an apostolic job description
At core, the apostolic task is about the expansion of Christianity both physically in the form of pioneering missionary effort and church planting, as well as theologically through integration of apostolic doctrine into the life of the individual Christians and the communities they were part of. But more than that, as custodian of Apostolic Genius, he/she is the person who provides the personal reference point as well as the spiritual context for the other ministries of God’s people.
So I want to suggest that there are three primary functions of apostolic ministry, illustrated as follows…
1. To embed mDNA through pioneering new ground for the gospel and church
As custodian (steward) of the DNA of Jesus’ people the apostle is both the messenger and the carrier of the mDNA of Christianity. As the ‘the one who is sent’ he/she advances the gospel into new missional contexts and embeds the DNA of God’s people into the new churches that emerge in those places. At heart the apostle is a pioneer, and it is this pioneering, innovative spirit that marks it off as unique in relation to the other ministries. “It is of special significance that those entrusted with translocal, apostolic, leadership are pioneers. The church is called to be a dynamic movement rather than a static institution. For that reason, its leadership is to be drawn from those on the front line of the expansion of the church.”
2. To guard mDNA through the application and integration of apostolic theology
But as custodian of the DNA of Christ’s people the responsibility of apostolic ministry does not end with pioneering missionary work. He/she is also mandated with the task of ensuring that the churches remain true to the gospel and its ethos. This aspect of apostolic ministry can be described as creating and maintaining the web of meaning that holds the movement together. Apostolic ministry does this by reawakening the people to the gospel and embedding it into the organizational framework in ways that are meaningful. It is out of this apostolic web of meaning that the movement maintains itself over the long haul. And it’s critical to trans-local mission. Watch what the biblical apostle does; they engage in missionary work, establish new churches, and once established they move off to new frontiers. But they also see it as essential to network the churches and exhort the disciples by traversing between them, cultivating leadership, and issuing guidance to ensure a correct apprehension and integration of the gospel message in the common and individual lives of the hearers. They are quick to weed out heresy and error—removing potential mutations in the mDNA.
All authentic apostolic ministry does this. They are not just hot-headed entrepreneurs; they are also working theologians—or at least ought to be if genuinely apostolic. This impulse to ensure doctrinal integrity is therefore another key characteristic of apostolic ministry, and without it we would not be here today as it forms the basis of the Christian faith. Whilst acknowledging that the unique teaching authority of ‘The Twelve’ was foundational and authoritative and comprises the base theology of the church, apostolic ministry throughout the ages has both these elements in them. Witness the ministry of a Patrick, John Wesley, Ignatius of Loyola, John Wimber, William Booth, William Carey, and the countless un-named apostles of the Chinese underground church, for example, and you will see this dual element of pioneer missionary and working theologian at work.
In light of these comments, we can see how Bishop John Shelby Spong, and his particular brand of DIY/designer Christianity is somewhat of a danger to us today. And am not just trying to be needlessly provocative here—this is a real live issue for us. Designer Christianity is a form of diluted, consumerist, and syncretized faith that, that in my opinion has in the context of postmodern pluralism and relativism, become a genuine threat to the Church in the West precisely because it distances us from the real vigor of our original and primary message. In many ways it has always been one of the major functions of apostolic ministry to keep the Gospel uncontaminated and so preserve it’s saving God-power for future generations (Rom.1:16.) This is just one of the reasons why such ministry is so vital today. There is no doubt in my mind as to how Paul would handle ‘Spongianism’; he would see it as a direct assault on the DNA of the gospel and therefore the church.
3. To create the environment in which the other ministries emerge
Ever wondered why in all the lists of ministries, that of apostle is always explicitly listed first? And why it is considered the most important of the ministries? (1 Cor.12:28f, Eph.4:11.) Or why in Eph. 2:20
Paul says that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets? This is not because of some hierarchical organizational conception of leadership, because such ideas of leadership did not exist in the New Testament movement (see below.) Rather, it is because it is the foundational gift that provides both the environment and the reference point for the other ministries mentioned in Scripture.
New Covenant Ministries International (NCMI) is a mission operating in Western contexts that bases its ministry squarely on this teaching about the foundational nature of apostolic ministry. They claim that they are not a denomination or grouping of churches, they see themselves simply as a group of people committed to advancing the Kingdom of God through mission and networking. They view themselves as a translocal apostolic-prophetic team held together by a common purpose and friendships. But in the process of their ministry they have planted hundreds of churches, network with hundreds more, and are currently working in over 60 different countries. And it only began in the early eighties.
Canadian missiologist Alan Roxburgh rightly says that apostolic ministry is”… foundational to all the other functions.” That is, it initiates the other ones—it constitutes their foundation. From apostolic ministry, the mDNA is embedded and distributed among the various other ministries which form the fivefold ministry of Eph.4—what I will call APEST (apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, shepherding (pastoral), and teaching/didactic.) The founding and developing of APEST is therefore a natural extension of the custodial nature of apostolic ministry. Drawing this out one could say that the apostolic creates the environment for the prophetic; the prophetic creates the environment for the evangelistic, and so on. Using the most comprehensive statement of ministry structure, that of Eph. 4:71-11, it would look something like this…
Forgotten Ways, The: Reactivating the Missional Church - Alan Hirsch
Forgotten Ways Handbook, The: A Practical Guide for Developing Missional Churches - Alan Hirsch, Darryn Altclass
ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church - Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch
The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21 Century Church - Michael Frost, Alan Hirsch
In weeding out heresy I think some work needs to be done in defining what heresy is.
We are all familiar with the types who leap to the “H” word too quickly and do not sufficiently differentiate between disputable (peripheral) and undisputable (core) matters. I have concerns though, that many within the emerging church are over-compensating by way of response and allowing a lot of “junk mDNA” to go floating around unchallenged.
I think we need to map out some rules of engagement. There needs to be space for saying, “Hey I think you’re wrong about that,” without leaping to heresy accusations. There also needs to be space for saying, “Hey I am still open to conversation but you’ve gone way beyond the bounds of what can legitimately be called Christianity there”. Genuinely apostolic leadership will be willing to disagree with some of what’s being absorbed by some of the emerging church for the sake of the emerging church. When Spongism comes into it for instance, we should challenge it. With gentleness and respect of course, but also robustly. Agreement should not be our highest virtue. Syncretism is just as much a danger as fundamentalism, we need to be discerning as well as innovative.
Thanks for developing these ideas. It’s great to see past and present examples discussed. Here are a few thoughts:
1. I SO agree with the concept of the message and the messenger being seen in a more holistic way. Jesus did that really well… the rest of us are in the process of being more integrated in terms of who we are and what we do. Maybe that’s part of the Christian message that has been lost and a part that Apostles need to pass on and guard carefully. Today’s society is so fractured. I was reading today about the difference between “multi-tasking” (handling more than one thing at a time to be more efficient and productive in the achievement of a purpose) vs “constant partial attention” (continuous interruption and short attention span which gives the appearance of looking busy, but not actually achieving the purpose although the constant connectivity makes us feel more alive and significant). If our motivations are truly God-inspired and God-enabled, and our identity and significance comes from relationship with Christ, then there is more likelihood of holism in a ‘shalom’ way of living.
2. Running on from that, many Christian leaders today are so tied up with the dealing with “the urgent” in a scenario of constant interruption that they find it difficult to put time aside to apply the Romans 12:1
& 2 ff advice to ensure a holistic work/worship life and to move on in their context of life and ministry unconformed to the pressures and patterns of counterfeit Kingdom living.
Somehow, I really like your use of the term, “web of meaning”. It’s so post-modern to think about interconnection and relatedness.
3. Being a passionate biblical feminist/’restorer of women to the picture’ type, and without going all heretical or anything, I have to put my hand up and say “where are the women in the Apostolic picture”? That’s “a real live issue” for approx half the ‘church’s population… Is there anything you might be able to do about including some good female examples amongst the references to biblical Apostolic heritage and ‘un-named’ apostles?
4. In regards to the idea that the Apostolic creates an environment for the Prophetic and the Prophetic for the Evangelistic etc… I see your point, but I do think that there is only one foundation that applies to all, and that is the rock revelation that Jesus IS the Christ (The One who Saves, The Anointed One, The Liberating King) and that is the foundation upon which Christ’s ecclesia is being built. As long as the Apostles are passing on and guarding that major truth the rest is quintessentially influenced by it.
5. Yep, Matt, defining heresy has it’s moments as history unfortunately testifies. At least we can all be assured that the wheat and the tares will be shown for what they are in the end… meanwhile being strong in conviction but expressing that in love is quite a challenge!
Great points both. In a post coming up, I am going to refine the power-dynamics inherent in dominant forms of leadership (from domination to Christ-likeness). I believe this will address the harsher sorts of heresy hunting that have gone on. It also makes space for more feminine ideas of leadership. But as for your concerns Lucy, about the female apostles in history, I have tried to look for examples and have not come up with clear cut ones. Katherine Booth I believe would fit the bill (although I am not sure if the Evangelist is stronger in her.) Who would you suggest provides us with great examples of female apostleship?
The Salvation Army is a good place to look as it allowed women into leadership (well, single women at least) from early days, long before most of the other churches. There have been and are some outstanding women leaders, not least our retired General Eva Burrows. Many women leaders in the Salvation Army are unknown names to many in the church, but have led in demonstrably pioneering ways.
Eleanor. Agreed. Hence Katherine Booth. But clearly apostolic people? Would you put Eva B in that category as defined above.
The problem with Salvo system is that the hierarchical structure can obscure apostolic effort.
alan, if you drop me a note then I’ll have your current email address
lenhjal@telus.net
I am Andrew, Lucy’s husband.
Lucy raised the issue of where women are in the Apostolic leadership picture.
I want to raise similar questions about where indigenous Christians fall into the Apostolic leadership picture.
Because First Nations people seem to have been forgotten when it comes to considering about who should be engaged meaningfully and incarnationally into all the APEST hows & whos & whats of leadership does & don’ts of mission in many discussions of this nature.
A `forgotten way’ which still needs to become remembered by the missional church when considering it’s leadership philosophies and missions programs was that the Apostles (and Jesus) constantly engaged with the indigenous folks and included them in leadership structures when planting new faith communities in and around the Roman Empire.
However, at no emergent event I’ve ever been to as yet - and I’ve been to plenty so far over many years - have I witnessed suitable engagement with First Nations people into the emergent vision for the future. The only First Nations leaders I know who have become involved in some type of way (e.g. Ray Minniecon), have been kept on the periphery - I don’t think deliberately, but out of some sort of ignorance about the importances of doing it and how to do it on behalf of our movement’s leaders at the national and international levels.
For instance, at one major emergent conference recently, in answer to a question about why there was a total lack of “indigenous” Christian leaders attending it, a famous USA speaker assumed that I was asking her about “African-Americans” not attending it. (What I was asking her about was why there did not appear to be much interest in, or engagement in the emergent/missional movement from “First Nations (e.g. Apache, Cherokee, Aboriginal etc.) leaders of the Christian church).
I recently asked a national Aboriginal Christian elder a similar question. He said it was because “they simply do not have any clues about how important engaging with the indigenous people is as part of God’s missional plan for this whole nation. Until they properly try to understand respect indigenous Christianity and seek to meaningfully acknowledge, engage, and empower its leaders on a fairer basis as equals in status in to the wider mission of the Church they will always be missing the point…not truly incarnational or grassroots…lack authenticity etc” (am using words to the effect of).
A key leader of the earlier Jesus People Movement of the 1970’s cautioned in private at a Forge event that unless indigenous Christians can become meaningful engaged into this `grassroots’ movement at all levels, including some within its leadership structures, it will always miss something in terms of its incarnational integrity.
My point being, that the social inclusion of First Nations Christian leaders into the emergent movement at large as well as their respectful engagement into its leadership & its various other formative theological dialogue processes remains an urgent missional priority of some gravity. As yet not doing so remains to be a very serious oversight remaining to be properly addressed within this movement.
And in finishing, I’m sorry to be A PEST about this, but wasn’t at least part of being Apostolic about being sent by God to plant new mustard seeds of faith in Christ within indigenous communities previously untouched by Christian mission.
Well I happen to believe that indigenous people were `planted’ by Creator God in the first place as God’s “sent people” as well.
Once they discover their “sent-ed-ness” in Christ, invariably indigenous Christian people I have met and mixed with – particularly if they at the same time can identify where Creator God has always been journeying with them all along within their indigenous cultural history, and if they are adequately resourced theologically and materially to do their missiological work – make very convincing grassroots apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers (e.g. Ray Minniecon, Shane Blackman from Oz; Jonathan Maracle, Richard Twiss from USA etc. – all very significant , highly gifted and indigenous Christian leaders and apostles an international level).
Can we afford not to properly involve them? I think we must!
And then somehow maybe it will just add some more substance into the integrity of this being a truly different and majorly transforming “grassroots”, “incarnational” and genuinely apostolic, and APEST practitioning missions movement sent from God.
Again I’m sorry if my writing seems very laboured…Not used to writing much in blogs, which I find too much hard work after sitting behind computers all day at work…But for quite a long while I have been very concerned about how indigenous people seem to have been seriously neglected or ignored in much of emergent talk about mission…So I took the chance to talk about it here in the hope the topic will somehow be treated more seriously by someone within the emergent church movement…I think its a very important issue for this movement to consider.
Wow what a combo! Lucy AND Andrew! Pretty potent combination. Andrew, I totally agree and confess my own lack in this regard. I assure you it is not intentional and I have great respect for First Nation issues. thanks for the reminder.
I agree from the little I’ve observed of what has happened to leaders I’ve watched that getting encumbered with a church hierarchy can seriously obscure or subvert an apostolic ministry. Wow it can even get you fired! lol But if you go back to your blog entry, I can see that the higher up someone goes in a hierarchy, the more removed they are from grassroots. I found it interesting that on one of the army blogs, (armybarmy) Capt Steve Court argues that officers in headquarters jobs should also be assigned corps to lead. I can see a load of problems with this, not least that planting requires complete focus, and leading an existing congregation can also fail to connect you with what is happening outside the front door of the building. But that is a recognition that distance from grassroots causes big problems. I suspect none of those who got to senior leadership in TSA will have got there without demonstrating the ability to pioneer despite being in a large and desperately change resistant organisation. Again, they will have been involved at all stages at calling people back to the priorities of mission, and thereby embedding that theology in the churches’ endeavours. But is it creating the environment that is what most grows in difficulty the further you are removed from the growing margins of the church? People in senior leadership in institutional church can famously impact a lot of things for the better, including structures (msinly processes), governance, degree of flexibility in missional opportunity, and can facilitate listening throughout the church, but they are rarely in a place to impact church culture as such. Church culture is far more difficult to change than church structures, processes and budgetary priorities.
I think this is why the few leaders the various denominations have had that have successfully done this stand out in people’s minds.
And of course a few impact church culture for the worse by creating a tense environment.
But to move existing church movements toward missional incarnational approach and apostolic leadership, and to help them grasp the priority of moving from clergy dominated, (and white, professional, Western) models of leadership requires a huge shift, and it is both cultural and structural. Where does the church most need its apostles - on the margins or in the old church structures?
I think that there is a genuine gap in our understanding of what the gospel is and how to work it out contextually in missiinal contexts. I am personally still trying to flesh out what it means to live a cruciform and resurrected life, not to mention what it means to found/guard/nurture cruciform and eschatological communities. This is a real bankruptcy in my own faith heritage, Church of Christ, and a lot of other people I have come into contact with.
I bring this up because it over laps with the Heresy discussion. Whenever hersy is located outside the gospel, Trinity, or morality, we are flirting with legalism and sectarianism. Apostles should eat, breathe and live gospel. It should function as their lense and paradigm for ministry.
It is a strategy of the enemy to lure us away from the power and wisdom of God into other periphery matters and goals. The gospel is the engine room of mission. Too often, with good intentions, the gospel is eclipsed by ecclesiological models, worship wars, doctirnal disputes etc. Think about it, what are we most familiar with, church doctrine, or the gospel? Which one can you talk the longest about? This was a wake up call for me.
And as Tim will no doubt point out, the apostolic and the Gospel are inextricably linked.
Just popping in for a moment, Al and all….
I recently finished reading (and then watching the original presentation at his website) “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. This is definitely a book to read (and then a video to watch.) One of the things that Randy says is that “brick walls” are not there to keep you out … they are there to see how badly you want to get over them.
I see some of the “apostolic” nature in this way of viewing “brick walls” that all of us run into all the time. They can either stop you in your tracks or jump start something that burns to find a way over, under, around and sometimes through that wall.
I think of dozens of missionary stories here, but one in particular is of Gladys Aylward — who was turned down for missionary service by the board, so she found another way to go. Her story is amazing — and speaks so much to those who hear the call to go and won’t turn back.
Somehow, part of the apostolic DNA is this sense that brick walls are not to stop us but to test how firm out faith is about how God will enable us to be obedient.
That’s a bit like the Jackie Pullinger story too… no mission organisation would send her, so she went to Hong Kong on her own steam…
I’ve just returned from a weekend out of town visiting some relatives in Eden. I thought if one has to go back to the roots of the faith, that’s the place to go! No, not really. But yes, there really is a town called Eden in Australia, near the border of NSW and Victoria, and I did go there for the weekend. It was a blessing to be able to encourage a family member I don’t see very often, who had given his life to Jesus nearly 30 years ago, but never been in any meaningful consistent fellowship due to his observation and experience of the very things we are discussing that result in people not being nurtured in the faith and released into their giftings and callings. He has always enjoyed our various key-time conversations over the years, and I am confident that God is at work in his life, so the best is yet to come, I trust.
Meanwhile, it seems, my husband Andrew had a chance to enter this discussion thread and tackle another area of ‘forgotten-ness’ i.e. indigenous/first nations participation in the emerging church scene.
Thanks, Alan for your responses. When I wrote my last entry, I wondered if anyone was going to ask for examples of women in the Apostolic tradition, and as we all know, there isn’t a lot of info to be found… which is really an important point in itself… it appears that women were treated a bit like the indigenous people of Australia… either “Terra Nullius” (uninhabited) on the pages of ‘church’ history, or if they were there, treated as if they shouldn’t have been and systematically assimilated into the story or wiped out from it. I’m sure there are some experts in eminent tertiary education institutions who could fill in the gaps a lot better than I can, but for a start, there has been a significant amount of research into the fact that Mary of Magdala was a real Apostle, and that Thecla of Iconium, was a companion of Paul the great Apostle to the Gentiles and an Apostle in her own right. Later on in history we have evidence of some extremely interesting missional community activity amongst the Beguines in the 13th Century (fascinating reading, let me assure you), and then on to modern historical times with the Wesleys and the Booths and then on into the early 20th century, Jenny Moore, the wife of John Seymour of Azusa Street Revival fame. These days I personally know of a few women whom I consider are functioning in the Apostolic gifting… eg. Mary Jones of the International Christian Dance Fellowship and Jane Mackie of the Children’s Prayer Network. They “plant” as they travel and teach internationally, and through their respective networks provide opportunities for others to build and administer the seed communities they germinate on their ‘missionary journeys’. Interestingly enough, these ‘living legend’ women friends of mine, I would also describe as having found ways over/through/around big ‘brick walls’ of ‘church’ denominational and hierarchical construction, just like Gladys Aylward for example. My own struggle to live the call of God is testimony to several times having had to overcome the disappointment of not being accepted in the church environments I found myself in whilst on the quest for Christian authenticity, meaning and purpose.
One thing I did discover was the difference between what the ‘church’ teaches as the Gospel (about Jesus) and the Gospel that Jesus actually taught! So Tim, I do appreciate your point very much.
You are all helping me to explore more about that difference and apply it in my context. It’s very encouraging, thank you!
Lucy J
Lucy J,
I think that any women “driven” to “dare to believe” that God has actually called them to dynamic ministry would have lots of stories about “brick walls”
I was privileged to work as Corrie ten Boom’s secretary during her last public speaking tour (in conjunction with the release of her movie, The Hiding Place) — and she was very much one of those kind of women. Perhaps she would be considered more “prophetic” than “apostolic” … but she was definitely a woman to be reckoned with!
I take special inspiration from the Celtic church’s awesome St. Brigid, in a post that was prompted by a comment from Alan last October:
http://abisomeone.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-abbess-instead-of-mother-superior.html
The apostolic women are out there — in the history of the church as well as in the present. I am in the camp with those who believe Paul’s relative “Junia” was one (see Rom. 16
). I would also believe that Priscilla would be as well.
Good for you, Lucy. You have a special name — always makes me think of Narnia and the youngest of the Pevensie kids … the one who always saw Aslan first. And, in Prince Caspian, when the others would not follow because they had not also seen Aslan, Lucy was disciplined by Aslan to follow him, whether anyone else comes or not. (I really wish they would have kept that really strong message in the recent movie. It was a little underwhelming.
)
Thanx, Peggy. Funny thing about Corrie Ten Boom… her photo on the cover of “Tramp for the Lord” is a dead ringer for my mum before she passed away! (Not sure if you are familiar with Aussie slang? ‘dead ringer’ means ‘identical likeness”). My mum was in the holocaust too, but that’s where the similarity ends (except for the look-alike thing, of course). She came out quite broken and died way too young at 58. However, she did bargain with God that if she had a living girl child, she’d take her to church etc… and that’s me! How fascinating that you helped to facilitate Corrie’s ministry. I read the books and saw the film and I agree that she is still a great inspiration to many people, especially women who need to trust, obey and get on with THE message.
I remember reading about Junia and the argument about whether she was a man or a woman because there was doubt about the translation of the name… more ammunition for the argument that women are far too often written out of THE story. It’s great to discover them, though… Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthilde von Bayern, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila. Maybe they weren’t Apostles in the sense of travelling around a lot, but they did guard the radical truths of the faith in their times and contexts and they did inspire many others around them. AND their achievements and wisdom are studied today. Perhaps even Mother Teresa could be considered in their league.
Funny thing about Narnia… I feel so totally outnumbered… nearly EVERYbody I know LOVES C.S. Lewis stuff, but I never really have. I do very much appreciate his life-story, and his writings, but not to the degree of most of my Christian friends. I read the whole Narnia series, but was relatively uninspired. However, because there was a Good Queen Lucy, it was OK. Your comments make me feel a whole lot more appreciative now. It’s interesting what you said about the Prince Caspian ‘underwhelm-ment’… I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s quite believable that ‘obedience’ is not a particularly fashionable virtue in this day and age and so not lucrative box-office theme material.
That makes me think that what Alan writes in the most recent post about suffering and empowerment in relation to the Apostolic role… Jesus was ‘obedient’ unto death… and I’ve been pondering on the relationship between love and death. Death is the threshold experience that ultimately sets us free from all our life-pain and strivings… and love is the only thing that can do the same on this side of the threshold. Song of Songs “Love is as strong as Death” makes more sense to me now… I just thought it was romantic exaggeration before… now I think it is apostolic emancipation as well!
Lucy J
Women in leadership…
The Church of the Nazarene like the Salvation Army has always recognized God’s calling on women and has ordained them as pastors, evangelists, missionaries, etc. In a broader context, this has been a part of the Holiness Movement.
For an apostle, maybe Phoebe Palmer and the Revival she sparked in NY mid-19th century. She had a strong influence on Frances Willard (temperance mov’t) and Catherine Booth. Palmer was also a founding director of America’s first inner city mission–New York’s Five Points Mission. (think Caprio in Gang’s of New York)
Lesser known is Fairy Chisolm who served as a very effective preaching evangelist for decades early 20th century. Thousands came to the Lord through her preaching. She was witty, culturally relevant and passionate.
Another source is African and African-American church history. There have been many anointed women apostles and evangelists.
I understand the theological debate here. This is just information for the discussion.
Andrew
Yes, I can see we definitely have to catch up for dinner or something. Philip Johnson and I have chewed the cud over indigenous issues from time to time and, though there is only so far we have been able to take this by ourselves, as two white guys, what has struck us is the potential contribution indigenous leaders can make to the work of contextualization, particularly in so far as awareness of land and sense of place is critical to the process.
In ministering amongst white Neo-Pagans (i.e. nature worshippers) we have become only too aware how much of the contemporary consumer spirituality scene involves reification of indigenous spirituality (including indigenous Irish spirituality I might add) and how we must move beyond this sort of romanticism if we are to offer a seriously contextual challenge to our society. That can only happen through direct encounter so I think you raise an important issue here. I have found books such as “Rainbow Spirit Theology: Towards an Australian Aboriginal Theology” to be very thought provoking and would welcome more conversation over this sort of thing.
In saying all this though I think the questions you raise about indigenous inclusion (or lack thereof) are part of a much bigger question, and that is the potential contributions of non-white, non-male, non-western voices in general to the emerging conversation. I recently wrote a post calling Brien McLaren into question about his comments about “post-collonialism” because I think colonialist attitudes are alive and well in the emerging church.
I recently renamed my blog to Glocal Christianity in recognition of the importance I see world voices have for local contextualization. My art collection on the blog speaks for itself in terms of this being a long standing concern. Why, in Australia, in Sydney, do we by and large ignore the contributions of Asian theologians? Why in South Africa (as Steve Hayes has noted) do the emerging churches there prefer to link with white emerging churches in the west than form a multi-racial, multi-cultural alliance at home? For a movement concerned with issues of globalism, pluralism and inclusion we seem very western, monochromatic and exclusive. What does that suggest?
Matt
Hi, I am sorry you place John Spong in the dangerous category. It’s too bad you completely dismiss a man who I would argue falls under your first criteria for an apostle — pioneering people into new missional contexts.
I’m too much of a lay person to know how true he stays to doctrine. I do know that, like Richard Simmons, he brought me into the fold at a time when the majority of cultists (for lack of a less incite-ful word) would have laughed me out of their circle of faith.
In response to “I use simple words”…
I am sure other people have their views, but I’d just like to share a couple of thoughts in relation to Spong. He would probably fit a lot of criteria for a lot of different things, but I think his main contribution is to encourage people to question and explore… to test and recalibrate traditional boundaries of the faith where those boundaries are unnecessarily exclusive and sometimes even reprehensibly damaging to the Christian community and the people it is supposedly reaching out to. I’m not sure that he fits the other categories defining apostleship, though… but one would have to know him personally and to have a lot more verifiable information about his activities to draw a fair conclusion about that. Like all of us, he is a person on a journey, and who knows, in a few years time, he might revise some of his more controversial conclusions. However, as a leader and influencer he is responsible and accountable to his community and ultimately to God for who/what he is, says and does. I’m not sure that his scholarship can be summarily dismissed, but certainly some of his conclusions merit more scrutiny in line with serious study of the Scriptures and the massive heritage of sound exposition and interpretation we have at our disposal these days! One book, I really did like though, was his “Liberating the Gospels” because I think his idea that the Midrashic tradition influences the Jewish writers of books in the New Testament has a lot of merit! We are way too ‘revisionist’ in our thinking a lot of the time. That’s why I appreciate Alan’s explorations and perspectives… he respects the past and frames the future whilst engaging others on the journey with him in the present.
I hope you find people who will continue to walk lovingly with you in the circle of faith and I also trust that the circle will always have the Trinitarian God and the pivotal life and work of Christ at its centre…
Lucy J