Denominational Leaders in Europe say “Business as Usual is Not an Option”
by AT News Team
With the goal of developing models appropriate to contemporary socio-cultural trends in Europe, 43 denominational administrators, pastors and lay representatives from the 14 union conferences and related units in the Trans-European Division (TED) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church met at Newbold College near London May 10-12 (2012) for a consultation on strategic, missional issues. “One of the main reasons for calling this meeting was to create an ‘incubator’ for new approaches … especially in church planting,” said Pastor Janos Kovacs-Biro, the TED staff member who facilitated the gathering.
Dr. Bertil Wiklander, president of the Adventist denomination in the TED region, said in a keynote address that “being an Adventist is fundamentally a matter of longing for God, and this longing finds its fulfillment in the vision of Revelation 21:1-5.” He pointed out that “the little church family established in May 1863 was able to grow and spread itself to all countries in the world because they began to think differently and discover new possibilities.”
Dr. Wiklander listed eight major challenges that face the Church today in Europe: (1) “The Church misunderstands different cultures; those who don’t look like us and don’t talk and 'smell' like us … are seen as an enemy of the church. (2) The Church is apathetic; [there is] skepticism and no successful [models] in the past. (3) Attrition; are people not interested in faith anymore? (4) Frustration; why do members keep leaving? (5) The Church is concerned about the 'front door,' but leaves the 'back door' open wide. (6) The Church is boring [to young adults]. (7) Churchless spirituality; ‘we do not need to go to church but can stay at home or go out in nature to pray.’ (8) The Church likes to keep one form forever, [ignoring the fact that] people are adventurous and like to move in the way the spirit leads.”
Dr. Wiklander pointed to neglected truths in Scripture that might empower the church for new expressions of Christ’s mission. “Be renewed by His Word! Think differently and think possibilities! … Then our eyes will be opened and we will see the opportunities for God’s mission in Europe today!”
Dr. Daniel Duda, education director for the TED, presented a study on the ecclesiastical role of the church, showing how Jesus’ cultural sensitivity was successful in bringing people to an understanding of the Kingdom. Dr. Miroslav Pujic, director of ministry to post moderns in the TED, gave a presentation on the cultural paradigm shift that began in Europe 30 years ago. “The Adventist Church [has] failed to grasp that living in a new culture really makes a difference in the way people think and approach life,” he stated. “Church membership and attendance is shrinking and newcomers are fewer. Business as usual is not going to help us.”
A number of case studies were shared about innovative ministries that are working well in the post modern context. Honest analysis and “thinking out of the box” were encouraged. The whole consultation was embedded in prayer. “It is time to change from a talking church into a [church] representing God where meeting people's needs and making God's message relevant are the key activities of the Church,” commented Kovacs-Biro.
“I am excited by how seriously the leadership of our church are taking the challenge of the indigenous majority population.” Said Rosemary Lethbridge, a church planter in the U.K. “Success will not be achieved overnight. We need much prayer, patience and support from our leaders.”
“How should we react to the challenge of secularism and post modernism?” asked Pastor Arne-Kristian Andersen from Norway. “How should we respond to the great gulf between God's ideal and the messy reality of this age? Sometimes it seems that our response has been to isolate ourselves in order to preserve our own holiness. … Circumstances force us to go back to basics: a loving, Spirit-filled Church meeting the needs of the community and calling them to follow Christ. It's time to follow our Rabbi out of isolation and into the great adventure that awaits.”
“We are a church in the business of change,” Dr. Wiklander said in his concluding remarks. “If everything could remain the same, there would be no need for mission! But our mission is change, therefore we as a church must change.”
The consultation adopted several basic commitments: “To being biblically grounded and intentionally prayerful in making God known, felt and heard among competing voices in Europe. … To living an authentic Christian life … to intentionally re-thinking and changing our approach … to become more relationally orientated through consciously participating in all dimensions of life … to serve the real and felt needs of the whole community, not just of the local churches … to creating alternative worship spaces where everyone is fully respected … intentionally building inclusive, just and merciful communities that foster reconciliation, healing and the fullness of life in Christ … to learning and developing fresh ways to communicate the biblical message through experiential means such as stories, metaphors, drama, art, music and life experiences that present the Gospel in a simple, understandable and relevant way … to training our children and young people in discipleship and community engagement, so that they may reach their generation for Christ … to modeling and engaging in the arenas of public life, civic authorities, business and academia as they shape societal values and have a strong influence on public debate … to engaging and supporting immigrant Adventist groups in their ministries to reach their ethnic groups [and] international students as well as the majority ethnic populations … to defining, modeling and creating a positive perception of what it means to be an engaged community of believers with a clear and strong Seventh-day Adventist identity.”
This story is based on a report in the May 28, 2012, issue of TED News.
I wish the church in Australia would do something similar. The 8 major challenges apply just as much here as in Europe. TED seems to be far ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to dealing with this issue.
In both Europe and Australia, the Church is fast becoming a bastion for ethnic minorities, whilst the majority ethnic populations are fast disappearing. If we indeed take seriously the Great Commission to all the world, then how can we allow the majority populations to be neglected.
In my own local conference (in Australia), there has been some very sucessful evangelism, including several new congregations via Church planting. However, many of these are ministries that specifically target ethnic minority refugees. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, and Praise the Lord for these new people coming to Christ. My concern is that as long as numbers overall increase, there will be no desire to do what it takes to reach the majority population.
Much of our discussion on this theme is long on theory and short on practice. While it is an uncomfortable process, we need to go back and not only look at what we're saying but why we are saying it. The tragedy for the church is not hostility from society, but being seen as irrelevant.
I have discovered that while most people "out there" don't want to talk about religion, they're happy to talk about God. Even the God they don't believe in! So surely that's a focus that should lead our thoughts in how we can share the good news–for it's about him. We do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord!
In Western nations (or rather majority populations within Western nations), it appears that most people come into the Church through relationships. People appear to be too savvy (perhaps by endless decades of advertisements) to be interested in 'traditional evangelism', such as prophecy seminars, street preaching etc etc.
The SDA Churches that appear to be doing well are those who create user-friendly environments where people can bring their friends. In my own Church, which seems to be doing ok (relatively), a person off the street, wearing jeans, sneakers and a T-Shirt would probably feel very comfortable, and would be quite indistinguishable from other regular members.
We also have quite a good local conference President, who really encourages people to try something new and outside the square, and gives official conference sanction and support for those who do.
In Australia, and I believe also in Europe, there is very little real hostility. But most people don't see any use for the church in their lives. We should be in a position to connect, with our emphasis on health and well-being, but we seem not to be making much of that. Jumping from a health program straight to a Revelation seminar also seems to be off-putting to many. I believe we need to keep in mind always that our ultimate goal is to connect people to God, but we really need to let people get there in their own time. I am disappointed by how often otherwise intelligent people choose not to continue with worthwhile programs that do connect with the community because they don't see baptisms in the first 3-6 months. Leading people from being secular to being committed Christans takes time – much like discipling Christians after they commit. It seems we would rather put our resources into overseas missions where we can see immediate (and large) results rather than into local programs where we don't. I still hear people say that giving to mission programs will lead to pagans becoming Christians whereas in Australia we usually reach people who are already Christians, but it misses the point that, at least in the Pacific, the mission field is about 98% Christian while the home field is nominally about 70% and in practice closer to 20% Christian (and even that may be optimistic).
I agree we need to focus on God rather than doctrine (and I know there isn't a contradiction between the two – I voluntary and regularly read theology books), but we should not discount the great importance of demonstrating what God can do. Providing programs that are primarily focused on helping people is not just good 'pre-evangelism' and PR work, it is a demonstration of what being a Christian means. The words 'come and see' are still among the best answers we can give a skeptic. That and a genuinely caring Christian community.
Kevin, don't you think though that programmes, whether they are health programmes or Revelation seminars, generally don't work, or give very bad bang for the buck. I agree Australians are very secular people and generall apathetic rather than hostile to Christianity. As my father always says, sport is the closest thing we have to an established national religion.
There are health programs that do work. Revelation programs also work very well for the small part of the population to whom they are targeted. My point was that moving from a program focused on getting fit to a program focused on understanding prophecy is way too big a jump for most people. We are jumping from very early in the evangelism process to what, for most people, is really part of the discipleship cycle. We get a few people who become Christians because they have an interest in prophecy, but that is not where most people are at. I believe we need to accep that relationships matter most, and when it comes to using programs to move people one more step in the process, that most will involve only a few individuals. I don't believe any program will deliver large numbers as they did in the past. We need to evaluate every program realistically against what it is intended to do. If Revelation seminars teach people how to understand the book of Revelation, and if that leads to greater trust in God, then they are successful even if they do not result in baptisms. If a health program improves people's health, and if running it provides contact with the community and breaks down a few barriers, then it is successful. If our expectation is that we will run a program and see hundreds baptised, then I suspect all will prove to be failures.
Yes, I generally agree.
In Texas they say, the biggest congregations on Sunday are at the football games.
I remember reading a story in Adventist World a few months ago about a witchdoctor in South America who saw a white man who had moved into a nearby village. The witchdoctor wanted to learn how to change into an animal, and went up to the white man, thiking he was obviously some kind of witchdoctor or magician, 'can you teach me the magic on how to change into an animal?' The white man got out a lether bound book and said, 'I have the most powerful book of magic ever in existence'.
The white man, who turned out to be an Adventist missionary, then gave the witchdoctor Bible studies. That witchdoctor then went on to be the very first SDA convert in that area.
Whilst the story was really nice, I remember thinking to myself at the time, 'That sort of approach would never work in the West, where people don't generally believe in magic or supernatural things, or are at least very discerning and sceptical of any sales pitch, after a life time of media advertisements.'
The point being, the sort of approach that works in one culture and society won't work in the West.
In the history of Christianity, Clement of Alexandria is the closest example we have on how to do it. It took Christianity, which was then seen as an ignorant peasants religion, and described it in ways the Greek elite of the time could understand and admire. He was as comfortable at the elite dinner party as he was in the Church. If it wasn't for him, and his ability to convert the elite (who eventually included people like Emperor Constatine's mother), Christianity may in fact died out before it even really got started.
The question is – who are our Clements today – do we have any?