Mission Catalyst Releases Video Report on its Church Planting Projects
by AT News Team
Mission Catalyst is an independent Adventist organization involved in a number of innovative church planting projects across North America. It is not officially connected with the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, although it communications the same message.
Ron Gladden, coordinator for Mission Catalyst, admits that its’ status is controversial for some, and reports that its unaffiliated status has actually proved useful in winning people to Christ. Many Americans, particularly younger adults, are increasingly skeptical of the whole concept of denominations and independent congregations are growing more rapidly than those affiliated with any denomination, according to the 2010 United States Census of Religion released just a few weeks ago.
What is Mission Catalyst doing? Readers can see the four-minute video report at www.vimeo.com/43307841. It carefully explains the approach that this parachurch evangelism ministry is taking.
“Take a look,” says Gladden, who has planted a number of congregations over the years that are affiliated with the denomination. “When you’re finished … pray for us as we branch out to the next city.”
Will you give more background? When was the first church started and how many plantings have happened? I did see the video and then googled Ron Gladden but must have hit a website from the official SDA church that showed skepticism and sarcastic in nature. A letter from NAD president was included as well. I think it is possible one of my academy friends is a pastor of a planting in Atlanta, Ga. area
Why even bother report in this? Ron Gladden is not a Seventh-Day Adventist. He may be “Advrntist” but in a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing way. He is about as Adventist as Des Ford. His ministry is simply a place for disgruntled and rejected ministers to continue their ineffective methods of ministry, a bit like Oikos in Australia is a gathering place for disgruntled and rejected ministers to fiddle with house churches and attempt to maintain some tithe income.
Des Ford is – or was, last I heard – a member in 'good and regular standing' of a Seventh-day Adventist church. As are some of the most divisive leaders on the far right. Membership in a local church (which is the only measure we have of who is a Seventh-day Adventist) is solely a local matter. I personally am glad that we can still accept as members people from a wide range of positions within the church.
pagophilus,
I with you could be more gentle and slower to jump to strong opinions when you apparently do not know the people involved or their circumstances. I can tell you from personal contact with Ron Gladden that the negatives you state and imply are neither correct or factual.
You did make one at-least partially accurate observation when you said that Gladden's church and others are havens for the disgruntled and rejected. That illustrates a serious challenge that our church needs to learn to deal with. Members and ministers are getting disgruntled and leaving the church all the time. There are a variety of reasons behind their issues and actions. Perhaps the most common situation I have observed is where individuals have doctrinal questions and church leaders try to dismiss the matter with inadequate answers that get complicated by refusing to study the issue using the Bible and the Bible alone. Questions about topics like tithing are typically answered with answers like "That's what we believe", "That's church policy" or quotes from Ellen White instead of the Bible. Such responses only throw gas on the fire and what could have been kept a minor issue explodes into a major one. Then the innuendos get whispered and rumors start charging things like infidelity. That's when churches split and members leave.
We've got to find better ways to deal with questions and disagreements. Ways that don't lead to the repeating and perpetuation of falsehoods.
I am in total agreement with you Mr. Noel. And in fact, people are finding peace, joy and love as they are part of a church that is practicing "love one another as I have loved you" as well as embracing HIS AMAZING GRACE.
Bea,
Thank you and Amen! You are so right about our need to learn to love each other. I visited Ron Gladden's church a little over one year ago with a brother who is a member there. I found them to be a very friendly and loving church that is working to build a variety of ministries in the community. The testimonies I heard were evidence of God working. It was a dramatic contrast with some SDA churches I have visited!
Glad to read your comments, William. I wish everyone could visit our first Pivotal Design church in Vancouver, Washington. The church is not perfect, but we are reaching a lot of unchurched people. 84% of our attenders have never been in an Adventist church before. We started with six people and we are having our 49th baptism tomorrow with six more scheduled for later this month. We have an average of 15 life groups at any given time. Church has never been more fun or more fulfilling! Praise Jesus!
Ronaldg261
Praise the Lord! Keep on following where he leads and doing what he says to do.
From what I can see, Mission Catalyst is serving God in a way that the organized church is not. It is keeping some in the church who wouldn't otherwise be there. It is also practicing the ways of the early church in its focus on Christ while still adhering to basic fundamentals (not focusing on them, but using them to point to Christ).
Wasn't it the Roman Church that required absolute organization? I don't see it in the NT church. Of course, administrative organization is necessary, but church structure and policy isn't sacred is it?
Ron Gladen is the one person that has kept his SDA values and practices while ministering as non-denominational. That rarely happens…most of the time the Sabbath goes by the wayside. God bless Mission Catalyst and I hope it continues to thrive. I would attend in a heartbeat if it were nearby.
Could it be possible for the "sabbath to go by the wayside" while keeping good Christian values? Is the sabbath intricately tied to "SDA values and practices" of ultimate importance? Do good Christians who do not observe the seventh day have good Christian values and practices?
I know, the "giving up the sabbath" is the true indicator of "apostasy," regardless of all else.
Regarding …"most of the time Sabbath goes by the wayside". Colossians 2:16, 17: " Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Some of us are embracing the New Covenant and recognizing that It is Not about the Day, but that Jesus is my Sabbath Day of Rest and I have access to Him 24/7/365. It opens up a whole new scope of understanding of Sabbath. Sabbath is Jesus – Not a Day. It does not mean that we have to give up meeting on a day with other Christians.
I cannot judge Gladden's independent church as I have never attended one. I do recall that when he set up his own church he no longer had his church position; whether he did it voluntarily or whether otherwise I do not know.
I'd be interested in knowing what his outreach methods are. Even some SDA organization churches think a good rock and roll band is required. That's hardly consistent with Adventism in my view.
Real honest to goodness Adventism is, as I see it, closer to Scripture than any other belief I'm acquainted with. It appears a number would like to vitiate it thru liberalism.
Truth Seeker,
I don't have enough information to give you any detail about their outreach methods. I can tell you that what I saw was focused on presenting the Gospel in practical terms. Their music was energetic and praise-focused but not wild. I was blessed by being there.
Hymns sung slowly and mournfully and sermons that make you feel much the same way are not really consistent with Adventism either. And neither that nor 'rock and roll bands' is the reality in most of our churches, so why do we spend so much time worrying about them?
No denomination is the filter which gets one into or keeps one out of heaven. The music, classical or rock, is not the music of heaven nor is it a filter, except for humans here on earth. There are clear passages in scripture on salvation such as John 3:16 and several in Acts. All deal with belief in God. There are other clear passages on what the Lord expects from a person who has been saved, including Micah 6:8, Ephesians 2:8-10, the new commandment, and the fruits of the Spirit. Claiming a name or shunning it is politics and religion–getting into heaven is about true spirituality. Lawyers and courts and denominationalism just complicate things.
I am shocked there is not more activity on this blog – what with so many thousands of people exiting the mainstream SDA church each year. Why do you think that is?
There are very few people who don't realise there is a problem, and there are very few who have any real answers. This is not one of those areas where there is a liberal/fundamentalist divide, so church politics does not drive the conversation. All Christian churches are facing the same problem.
I seriously wonder how much the average member in the pew is fully aware of the union and division positions on WO and Ted's positions. It is those of us here who are concerned and have been keeping abreast of all the latest moves. Do you really believe that the average member is very concerned?
That is the present condition of the Christian church members: attend occasionally, put some $$ in the offering plate when it's passed, go home and repeat next week. Little or no concern over behind-the-scenes decisions. Life will continue to go on regardless of what is decided.