Paul Dazet

The General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene recently released a statement on their thoughts on the “Emergent Church”. Below is that statement. Also check out Thomas Jay Oord’s blog, in which he shares his thoughts. Let me know what you think!

The emergent church – From the General Superintendents
We appreciate your concerns regarding the conversations surrounding “the emergent church.” The issues related to this topic are many. Some are helpful and positive; others are problematic and deeply troubling.

“The emergent church” is really somewhat of a misnomer. While there are many attributions which imply that there is a single focus or movement called “the emergent church,” in reality, the conversations range all over the map. Some people believe that there is a monolithic kind of conspiratorial entity that is seeking to undermine the church with heresy and immoral license.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who view the whole concept of an emerging church as a positive and hopeful expression of the church seeking to genuinely come to terms with ministry in a complex and rapidly-changing culture, while seeking to make Biblical truth relevant. These people depend heavily on the authority of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to radically change lives, communities, and nations. They are often radically engaged with the brokenness in society through active, compassionate ministries that work hard to bring renewal and conversion.

Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) and some of our universities are engaged in the conversation in order to help correct some of the aberrations that are associated with some of the “emergent” churches.

There are widely-read authors who readily identify themselves as “emergent church leaders.” While some of them are orthodox in their theology and views of Scripture, others embrace positions which we would view as far away from what is orthodox and acceptable. Yet even those authors and pastors who are not orthodox in their views of Scripture and its authority have an awareness of the need to make the church more engaged in society so as to bring about a radical change and improvement.

We do not endorse those “emergent churches” or leaders who are not orthodox in their theology. The involvement of many of our young pastors and students in the conversation is an attempt to embrace the positive dimensions while clearly articulating an orthodox interpretation of Scripture and theology.

By most definitions of what is genuinely meant by “emergent,” John Wesley more than fits the description. He was radically engaged in the social needs around him while clearly calling men and women to a radical commitment to Christ and to the fullness of the Spirit in cleansing and heart purity. That is the objective toward which Nazarenes, engaged in the conversations regarding the emergent church, are committed. It is a vital conversation, but one that also carries with it the risk of being misunderstood or being classified with positions which are not healthy or appropriate.

We hope these thoughts are helpful to you. The issues are complex, and the rhetoric is sometimes shrill and angry. We are hopeful that we can be patient with what is a phase in a conversation that is already beginning to wind down in some areas even while it is just now being engaged in by others. Hopefully, we can move beyond the mischaracterizations and embrace what is legitimate while we readily and without hesitation reject the aberrations.

We pray for you as you work with your people through this issue. We are not at all embracing anything heretical, but we want to engage in conversations with our young Nazarenes who want a vibrant church that is committed to our theology and actively engaged in ministry to the lost and broken people around us.

Jesse C. Middendorf
General Superintendent
Church of the Nazarene

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Received this from the GMC by request of Dr. Porter with the explicit statement: “Feel free to circulate these documents.” I presume this was written in reply to questions and concerns around this topic.

Earlier today, I read through the Board of General Superintendants report for 2010- I noticed something exciting listed in their issues to focus on for the future – #4 – Becoming Externally focussed. If you have been hanging around with me over the years you know that that is my focus – helping churches and christians to become outward focused.

Here is that section of the report

In 2009 the General Board approved a recommendation by the Board of General Superintendents to create a new, single-mission framework centering on developing and equipping externally-focused Churches of the Nazarene.

God is externally focused. The ministry of Jesus was externally focused. His self- described purpose is clear: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10, NIV). “Seek” is an active verb and “the mission field is the ground beneath our feet.”

Scores of people, even within the body life of the church, are in need of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They often remain unreached because we choose to stay focused on ourselves.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:4 (NRSV) that “each of you should look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”

While not neglecting legitimate internal needs in the life of the church, we encourage more of our pastors and laity to become externally focused, embracing those outside their comfort zone.

This is the Nazarene future.

I love that last sentence – “This is the Nazarene Future”

Let’s have a conversation about this. What are some practical things that we can do to become externally focused churches and christians?

Check out this interesting article by Thomas Oord. He shares an explanation of Open Theism and some recommendations for the denomination. It is something that I have been thinking about over the last few years.

Share your thoughts on this topic here – I’m curious to what you think!