Comments on: New Wine And Old Skins http://crossroadjunction.com/2009/07/01/new-wine-and-old-skins/ Uploading a lifetime of service to the King of Kings... Tue, 29 May 2012 12:24:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: lauren http://crossroadjunction.com/2009/07/01/new-wine-and-old-skins/#comment-170 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:32:38 +0000 http://fulcrumprime.wordpress.com/?p=522#comment-170 I do agree that the Church today is not succeeding in our mission for the Kingdom. It has mostly become about programs and meeting people’s felt needs. Mature Christians are starving for more depth instead of the ususal pablum that is served week after week and we are not making obedient disciples of new Christians. While the seeker friendly emergent Church emphasizes deeds, they are failing to teach orthodox Christian doctrine. There really is no growth in the American Church. Some churches are growing, but not through new converts, but rather through church transfers of the already converted. The structure of the American and Western Church is pretty much based on a corporate model with a hiearchy of leadership. The congregation pretty much is passive. Many pastors suffer from depression and feel inadequately equipped, but this is their vocation and they lack training and experience in anything else. The Church does a pretty good job within its walls, but is ineffective in the community for the most part. Now there are individuals and para church ministries that are dependent upon volunters that are really ministering the grace and love of Christ and being the Church. Yet, the churches themselves are for the most part not organized to go out.
I don’t know what the answer is; maybe in home churches. There is resistance to this move being that professional ministry has become a vocation and livlihood. Also, I am concerned about the Word being exegeted correctly and sound orthodox doctrine being taught. And I am also concerned about accountablilty (that’s why I prefer to not be in a non-denominational churches which are often centered around a charasmatic leader who is no accountable to anyone outside his congregation). The EPC which I am about to join requires all senior pastors to have an M-Div. from an accredited University or Seminary.

These are just some thoughts. I don’t know the answer, but do know that the Church must always be about having orthodoxy (correct glory or doctrine), orthopathy (correct motives or affections), and orthopraxy (correct practice); all three aspects need to line up with the Word of God and the Church must always be in a state of reformation.

]]>