Wondering, Wandering, and Writing

There’s this big meeting going on in New Orleans this week.  The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical denomination in the US, is holding their annual meeting.  Well, since I’m a member of an SBC affiliated church, I suppose it’s **our** annual national meeting.  Only, I’m nowhere close to New Orleans.  The last time I went through there I didn’t lose anything, and if I did, I can live without it.  Anyway, at associational, state, and the national meeting, representatives from member churches vote on a number of business items.  The SBC is generally governed from the bottom up and churches are autonomous; they can make their own rules.  However, there are reasons for a church to be expelled from the national convention.  At this national meeting, there are a few items that are serious enough to split the convention.   Some other denominations are in the midst of splitting.  At first glance, to many Christians, this is a terrible thing.

But, is it terrible?

Yes, it is terrible that people who are supposed to be recognized by their love for each other and unity absolutely cannot get along with each other.

Given the amount of disaster relief, hunger relief, and other humanitarian activities  funded by large denominations, a split could be detrimental.

However, in the end, it won’t matter.  Not in the way that really matters.

Evangelical groups are founded with the purpose of spreading the good news of salvation through Christ throughout their communities and the world.  In the process they encourage believers in their faith walk.  As groups get larger, more organization is needed.  Organization is a good thing.  The twelve tribes of Israel were organized into a nation.  When Jesus fed the 5000, he had the disciples organize the crowd into groups.  When the early church was fussing amongst itself about which widows were being cared for and which ignored, they organized a group of deacons to look after the widows so they apostles could keep on preaching instead of settling disputes.  You can see many good examples of organization around you.

However, we humans have a tendency to lose our focus.  Organization begins as a tool to achieve an objective.  After a time, maintaining the organization IS the objective.  For Christians, maintaining an organization or a tradition or a building is not the main focus.  The focus is sharing the love and restoring hope found in Jesus.  When we’ve been in the organization for a long time, it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between worshipping the organization and using the organization to lead others to worship God.  And when some open their eyes, or God opens their eyes, and they see the difference, things change.

However the votes go in New Orleans this week, whatever happens to the Methodist and Presbyterians and other national and international organizations that are struggling, the gospel will continue to be spread.  One only needs to take a look at church history to know that  great movements have had humble beginnings. 

Mmmm.  Humble beginnings.  The Great Awakenings had humble beginnings.  Perhaps coming before God, filled with humility, is where we need to be as our organizations are on the brink of crumbling.  God can feed a multitude with a basket of crumbs.

#bgwww23