This is a Freddy Finkelstein commenting on the latest WELS Church Growth conference. Pastor Rick, a devotee of Leonard Sweet and other Church and Change icons, bragged about going to the conference. This comment was on Bailing Water. I do not know who the author is.
"Of particularly grievous offense to me, and others, are unfortunate statements, like a recent statement from Bruce Becker (a known CG advocate and leader of the Board for Parish Services) regarding this weekend's “Leadership Conference,” as follows: “We asked them, 'What factors, beyond the power of the gospel, do you believe are contributing to God's blessing of numerical growth in your congregation?'” (emphasis mine, Read Quoted Article Here*). Here our Synod leadership is evidently interested in learning more about which means outside those appointed by Scripture are being used to affect numerical growth. Yes, I know this is only one quote, but over the years I have watched and listened as Mr. Becker has received, and defended himself against, considerable criticism for making evangelism a statistics game. I am comfortable asserting that this quote is a suitable representation of his public statements. But why is such a statement offensive? (1) In conspicuously locating the center of concern with numerical growth, such statements make the Holy Spirit's work of creating faith by means of the Gospel a secondary or background issue, rather than the primary issue. (2) In centering concern on numerical growth, such statements replace Providence with man's organizational priorities. (3) In not only emphasizing, but specifically singling out means other than the Biblical Means of Grace, such statements fail to faithfully represent Scripture teaching, that it is the Holy Spirit, working through the Means alone, that creates faith and builds the Church, and instead expresses dissatisfaction with God's means, methods, and timing, and casts doubt on the efficacy of the Means of Grace. (4) Finally, in assigning numerical growth attributable to the use of means other than the Biblical Means of Grace and assigning the results to God (whose means are not employed), rather than to man (whose means are employed), such statements and intentions in effect assign credit for man's work to God, and border on Blasphemy."
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*WELS article:
Forum to share ministry blessings
Filed Under: BPS, forum, leadership, Parish Services
To help WELS congregations reach more people with the gospel, the Board for Parish Services is hosting a national leadership forum. Leaders from 30 congregations across the country that have been blessed with significant growth in worship attendance over the past ten years are meeting in Milwaukee, Wis., Nov. 16-18 to discuss ministry trends, identify opportunities and challenges, and share ideas.
"This leadership forum is being held in response to the fact that worship attendance across the synod has been declining for the last 17 years," says Rev. Bruce Becker, administrator of Parish Services. "Our ultimate goal is to learn from these congregations: what they are doing and how God is blessing those efforts. And we want to share those ideas with other WELS congregations in similar ministry settings."
To prepare for this forum, Becker says each participating congregation was asked to gather feedback from its members. "We asked them, 'What factors, beyond the power of the gospel, do you believe are contributing to God's blessing of numerical growth in your congregation?' " says Becker. "We received 100 pages of responses that are encouraging and positive."
Becker says information and ideas coming out of this forum, which was funded by special gifts and a grant from Thrivent, will be reviewed for common themes and shared with synod leaders. "Although the forum is designed to be a blessing to all of our WELS congregations, I'm convinced the congregations involved will also benefit as they learn from one another about God's amazing blessings," says Becker.
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GJ - Becker is on the Church and Change Board. When is he going to answer the question - Is Babtist Ed Stetzer the November, 2009 speaker for Church and Change?
Joe Krohn asked that question on the Church and Change list-serve.
Their answer was - Greg Jackson is a bad person.
Parlow answered by changing the subject.
