Tuesday 22 August 2006

Church growth?

Gregory A. Boyd had the courage to tell the truth about conservative American evangelical politics – and as a result, 1000 people left his church. Now that’s what I call real “church growth”!

7 Comments:

Anonymous said...

I have always taken (the) "church growth" (movement) in the patholological-histological sense: "a tumour or other abnormal formation" (OED).

Isaac M. Alderman said...

I attend boyd's church (st. Paul, Minnesota). It is amazing how we feel like we're on the vanguard of something here in the US. It has made those who have stayed (4000 of us) feel much more like a community.

Ryan said...

It will be a golden day when a church of democrats makes the same decision--I suspect a more difficult tangle. Supporting war seems not too hard, but arguing that we shouldn't put our trust in government social services or legislated charity because we are Christians, hmmm...a more delicate knife is needed.

Anonymous said...

Ryan makes an interesting point. I guess the radical nature of the gospel (depending upon your perspective) would signal a line of thinking like this: why would we need government social services or charity? We have a church. We have a community formed, informed, and lead by Christ and cared for by the spirit. Just a thought. If discipleship is the goal, then why do we need a government apart from the ekklesia?

Ben Myers said...

Thanks for that personal note, Isaac -- that's great to hear, and it really does sound like the right kind of church growth!

Anonymous said...

What says more about mega church American Christianity: that they all left when they perceived something amiss in his politics, or that they didn't leave when he espoused heretical notions on the doctrine of God? I find the latter much more sad, don't you?

Isaac M. Alderman said...

I think 'anonymous' is being a little unfair here. Although I didn't attend Woodland Hills when the whole open theism debate was happening, it was more of an academic debate held at Boyd's school, Bethel College, than at the church. Woodland Hills, as well as Pastor Boyd, believes open theism to be a matter of theologoumena. One's belief regarding the nature of time (since it is really about this more than the nature of god)
doesn't relate to one's salvation and could not be heretical; just wrong.

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