Are Changes Necessary?
Recent research by pollster George Barna has been interpreted to describe what he feels is a growing disenchantment by some believers with the traditional ways of doing church. As a result, he established a Council of Senior Advocates to examine the situation and offer insights targeting solutions. Dwight M. Gunter II, pastor of Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene in Nashville, was invited to serve as a member of this council. The Holiness Today (HT) editorial staff spoke with Gunter (DG) and asked him to discuss these concepts and their impact on the church of today and for the future.
HT: What is your role with the Council of Senior Advocates?
DG: My role on the council is to be a voice for the local church and to speak on behalf of these passions from the context and framework of the local church.
HT: Barna has described the disenchantment some are experiencing with the traditional Church. Do you believe this is truly a challenge for the Church?
DG: After reviewing the data, I have become convinced that the Church is indeed facing serious issues that must be taken seriously. Now is the time to address the problem, not some time off in the future.
HT: Can you describe this "disenchantment" for our readers?
DG: It is a feeling on the part of some believers that the traditional approaches some churches are employing are no longer working. For these members, there is a disconnect between the message and the end results that are strangely absent in the life of their faith communities. They believe in the transformational message of the gospel, but they don't observe the results that should accompany such a message.
HT: What other indicators have you noted?
DG: I believe there are also missing elements of mission. In other words, some congregations simply don't know what they are to do. In too many situations, we lack a Wesleyan understanding of the Church and its mission. When you add to this the absence of any real assessment of a church's effectiveness in mission and ministry, it can be disheartening to some believers who are eager to live missionally in their world.
HT: Would you elaborate on what you believe is a Wesleyan understanding of the Church?
DG: I believe John Wesley envisioned the local church expressing three core convictions: fellowship, unity, and purpose. Disenchantment can set in when people do not build meaningful relationships within the community of faith. Our fellowship is indeed with God through Christ, and it is always in the context of community.
Without meaningful relationships, the quality of our shared life diminishes.
Our unity is a relational one. Even where some are engaging in emerging ministry groups, one thing is certain—they will be led back to the basic concept of the Church as defined by biblical definitions of its function. I am committed to the biblical model of the Church. I am aware, however, that some congregations have not discovered their true assignment. Purpose is really another term for mission. It's what we are about.
HT: If the research is correct, what can be done to reduce the disenchantment creeping into the church today?
DG: I believe the clergy must recover a passion for true worship. By this I mean encountering Christ. This isn't about worship styles or tastes in music. It's about living in community with God. Relevant, Christ-centered content must be present in our worship. By the same token, I believe some laypersons take worship more seriously than some clergy. They have a deep hunger for God that must be nurtured and nourished. They want events in the church to target worship that fosters encounter with Christ. We also need to recover the art of engaging in faith-based conversations that can lead participants to encounter Christ.
In our world, everything hinges on relationships. Unfortunately, some pastors find it difficult to engage in faith-based conversations, simply because the longer we serve the Church, the fewer lost people we know or talk with on a regular basis.
We must teach evangelism strategies that move beyond canned or memorized presentations.
Laypersons fear they might fail in making such presentations. Faith-based conversations are nothing more than the authentic conversations that emerge naturally within relationships. From these conversations, God often leads those whom He is drawing to a decision to follow Christ. Finally, I think clergy need to plan events that give people something to talk about. These events can stimulate faith-based conversations as well as invitations to church attendance. In addition, pastors should find ways to help people find opportunities for building relationships within the community of faith.
HT: What do you see in the Church's future?
DG: First, I see this disenchantment among "true believers" increasing while at the same time creating opportunities for Nazarene congregations. The questions remain, "What will we do?" and "Will we be prepared?"
Second, I see the gap between smaller and larger churches growing. Some congregations will refuse to change and be negatively affected by this disenchantment. Others will recognize that change is not optional. It's not "change for the sake of change" that is needed, however. Revolutionary churches will embrace the passion of intentional discipleship, contagious communities of grace and service, and will emerge looking more like the Christian Church of the first century.
Third, our future depends on what changes we need to embrace and whether we will be willing to pay the costs associated with such changes. The world is looking for a culturally relevant message. But although Jesus was culturally relevant with his first century message of grace, he was countercultural with his stinging rebuke of the self-centered ethics of convenience. Will we be willing to make the changes necessary to advance the kingdom of God?
Holiness Today, January/February 2006
Please note: This article was originally published in 2006. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.
