RENEWING THE GREAT

NATIONAL INSTITUTE IN

CHURCH FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

CANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY EMORY UNIVERSITY ATLANTA, GEORGIA

BY

WILLIAM THOMAS COTTINGHAM III PASTOR

FREMONT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH P.O. BOX 147

FREMONT, NORTH CAROLINA 27830 919-242-4062

SUMMER SEMINAR 1987

INTRODUCTION • .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PACK LIGHT AND TRAVEL FAST

THE GREAT COMMISSION

THROUGH OTHER EYES •

1

4

5

12

21

BIBLIOGRAPHY . • . • • . . . • . • . . • • • • . . . • . . 2 9

INTRODUCTION

Evangelism comes from the Latin evangelium and Greek

evangelion words meaning good news. Evangelist comes from

the Greek evangelos meaning the one who brings the good news.

Evangelos stems from two meanings, eu for good and angeles

for messenger. The evangelizer is the messenger of the good

news of the Kingdom of God. Scripture records that God has

always brought forth the message of the Kingdom. Isaiah

offers a Neo-style of ministry of evangelism. Just as

Isaiah foretold the coming of humiliating exile, we, too,

can offer unique and sensational styles of announcing the

good news of Jesus Christ.

The ordained clergy have spine-thrilling commitment

when the words of the Prophet are recalled, "And I heard

the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who

will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"

(Revised Standard Version- Isaiah 6:8) As noble as this

dialogue is, we are very unlikely to adhere to Isaiah's other

style of proclamation as found in Chapter 20. " ... at that

time the Lord had spoken by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying,

'Go, and loose the sackcloth from your loins and take off

your shoes from your feet,' and had done so, walking naked

and barefoot--the Lord said, 'As my servant has walked naked

1

2

and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against

Egypt and Ethiopia l '" (Revised Standard Version - Isaiah 20:2-3)

The omen of the dimunition of membership in the United

Methodist Church perhaps would entertain such sensational

measures for ministers in our denomination. Rather than

suggest a new fad of streaking, perhaps the motif of nakedness

is worth considering. The nakedness of Isaiah symbolizes the

need to shed the weighty baggage that often encumbers many

Christians announcing the good news to all people.

Often our "baggage" of ill perceived ideas and unfounded

prejudices prevent us from having "one foot in the community

and one foot in the church". 1 Evangelism is a two way

street. The good news flows from the community to the

church and from the church to the community. In scripture,

profound evidence is readily seen of God's willingness to

engage the plight of the poor and disenfranchised. The poor

have been excluded by many United Methodist Churches. The

Great Commission confronts us: "Go therefore and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them

to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with

you always, to the close of the age." (Revised Standard

Version- Matthew 28:19-29)

The United Methodist Church is now compelled to

reclaim its roots of the Wesley that sought to evangelize

1Kennon L. Callahan, Twelve Keys to An Effective Church. (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1983), p. 11.

3

the underprivileged. John Wesley preached in open fields.

"Thousands listened to the Word, with rivulets of tears cutting

the coal dust on their cheeks." 2 Bishop Wilke, in his best

seller And Are We Yet Alive, states, "We engage in a

compassionate ministry around the world, providing food,

clothing, and emergency relief. We are not including the

poor in our fellowship." 3 The poor have testimonies to share

with middle class churches about God's redemptive power in

their communities.

What models do we have in the twentietJ:t century for

leaving the church to go out in mission? A former missionary,

Dr. Dow Kirkpatrick, offers a plausible paradigm for sharing

the gospel. Dr. Kirkpatrick was a missionary in reverse. In

John 9:1-11, Jesus goes to the blind man and places spittle

and clay in his eyes, and then instructs him to go and wash

in the pool of Siloam. His sight was restored. We too of

the middle class churches are blind to the gospel, and

often refuse to share the gospel alongside the poor.

Kirkpatrick's work in Latin America has opened many eyes of

persons who were, at one time, unsympathetic to the plight

of the destitute. Rather than travel to Latin America with

the message of the sending agency, Kirkpatrick's duty was

to report back to America the hurts and hopes of our Southern

neighbors. As a result, contributions to missions have

2Richard B. Wilke, And Are we Yet Alive. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986), p. 38.

3rbid., p. llO.

4

soared. Many people have decided to participate in the

successful Volunteers in Mission program, in which persons

go to a needy area of the world. Common tasks are shared

with the native people and needs and resources are shared

with the home folks.

The scope of this project will be to propose the

procuring of an individual to serve in a likewise manner in

cities and communities in this country. Information will

be shared that will initiate group discussion for church

groups and planning retreats. While barriers and social

structures may prohibit the Great Commission, the winds of

the Holy Spirit are present. This should be a different

exercise and an exciting adventure for many interested in

evangelism.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to Dr. Kennon Callahan for the birthing

of this concept of evangelism. Dr. George Morris has also

given me profound insight regarding the bountiful harvest

among the poor. These reflections are rendered from a lecture

he delivered at Ministers' week at Emory University on

January 15, 1987. I am very appreciative for the typing and

editing skills of Mrs. Deborah Shoop who is the newest member

of my recent appointment in Fremont, North Carolina.

He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

Mark 6:8-9

PACK LIGHT AND TRAVEL FAST

Often inflexible structures and attitudes make

evangelistic outreach into our communities slow and difficult.

It is as though we lived in a fortress and refused to hear

the cries of the needy and the lost that live outside our

walls.

The message is so vital that Jesus says, "Take no

bag · " . . . Prepare to act quickly. Let no earthly possession hinder your going out to share the gospel. In

other words, pack light and travel fast. What is a desirable

way to convey this challenge to a local church?

Torn Peters' book, In Search of Excellence, says

" . we are more influenced by stories (vignettes that are whole and make sense in themselves) than by data (which

are, by definition, utterly abstract) ." 4 Though lengthy,

the following parable is a useful instrument in assisting

congregations to examine their opportunities for evangelism.

The parable, "Lying Offshore", is taken from G. William Jones'

4 Thomas J. Peters and Of Excellence. (New York: 1984), p. 61.

Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search \Varner Communications Company,

5

6

book, The Innovator. Following the vignette, I have included

some questions for group discussion.

Lying Offshore

A ship rocked slowly upon the greasy seas. Its sails were tattered, its masts spliced, and its hull leaky with worm-eaten planks, but still it stayed afloat. It had been sailing for many years--t·or generations actually. Many 'fears ago it had been loaded with food and medicine, and dispatched to find and to help the people of a lost colony. As it traveled far and wide, all its original crew except one had died, their places being taken by their children.

In the prow an old man, the last of the original crew, sat upon a coil of rope, his watery eyes struggling to pierce the fog.

Below decks men, women, and children sat down to eat. Although the fare was meager, it was adequate, and all their faces shone with health.

The meal was almost over when both doors of the mess-room were thrown open with a loud noise and a rush of wind. In the opening stood the old man, strange and wild, stronger than they had ever seen him, shouting, "We're here! We've arrived at land!"

"Land?" they asked, not moving from the table, , ... what land?"

"Why the land we were sent to when this voyage began. And the lost colony is there waiting. I can hear them shouting from the shore!" shouted the old man, stamping his feet with impatience. "Quick! Let's make for shore and unload the food and the medicine!"

The old man turned to run back up the gangway, but stopped halfway up when he realized there had been no movement in the messroom. Slowly he returned to stare at them with wide, incredulous eyes, his mouth agape. "Didn't you hear me? Are you all deaf? I said we're here! The people we were sent out to help are only a few hundred yards away. But we must hurry, for they are all hungry and sick."

"I'm sure we'd all like to help those people," said one of the men, "but--as you can see--there's hardly enough food and medicine here to take care of us and our children."

"Besides," said one of the women, "we don't know what kind of people they are. Who knows what might happen if we landed and went among them?"

The old man staggered back as if he had been struck across the face. "But ... but ... it was for them that this voyage began in the first place so many years

7

ago, for them that the ship was built, for them that the food and medicine were stowed aboard!"

"Yes, old man, I've heard many tales of our launching from my father and from the other old men who are now dead," replied one of the younger men, "but there were so many different accounts that how can we be sure which one is right? Why risk our stores and provisions, perhaps even our lives, on something we may not even be supposed to do?"

"He's right! He's right!" shouted many of the others, now quite excitedly involved in the conversation.

"But look," said the old man, trying very hard to contain himself, "it's all very simple! As far as there not being enough food for us and them, much of what we have left is meant for seed. If we go ashore and plant it, then there will be more than enough for all. And on the matter of why the ship was launched in the first place--you have merely to look in the logbook. It's all there."

The old man, hoping he had settled the question looked anxiously from face to face around the tables. There was a long, thoughtful silence.

Finally, a man who had gravitated to a position of leadership among them stood up, picking his teeth and frowning thoughtfully.

"Perhaps the old man is right," he said, loosening a juicy morsel from between two teeth. "At any rate, his suggestion merits investigation. What I propose is this: let us select from among ourselves a representative committee which will see if they can find the old logbook, and then go into a thorough study of it, to see if they can determine whether we should land or not."

"A sensible idea!" they all cried, except the old man.. "Let • s do it!"

The old man, now frantic with hearing the cries from shore, shouted, "What is this? What are you doing? Oh!" he said, backing away from them with horror in his eyes. "I can see that you do not really expect to do anything at all!" His back against a bulkhead, he clutched at his chest and slid weakly to the floor.

"Let me warn you then," he gasped. "The food will not last. It was meant to stay preserved only for the time it would take to get here. Now the food will begin to molder, and the medicines will separate and lose their strength. If you do not take the provisions ashore and share them, they will soon no longer feed or cure even you!" With this, he died.

As the days and weeks passed, the ship continued to lie offshore. The committee continued to search the logbook, which they had soon found, hoping to come up with a report "in the near future." A few of the younger

8

men and women, maddened with the waiting and lured irresistibly by the cries of hunger and pain from the shore, slipped away one night in the jolly boat with a few provisions, and were listed sorrowfully next day as "lost at sea."

True to the old man's dying prophecy, the food on board began to grow all manner of weird and exotic fungi, and the extensive stores of medicine seemed less and less able to cure the ills of the people. Also, the cries from the shore began to grow so much louder that even the deafest on board had to stuff his ears with cotton in order to sleep. 5 But no one seemed to be able to decide what to do.

1. Why were the people on the ship so vague about the initial purpose of their voyage? How could they have come to the conclusion that all the ship's provisions were for them?

2. Why were most of the passengers reluctant to go ashore?

3. Why did a few of the men and women go ashore? Why were they listed as "lost at sea"?

4. Why did the supplies begin to molder? What will happen to the people still on the ship? What will happen to the people on shore?

The Bible teaches us that God doesn't call us to

security, but sends us out in mission. As Jones' vignette

demonstrates, churches that refuse to be going forth in

mission will find the same lot as the crew that was lying

offshore. Their food and medicine will go sour. Amos

claimed not to be a professional prophet, but a dresser of

Sycamore trees. Actually Amos was a dresser of Mulberry

Figs. His profession was a commentary depicting his message.

The job of dressing Mulberry Figs entailed pricking the

fruit so as to release the infesting insects. In our

5william G. Jones, The Innovator. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962), pp. 35-38.

9

churches we too need the pricking finger to liberate us from

diseases of comfort and stagnation, and challenge us to take

risks.

Being saved is not being safe. The church has many faults,

but it is still the finest hope of the human race--it still

troubles the conscience of evil doers. The Georgia Christian

Advocate reprinted this article that appeared on the front

of the bulletin of Dr. David Seyle, pastor of Whitefield

United Methodist Church, Savannah.

To put it bluntly, being saved has nothing to do with being safe. To be saved means to be so secure in God's love, present and future, that one has no need to be safe again. Those people that we admire and honor and often envy are living lives of radical risk and danger for God's causes. I am convinced that an inordinate need for safety is actually a form of mental illness. At the same time, I acknowledge that risk for risk's sake is not very productive. But God is calling us to a life of creative risk. We are to be those people who are prayerfully seeking to being about God's will and way in the affairs of the world and who can give themselves to those causes with abandon.

Mother Theresa in India is a dramatic role model for this kind of living. She has chosen a life of enormous risk and danger living in the worst slums of Calcutta, ministering to the hungry, the ill and the dying. As each of us responds to our own Calcutta, we have the opportunity to serve some cause that will bless others in small and large ways, perhaps even for generations to come.6

The church has yet to serve fully as messengers of

the good news that Jesus proclaimed as his life's work:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim

6David Seyle, Christian Advocate.

"Being Saved Is Not Being Safe," Wesleyan (September 10, 1986), p. 3.

10

release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the

acceptable year of the Lord." (Revised Standard Version -

Luke 4:18-19). As an institution, the church offers meaning,

security and destiny for its followers. Peter's In Search of

Excellence states our human desire for meaning. "We desperately

need meaning in our lives and will sacrifice a great deal to

institutions that will provide meaning for us." 7

By and large, the mainline churches have been unwilling

to give meaning, security, and destiny to people of differing

social and racial strata. Leaders avoid the risk of reshaping

ironclad traditions and modus operandi. "Some of the

riskiest work we do is concerned with altering organization

structures." 8 In the next section, a Biblical basis for

the Minister of the Community will be proposed. The hourglass

management theory of Ed Carlson is worth noting. Carlson

compares middle management structure with that of an hourglass.

Middle management in most organizations really has little role beyond "make work" activities, such as stopping ideas coming down and stopping ideas going up. Middle managers, says Carlson, are a sponge. Hands-on management becomes a lot more workable when there are fewer people in the middle.9

7 Thomas J. Peters and Of Excellence. (New York: 1984)' p. 56.

8Ibid., p. 77. 9Ibid., p. 313.

Robert H. Waterman, Jr., In Search Warner Communications Company,

11

Jesus says, go into the marketplace where the people live and

work. Help them find meaning. Take with you very little, even

less than you need, for the people are ready to hear the good

news. Yes, pack light and travel fast.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Goeth, 1749-1832

THE GREAT COMMISSION

Jesus Christ gave a mandate to proclaim the good news

to all people. "Go therefore and make disciples of all

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and of the Holy Spirit ... " (Revised Standard

Version - Matthew 28:19). The key phrase is to all peoples

are we to share the good news. Moreover this is the focus of

this project.

This section will begin with a questionnaire--Do You Have

A Great Commission Conscience? It has been very useful for

measuring a congregation's, board's, or group's sensitivity

and understanding of the Great Commission. Herb Miller, in

his delightful book Fishing on the Asphalt, quotes Charles

Allen, the famous pastor from Georgia and now retired in

Texas. "Not one time," says Allen, "in this book (The Bible)

does Jesus command people to attend church. Do you remember

one instance? I don't. But he had a lot to say about

people going out into the highways and hedges and finding

people." 10

10 Herb Miller, Fishing on the Asphalt. The Bethany Press, 1983), p. 70.

12

(St. Louis:

13

The Great Commission has not been repealed. Nor is the

Great Commission the "great suggestion". 11 Without successful

efforts geared toward evangelism, eventually other things in

the church cease happening. Miller strongly urges our

concern for people be taken seriously.

Some things are important in church life. But some things are crucial, utterly essential. Evangelism is one of those things. Churches that don't do evangelism eventually lose all their options for doing anything else they are doing. Because the fuel base upon which the church runs to do its mission is people.l2

The Reverend Bill Carter, the Council on Ministries Director

of the Holston Conference, shared the following questionnaire

on the Great Commission. The material is not copyrighted.

Do You Have A Great Commission Conscience?

What is a Great Commission Conscience? It is an attitude which permeates the thinking and decision-making process of a church. It is an attitude which sees people outside of Christ as lost. It is an attitude which causes rejoicing when new people join the church, especially if they are new converts. It is an attitude which prioritizes disciple making. It is an attitude which resonates with the Great Commission found in its various forms throughout Scripture. It is an attitude which sees missions as both "over there" and "right here". It is an attitude which motivates both corporate and personal action in prayer, giving, and service for Great Commission results.

How do you determine if the leaders/members of a church have a Great Commission Conscience? Simple. . .you ask them. Here are ten yes/no questions which will give you a clue. Seven of ten affirmative answers are an indication of a reasonably strong Great Commission Conscience.

1. I see the primary purpose of the church as responding to the Great Commission.

llibid.

lZibid.

14

2. I have participated in an outreach/training event in the last year.

3. I have invited an unchurched friend/relative to a church event in the last 6 months.

4. I would support a motion to designate at least 10% of our budget to outreach events/training/activities to reach our own community with the gospel.

5. I would prefer that the pastor call on non-members more often than members.

6. I would be willing to take a new member/visitor home for dinner at least once every six months.

7. I have intentionally introduced myself to a new member or visitor in the past month.

8. I have talked to an unchurched person about my faith in the past six months.

9. I have prayed for a specific unchurched person in the past month.

10. I would be willing to be the pioneer in a new group or new church fellowship to help reach new people.

This instrument for measuring the attitudes of church

members reminds us that the Great Commission is not just a

mandate for seeking people for church but all people to experience

the redemptive presence and love of Jesus Christ. How do

we diligently attempt to communicate the gospel to people

everywhere?

Professor George Morris, of Candler School of Theology

and Director of the World Institute of Evangelism, articulated

very well the need to communicate the good news to the poor

and disenfranchised in an address at Emory Ministers' Week

on January 15, 1985. In that stirring message, Morris

allegorized the promise of Luke in Acts 1:8. "But you shall

15

receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you

shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and

Samaria and to the end of the earth." (Revised Standard

version)

Professor Morris symbolized Jerusalem as the local

church. The local church is the entry point of evangelism.

" ..• He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait

for the promise of the Father ... " (Revised Standard Version -

Acts 1:4). Judea, in Acts 1:8, represents the people like

us, while Samaria are the inhabitants unlike those of Judea

and Jerusalem. "Since the United Methodist Church is

essentially a white middle class church, those mosfunlike

us are the poor. Those most unlike us could be the scientist,

the artist, perhaps the very rich." 13

The question confronts the church, how can we evangelize

and minister to those of Samaria, that is, those unlike us?

Dr. Kennon Callahan states with precision this matter in

his book Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. "But the great

churches in Christendom are those that have learned the art of

accepting 'the unacceptable person'." 14 Dr. Callahan also

recognizes, but discounts, the principle of homogeneity as

a prevailing attitude.

13George Morris, Lecture on The Local Church and World Evangelism. Delivered at Emory University, January 15, 1985.

14Kennon L. Callahan, Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. (San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1983), p. 3.

16

In the eyes of God no person is unacceptable; with our dimmer vision, we frequently think of persons and groups around us as unacceptable. One reason I stand so strongly against the principle of homogeneity as the primary source of church growth is that it invites the attitude that the art of church growth is that of reaching out to people who are essentially acceptable. We are called of Christ to accept those who are acceptable and we are called of Christ to accept those whom we--with our limited vision--imagine are unacceptable.l5

A specific way for the church to focus on this issue

of ministry to the people of Samaria, those unlike us, is to

examine situations often found in family relationships. We

can be the great church, says Callahan, when we learn the art

of accepting those whom we would rather avoid.

One way of breaking down a local church's preoccupation with homogeneity is for two or three of the leaders in that congregation to learn the art of loving the "black sheep" in their own families. Even in the most homogeneous of families, there are those who have been labeled as black sheep. As we learn the art of accepting those whom we think are unacceptable, we learn the art of being--in the best sense--a great church.l6

I struggle in my ministry because, more often than not,

I serve only the inhabitants of Judea, that is, people like

other members of the parish. Would I visit a person in prison

if that person were not a member of my congregation? No. If

a person who is unchurched is in the hospital, would I go and

see that person without a specific request from a friend of

15Ibid.

16Ibid.

17

theirs? Would I attempt to visit those in poor, non-white

neighborhoods and invite them to church? Chances would be

very slim. Clergy succumb to the tunnel vision of their

own congregation, and seldom serve the unacceptable persons

of Samaria, those members unlike their constituency.

Unless an intentional effort is directed wholeheartedly

for the inhabitants of Samaria--the poor, the disenfranchised,

and, in most cases, the non-white, the fulfillment of our

directive of Acts 1:8 to evangelize the people of Samaria will

not occur. Dr. Callahan has suggested to several churches

the concept of a Minister of Evangelism to the community.

The uniqueness of this concept is that the sponsoring local

church will relinquish the tight reins as is the case in most

church staff positions. Callahan recommends that this person

have no office, will be given an adequate travel allowance,

and will report only weekly to the local church. This will

enable this pastor to be accountable for the church and not

to the church.

This ministry would enhance the understanding of

contextual factors of a certain community and the role these

factors play in communicating the gospel. Dr. Morris asserts,

"In order for the Christian message to be heard or heeded, it

must be stated in a language and form that addresses persons

from within their own context." 17

17G . eorge Evangelism. Delivered

Lecture on The Local Church and World at Emory University, January 15, 1985.

18

If we continue to communicate the gospel only to people

like us, we face some grave temptations. Morris again brings

into focus the style of ministry for most of our congregations.

But this process of contextualization confronts evangelizers with a double temptation. First, we are tempted to adapt the gospel to the point of distortion. Thus, we sugar coat the gospel to help it "sell" (my quotes). As a result, the truth precision and authenticity of the message is compromised. The gospel loses its salt and becomes sugary. On the other hand, there is the constant temptation to ignore the images, experiences and values of the hearers. This results in the failure to root the gospel in the soil of each particular situation.lB

Churches have designed programs that are non-contextual

to the needs of the poor and non-caucasians. A case could be

made for the practice of evangelistic apartheid. As noted

earlier, there are pitfalls neglecting the l.1ila.Cceptea. "There are some subtle dangers of evangelizing the homogeneous unit.

This danger is that people like to become Christians without

crossing racial, linguistic, or class barriers. Church

growth prophet Peter Wagoner insists that this is a church

growth principle that approaches being a law. Morris retorts

not the research, for it is in most instances accurate, but

the implication for restricting Christ's presence among us.

"I object to translating a sociological observation into an

evangelistic principle, which insists that churches seek only

their own kind. The radical love of Jesus Christ enables people

to transcend all barriers." 19

lBibid.

l9Ibid.

19

We are so conditioned by our sociological barriers and

habits. It reminds me of a story that happened at the Denver

Zoo. The Board of Directors were offered a polar bear that

would greatly enhance the zoo. The problem the directors

had was that they were in a fund-raising campaign and there

was no place to house the polar bear. However, the directors

decided to build a habitat for the bear. In the meantime,

the bear was kept in a small, temporary cage. The space was

so small that the bear could only take three steps, turn

around and walk three steps back. Because of unforeseen

delays, the construction took three years, but the bear's

home was grand: waterfalls, spaciousness, caves. The bear

entered its new home, looked around, took three steps, turned

around, and took three steps, turned around. We have been

given the Great CollUUission to go into a world waiting gladly

for our coming. Yet we are imprisoned like the polar bear,

wandering in our limited, self-imposed parameters of Judea.

Let us not ask what we will do with the poor and

other inhabitants of Samaria. Let us ask what we will do

for the poor and others not like us. The harvest is plentiful.

Again Morris has a clear perspective. "The situation is so

urgent that it demands priority. As a matter of fact, the

majority of the poor of the whole world belong to that vast

number of people who have not yet heard the gospel of Jesus

Christ or perhaps who have not been able to appreciate as

20

good news to them due to the way it was presented. n 20 Our

denomination has a very inadequate record when it comes to

evangelization alongside the poor. Morris ascertains three

areas that have hindered our denomination's ministry to

the poor.

l. Our apathy toward the poor is in part the result of our isolation from them.

2. Our attempt to communicate the gospel alongside the poor falls in the category of theology and hermeneutics. Most Biblical interpretation and theological writing in our country is done by persons who are securely entrenched in the intellectual ranks of the middle class. And because we do not participate in the sufferings and struggles of the poor, we are unable to interpret and proclaim the gospel in such a way that it makes any sense to them.

3. We have had difficulty in communicating the gospel alongside the poor because there has been the tendency to treat the poor as if they were objects of mission.2l

Our middle class church is in danger of missing a major

message of the kingdom--the Bible is biased toward the poor.

A real immersion into the pain and agony of the poor will

have a powerful effect on our fledgling denomination. John

Wesley developed strategies for reaching the lost and the

neglected poor. The promise of power through the Holy

Spirit enables us to chart a new course, girded with the

banner of the Great Commission. The next section will

examine this possibility.

20Ibid.

21Ibid.

All holy desires heighten in intensity with the delay of fulfillment, and desire which fades with delay was never holy desire at all.

Gregory of Nyssa

THROUGH OTHER EYES

It has been said that we have to see through someone

else's eyes before we can see ourselves. The church has,

for too long, practiced "selective periscoping", that is,

raising our vision instrument to target and serve people

most like us. This is not surprising. To turn our periscope

to see the agony and pain of those unlike us might undermine

our church's homogeneous unit. This practice has occurred

for many generations of American Protestants. I like the

after dinner speech story about the two shoe salespersons who

went to Africa to open new territories. Three days after

their arrival, the first salesperson sent a cablegram:

"Returning on next plane. Can't sell shoes here. Everybody

goes barefoot." Nothing was heard from the second salesperson

for two weeks. Then carne a fat airmail envelope with this

message for the horne office: "Fifty orders enclosed.

Prospects unlimited. Nobody here has shoes." Before we

take the next plane horne as did the first salesperson, let

us search for a strategy to open a new territory as did the

opportunistic salesperson. 21

22

I have written to three large churches within the

Southeastern Jurisdiction of our United Methodist Church.

I requested a job description of their position of Minister

of Evangelism. The one that is before you is exemplary. As

you read this description, list the number of times that

this style of ministry reminds the reader of the Great

Commission for the 1980's. This job description was shared

by Edenton Street United Methodist Church, Raleigh, North

Carolina.

Position: Minister of Evangelism and Visitation

Primary Duty: Responsible for carrying out the ministry of the church to the membership by visiting and directing the lay-people in visitation, and conducting the evangelistic effort of the church in reaching visitors, new residents and the unchurched.

Organizational Relationship: The Minister of Evangelism and Visitation shall be responsible to the Senior Minister; provide direction and be responsible for the employed staff in the area of visitation; serve as staff represen-tative to Evangelism Workarea and other workareas and committees as requested by the Senior Minister; be a standing member of the Charge Conference, Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, and Staff-Parish Relations Committee.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Calls on newcomers and the unchurched in the community and extends the church's welcome and invitation to make Edenton Street their church home.

2. Works with the Evangelism Workarea in involving the laity in such visitation.

3. Visitations are made to all of the church's 1200-family membership to carry to them the ministry of the church, it's blessings, condolences, or good will as the occasion may dictate. Such may be at times of bereavement, arrival of new babies, and unusual circumstances or events.

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4. Assistance as needed in funerals, weddings, worship, and other services of the church; preaching when requested to do so by the Senior Minister.

5. Organization of orientation programs for new members.

6. Share with other ministers in hospital visitation, so that each member hospitalized is visited daily. Follows up with visits to the homes when members are convalescing there.

7. Works with Evangelism Work area in local and conference evangelistic endeavors.

8. May be requested to perform various duties and assignments not specifically noted above in accordance with the needs of the church.

Scope: This position requires a full-week schedule which can be planned to a large degree. However, unscheduled occurrences often result in a full-week schedule with numerous night commitments for visiting purposes.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

A) lolhat parts of this job description liberate this minister to fulfill the Great Commission?

B) What are the inhibiting factors for sharing the good news to all people?

C) If you were hired to fill this position, how much time would you anticipate spending?

--Administration

--Ecclesiastical Functions i.e., preaching, meetings

--Visiting non-members

--Calls to people with no vested interest in the church

D) Read Acts 1:8. How much time would you spend in:

--Jerusalem (local church

% of time

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% of time

--Judea (people like us)

--Samaria (people unlike us)

E) Why, why not, would this pastoral position enhance ministry to the poor?

The scope of mission is to make people disciples, not

members. Professor Morris observed the findings of a scholar,

"to study The Bible without noticing its missionary focus is

like studying the Mona Lisa without noticing that it is a

portrait of a woman." 22 My proposed Minister of Evangelism

to the Community, if procured, will be the least threatening

change agent within the local church. When the courts sought

to rid this country of segregation in the public schools, it

was done this way. Test cases did not begin in elementary

school, which would have had the most resistance, but their

court cases began in a College Graduate School in Texas. As

later cases were forthcoming, bitter class struggles gripped

this nation, but the original intent to abolish segregation

as public policy was realized. Likewise, my proposal would

not be that we integrate our worship services for a month and

then evaluate the feelings of the congregants. The universal

prejudice that is present in the South, also has a unique

feature. By and large, white, upper class members of local

churches tend to reject the race but accept the person.

22Ibid.

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This perhaps is the glimmer of hope for our virtually

segregated denomination. The job description for the

Minister for the Community is as follows:

MINISTER OF EVANGELISM TO THE COMMUNITY

Primary Duty: This person will have a daily presence in the community. This pastor will relate hurts, pain, and hopes to the sponsoring local church. This minister will share the vision of the unchurched with the members of the church.

Organizational: The Minister of Evangelism to the Community shall have no direct relationship with the church staff. This minister will have no church office space. A car or travel allowance will be negotiated. Housing for this minister will also be negotiated. Each week, not Sunday, this minister will share a composite report from the log of the previous week.

Specific Responsibilities:

l. Show up where people are: places, emergency rooms of centers, etc.

the community gathering the hospitals, shopping

2. Keep log of calls, visits, and counseling sessions.

3. Maintain a composite activity sheet.

4. Identify needed resources in the community.

5. Take part in a community speaker's bureau so as to share the needs of the community with other churches, groups, care-giving judicatories.

6. Help identify fears of the members of the community.

7. Develop and maintain p personal spiritual journey that will offer divine insight into the plight of the underprivileged in the community.

The basic differences in these two positions is the

client pool and the relationship to other staff in the local

church. The position guidelines of Minister of Evangelism

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in Edenton Street Church consist of components that maintain

high visibility in the church and are geared to the concept

that the position will justify itself with the added

contributions of new members. The Edenton Street model is

business as usual. It is shrouded with the evangelism

label, but is actually the job of an associate pastor. The

Edenton Street model is needed, but it will not evangelize

the poor and underprivileged in the city of Raleigh.

The other model, Minister of Evangelism to the Community

is vir-Eualoly- -unpa-ralleled in our denomination. When_ this

position has been proposed, resistance occurs. Perhaps it

is because senior pastors and church administrators tend to

shy away from things that can not be controlled and measured.

For this very reason, the Minister of Evangelism to the

Community should be given consideration. The farmers in New

York considered Cyrus McCormick to be a madman. They believed

his new steele plow would poison the soil. Why did they need

a steele plow when their wooden ones had been used so long?

The farmers of New York then, and our denomination now, needs

a different way to reach people in the name of Jesus Christ.

Again John Wesley said that strategies for evangelism

are accomplished by doing them. Over-planning and inflexible

guidelines for going into the highways of life should be

resisted. The very reason Jesus said, "Foxes have holes,

and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has

nowhere to lay his head," was to insure his flexibility

of being resilient and responsive to the needs of others.

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Professor Jim Logan of Wesley Theological Seminary shared

once, in an informal setting, this amazing revelation. The

point in time when the Methodist Church started stationing

preachers (in the 1840's} was the genesis of our denomination's

decline in membership. What transpired was the amassing of

a great institution that has measurably shaped the conscience

of this nation, but also a church that has evolved into a

hierarchy that has developed a hybrid gospel that does not

include the poor.

Continuing our chameleon style of evangelism, that is,

changing our color and strategy to blend in with our immediate

surroundings, will not fulfill the Great Commission. Trouble

is essential. Our denomination needs to have new blood

transfused into it that will bring new life to our roots of

care and love for all the lost. No change occurs unless

the waters are troubled and we are stirred into action. The

poor among us are the largest segment of undiscipled people

in America, as high as 70 percent in some areas. The trickle

down theory will not trouble the waters.

A General Conference Resolution to double our member-

ship or a position paper by bureaucrats in Nashville or

Raleigh will fall short of their intentions, if anything.

If we are troubled by the growing number of poor in America

and our lack of ministry to them, let us trouble the waters

and nurture that troubling into action. Change does not

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occur in Nashville. Lives are changed and history is made

in the local communities.

Why is the church so sad? We are promised great power.

This power will enable us to be witnesses in Jerusalem, all

of Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We are

given freedom to emerge from the grave, not retreat into the

tomb. Jesus reminds us, "The world will make you suffer.

But be brave! I have defeated the world" (John 16:33- Today's

English Version). We have the promise that one day every

knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is

Lord. "The poor have a clear vision of, and a close relation-

ship with, the crucified, risen Christ. We must work in

Samaria for the sake of our own souls. Samaria is a vast

mission territory. " 23 If we refuse this task, God will raise

up other witnesses. Let not the church be sad. The barriers

of all things that hinder us from sharing the love of Christ

will be brought low when we see with the eyes of the poor

whom we seek to serve. May God guide us and begin this

opportunity. Remember, boldness has genius, power, and

magic in it.

23Ibid.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Callahan, Kennon L. Twelve Keys to an Effective Church. San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1983.

Jones, William G. The Innovator. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962.

Miller, Herb. Fishing on the Asphalt. St. Louis: The Bethany Press, 1983.

Morris, George. Lecture on The Local Church and World Evangelism. Delivered at Emory Universlty, January 15, 1985.

Peters, Thomas J. and Waterman, Jr., Robert H. In Search of Excellence. New York: Warner Communications Company, 1984.

Seyle, David. "Being Saved Is Not Being Safe," Wesleyan Christian Advocate (September 10, 1986).

Wilke, Richard B. And Are We Yet Alive. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986.

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