God called a second chaplain to set up cell groups,
to "explode evangelism" into Milwaukee.
All WLC got was Pops.
LPC has left a new comment on your post "Not Sold on Cell Groups":
I have seen this all during my charismaniac dayz while I was pastoring an ethnic church.
Whereas at the start it might be about Jesus but later on, the social aspect takes over and it becomes a club with a little Jesus on the side.
What is specially heart breaking was that when the church had to deal with controversy, the social connections prevail over Biblical directives. In fact the Bible was not consulted at all.
LPC
***
GJ - A cell or small group is organized along certain principles. Cells usually take on a unit integrity, for good or ill. They have to be relatively small for that to work, usually six or less. Navy SEAL teams are based on that number. Political cells are too.
The question is whether the cells can be united along common principles. A clever church demagogue can organize cells to become his attack dogs. They can be his slaves, too.
The Shrinkers adore men and women who can order people around, because they would much rather be tyrants than ministers.
What was that word on Glende's famous shirt? Maybe "Tyrant" was just a coincidence.
False teachers in the Olde Syn Conference organize cell groups and promote them elsewhere because the method is so useful in subverting the Gospel. As Dr. Cruz noted, Jesus is soon set aside.
Cell groups work best in churches with shallow doctrine. When Lutherans organize cell groups, doctrine disintegrates down to superficial Pentecostal-Babtist levels. Lutheran cells are easily invaded by Pentecostals and non-Christian cults. One Adventist minister went to LCMS lay-led Bible studies and lectured the group as if he were in charge. He was a law-monger in love with OT details.
Cell groups are intimate, so they generate an emotional intensity that fosters adultery. One of the cults had people engaged in spiritual dancing, until the parish blew apart from all the scandals. Lutherans solve the problem by letting the pastor get divorced, marry his mistress, and move to another call.
The high-voltage emotionalism also makes it easy for a Pentecostal guest to say, "If you love the closeness and warmth of this bobble-study group, I can show you a way to let God speak through you with the Holy Spirit. Sha-na-na wowsa lacrima-balalika." Cell groups turn Pentecostal faster than Ski copies Groeschel.
Cell groups also lead to burn out, because the manufactured highs get boring and more ecstatic experiences are required.
One way to unite all the cell groups is with hate. They hate Luther's doctrine. They often hate and despise the minister because they are Apostles led directly by the Holy Spirit.
When a Lutheran church is going cell-groupy, they will hate anyone out who gets in their way: minister, lay leaders, members. They will do that while invoking the Name of Jesus and praising their own love. It is easier to rob a she-bear of her cubs than to stop a Pentecostal Lutheran in his folly.
