everyone who has the 66 books of the Bible has the truth . . . the question is, what do you do with it?” This is not a call for forced tolerance. Scripture makes it clear there is a foundation for oneness. We need to have the right authority in order to agree with one another. It’s been said, “To most Christians, the Bible is like a software license. Nobody actually reads it. They just scroll to the bottom and click ‘I agree.’” The Bible is God’s authoritative Word, and we seek to teach and follow it. We must not follow manmade creeds or regard the word of any person as authoritative. We attempt to follow the Word of God alone. We all may value different traditions, opinions, and preferences, but we all submit to one authority—the Word of God. Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent. When we do this, we’re more likely to be on the same page! We can’t just say, “We all believe in Jesus and that’s all that matters.” We are committed to follow all Scripture. We have more consensus when we simply let God speak. There is still value in the saying, “In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; in all things, love.” We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can contend for truth without being contentious for truth. We can insist without being insulting. In The Sermon on the Mount, a book written more than 50 years ago, Clovis Chappell wrote, “The fact that the way is narrow does not mean that those who walk it must themselves be narrow. The opposite is true. It is as we travel the narrow way that we become broad. Real Christians are never narrow.” An anonymous prayer written decades ago characterizes the proper allegiance to truth: C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

“From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, from the laziness that is content with half-truths, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, O God of Truth, deliver us.” When it openly examines our level of maturity and allows us to question our own motivations. These admonitions to Corinth make it very clear that division, schisms, a party spirit, undue confidence, and identification with and in human leaders is an indication of spiritual immaturity. Is it jealousy, strife, or pride that quietly motivates us? Are we taking positions that simply toe the party line because of what the “faithful crowd” would say, or are we taking positions that blur the line because of what the “forward crowd” would say? Over the years, I have observed that being pleasers of people is a problem for both liberals and legalists. In Paul’s rebuke, some claimed to be of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, while others claimed to be of Christ. And though belonging to Christ is an accurate statement that is used again in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul seems to include the “Christ party” in his rebuke here, as well. At its root, denominationalism is a pride and attitude problem as well as a doctrinal problem. Appropriate loyalty to the Restoration Movement calls us to that realization. When it elevates the nature and the sacrifice of Jesus and our baptism into him. The apostle asked, “Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13). Isn’t it interesting that Paul used the subject of baptism to - 58 -

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call us to unity? He did the same thing in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and Galatians 3. The elemental tenants of the gospel call us to unity and truth at the same time. Loyalty to the Restoration plea is loyalty that champions those truths and continues to build on a solid foundation. In Christianity Today, sociology professor William Weston reported that growing churches tend to be conservative. He identified such churches as “those with clear authoritative doctrine, rigorous religious practices and demanding membership responsibilities.” Churches that try to accommodate the secular world by diluting the faith keep losing people. When it prepares for our work to be tested. This refers, of course, to the part of the passage that says every person’s work will be tried by fire. But our work is tested in other ways as well. As a matter of fact, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul maintained that divisions and factions ultimately identify who genuine believers really are. Sectarian, denominating thought, actions, and doctrines can serve the dubious purpose of standing in stark contrast to genuine Christianity. Rather than diluting or polluting our faith with every wind of doctrine and practice, we should be testing everything to see if it is of God. When it recognizes the ultimate inadequacy of human leadership. You would be hard-pressed to C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

find any leaders more powerful and knowledgeable than Paul or Apollos, but listen to the words of Paul himself: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7

Healthy Restoration loyalty is not loyalty to historical figures and names like Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, and “Raccoon” John Smith. It is not loyalty to institutions, gatherings, conventions, publications, or organizations. It is not loyalty to a certain group of people or thought leaders. Instead, healthy loyalty is allegiance to the one perfect leader while connecting with likeminded followers who are subject to him. When it savors and embraces the beautiful images of the church. According to Paul, the church is a flock, a field, a building, a body, a family, a group of fellow workers, a bride, even an army. Rather than providing a technical definition of the church, the New Testament gives us an array of images, metaphors, and analogies to help us build and flesh out what it means to be in the kingdom of God. Loyalty to a movement that liberates and enables us to do and be the church described in the - 59 -

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New Testament is a rightly placed loyalty. An old Standard Publishing workbook series on the Restoration Movement contains a booklet written by Enos Dowling. His little volume was prefaced with a brief attempt to contextualize the beginnings of the Restoration Movement in America. He listed nearly a dozen bullet points. Though times are now radically different, the conditions surrounding the rise of the Restoration Movement are not entirely dissimilar to the characteristics of our culture today. In fact, there are some striking parallels: • a spirit of individualism and independence and an insistence on no religious “restriction” • a volatile political and economic landscape • a declining interest in and respect for the church as a relic of the past • deteriorating moral conditions (Dowling wrote, “even the clergy participated in drinking”) • a heavy influence of Calvinistic thought • a renewed influence of the expression of “written thought” • a reaction against creedalism • religious confusion and division • a corrupt ambitious and arrogant clergy class • neglect and misuse of Scripture • leaning toward experiential spirituality • some stirring of religious awakenings. Dowling concluded: It has been said that the Restoration Movement was born to die. And that is true . . . when its work is finished. Any movement that has lost its purpose or fulfilled its mission no longer has any reason for existence. But has

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the Restoration Movement lost its purpose or fulfilled its mission? Do the factors which called it into existence no longer exist? Are there standards other than the Bible in Christianity today? Is the church still divided? Has the babble of voices directing sinners given place to the language of God?

Dowling then quoted something Alexander Campbell had written long ago in the Millennial Harbinger: If we fail it can not be in the object proposed: for in this none can claim higher, more rational, or more scriptural ground. If, too, Christianity is ever to be restored . . . if the disciples of Jesus Christ are ever to be united, if sectarianism is ever to be put down, if the world is to be regenerated and its kingdoms bow to the scepter of Jesus . . . it must be by placing the apostles upon the thrones which Jesus promised them, by making them the infallible arbiters of every question of faith and morals. If there be a rock, if there be a sure and well tried foundation on which to build in the moral and religious desolations of Christendom, this is the foundation.

So, when is loyalty to a plea or a movement appropriate? Loyalty to the Restoration Movement is appropriate and healthy when it is an allegiance to a plea and a people with principles that discourage the negative aspects of tribalism and engender the positive aspects of it. It is healthy when it focuses on promoting unity within the framework of New Testament authority under the lordship of Jesus. Our loyalty to the Restoration Movement is healthy when it truly upholds the dream of restoring the New Testament church!  *Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible.

Jeff Faull has served as senior minister with Mount Gilead Church, Mooresville, Indiana, since 1988. - 60 -

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- COMMUNIONMEDITATION -

KIDNAPPED BY THE

taliban

any Americans were introduced to one of the stories of the Afghanistan war when they saw the 2014 CBS interview of Dr. Dilip Joseph regarding his experience and the book he had just written with James Lund, Kidnapped by the Taliban (Thomas Nelson Publishers). Dr. Joseph was the medical director for Morning Star Development, active in Afghanistan, serving locals with medical care and training. Returning from a mission of mercy, Dr. Joseph and his party were captured by the Taliban and held for several days. Their captors kept them moving constantly, and they were in moment-by-moment fear of death. But Navy Seal Team 6—the same Navy Seal Team that tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden—rescued Dr. Joseph in a flurry of gunfire and shouting. Joseph was free from the threat of imminent death. Yet, in the rescue, Nicolas Checque, Seal extraordinaire, was killed. Dr. Joseph commented, both in sorrow and in joy, “He died to save my life. It is hard to live with that idea that someone died for my sake.” We know what he feels and means. We, simply going about daily life and mission, were once captured by the father of the Taliban, the father of all lies and violence. Daily we walked in the valley of the shadow of death. But our Redeemer came, not with terrifying noises and loud voice, but in the quiet of a Calvary hour, with whispers of love and forgiveness. Here, at his table, we remember that rescue. It is hard to live with the idea that someone had to die to save our lives. But someone did. And we both mourn his loss—because of our choices—and rejoice in his accomplishment—because of his grace. Here. Here at his table. 

BY RON DAVIS

Ron Davis loves “standing at the cross” reverently and thankfully each week at the Lord’s table of grace and sensing God’s love. Find another meditation by Ron each Friday in July at christianstandard.com. C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR -

letter FROM THE Editor Michael c. Mack Editor | Christian Standard

God knows what we need before we ask him, and he knew I needed Mike Mack. As the new publisher of Christian Standard Media, my first major responsibility was finding a qualified, passionate editor for Christian Standard. The Lord provided a writer, editor, minister, and disciple maker who already had a great relationship with the magazine, and I’m excited to have him tell you a little about his story. —Jerry Harris

God drastically changed my life in 1988. I found Jesus, found a great church, was baptized, lost my job, started seminary, and met my wife, Heidi . . . all in the span of six months. That was 28 years—half my lifetime—ago. The evening my job was eliminated, I went to my new small group, part of Centerville Christian Church (now SouthBrook Christian Church, near Dayton, Ohio), and asked them what I should do next. Since eighth grade, I had wanted to be a writer but had been convinced to pursue business. With a new life in Christ, was this my opportunity? Did God have a new path for me? My small group prayed with me and encouraged me to meet with our senior minister, Tom Jones. Tom arranged for me to meet with Gene Wigginton, then publisher and later president of Standard Publishing. The next week, I was sitting across the big desk from Gene, eagerly telling him my aspirations (and asking him for a job). He scratched his bald head. Many of the editors, he explained, had C H RIS TI AN STA N DAR D

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- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR years of experience in ministry, preceded by Bible college and often seminary degrees.

Christian Homes for Abused/Neglected Children.

Helping Children in Crisis Since 1977.

I asked how I could get the education and experience necessary to get a job there. “I guess you could start by taking some Bible classes at a Bible college,” he said. “Where’s a Bible college?” “Have you heard of Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary?” he asked. I hadn’t. Gene made a call, but first he introduced me to two of Standard Publishing’s magazine editors: Mark Taylor, editor of The Lookout, and Sam Stone of Christian Standard. I drove to CBC&S that day and registered for fall classes in the seminary. Gene kept in contact, paid my registration to the North American Christian Convention, which happened to be in Cincinnati that year, and continued encouraging me. Eventually he called me with a job. Gene believed in this presumptuous new Christ follower who didn’t have the right education or any experience in ministry. I have no idea where I would be if Gene hadn’t taken a chance on me. As you read this special issue, you’ll find a phrase repeated several times by our writers. They speak of “standing on the shoulders” of those who came before them. I get that. I’m standing on the shoulders of people like Tom, Gene, Sam, Mark, and far too many others to mention. As I write my first editorial, I’m thankful for the godly men and women who have played their parts in making me who I have become so far. God has used our histories to bring us to this point; let’s continue to play our parts in his story of redemption and restoration. 

We’re looking for your feedback on the articles in this issue. We’d also like to hear stories of how God is working in your ministry.

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