I love the Church and am committed to serving the local church because I wholeheartedly believe that the Church is central to the mission of God, yet not the centre of it. The Church is meant to be a sign and foretaste of God’s reign. It should be a place that welcomes the imperfect, embraces the lost, heals the hurting and equips and deploys God’s people for the sake of the world. Where the church ceases to be the salt and light, we cannot blame the world for their darkness, depravity and disillusionment, we’re to blame. Ed Stetzer reminds us that we are not to be the cul-de-sac on the Great commission Highway– we haven’t yet arrived, were sent! Peter Drucker, management guru, helpfully observes: “people in any organization are always attached to the obsolete–– the things that should have worked but did not, the things that once were productive and are no longer” (2010:66). In similar vein, in his Foreword to Woodward and Whites’ publication of ‘The Church as Movement’, Allan Hirsch observes that many leaders seem to think that simply repeating and optimizing the inherited habits of church will eventually deliver paradigm-shifting results––this could not be further from the truth. Mike Erre adds a helpful contribution to our discussion on church and cultural postures:

Established churches are becoming increasingly ineffective because our past has not prepared us for ministry in the future. The discontinuity we have experienced because of these quantum leaps is comparable to the experience of the residents of East Berlin when the Berlin Wall came down. Nothing in their past prepared them for life without the Wall. Very little in our past has prepared us for ministry in today’s world.

Speaking from my Baptist context, I am grateful to the Lord for the faithful ministry of many established Baptist Churches who have served God’s cause faithfully over the course of their existence. However, what we’re increasingly finding is that older, traditional or established churches are in decline and some are facing imminent death. This is a fact we can no longer dispute!  Established churches are increasingly feeling the tension of living in our cultural moment while remaining true to its history and ministry ethos. What does the future hold and how do we embrace it? 

Please hear me out, although I love the Church and am especially committed to the cause of Christ in the local church, I am under no illusions that any local churches are perfect. I am also not particularly idealistic about the future of ministry for older established churches– in the trenches, things are neither simple, nor easy. I commence with the assertion that Baptist Churches are between danger and opportunity, and have written extensively on my research around what needs to change in my denomination here. 

I feel that I have some authority to write on matters relating to the local church, seeing I have served in the local church since I was a teenager, and have been in pastoral ministry for 14 years now (which is still not vast). Within these last 14 years, I have been privileged to serve in a great variety of churches, that have each contributed to my understanding and concern for the local church in South Africa. I currently serve in a church that has recently been revitalized where there is lots of energy and talk of innovation and excitement about growth and progress. I realize that this is perhaps not all that common in South Africa, and certainly among Baptists. I know because I have spent years researching this and am in touch with the realities on the ground as I engage with various church leaders in many contexts. Below I present 10 thoughts on the future of ministry in the established church. I am sure there are another 20 points that can be added to this, yet I hope these would be helpful to those serving Christ there and I would welcome any additions. 

10 Considerations Regarding the Future of Your Est. Church

1. Your past has not adequately prepared you for your future. There is the recognition that culture has shifted, demographics have shifted– we’re not in Kansas anymore! We need to embrace this fresh start and trust God for the results.

2. Change is inevitable and it must be navigated no matter how slow the process may be. All churches change, and for those who’ve resisted any change for a while, the decline will be increasingly evident. Those that understand that change is essential and embrace a positive missional posture toward their cultural context are more likely to succeed. 

3. A rut eventually becomes your grave. “This is the way we’ve always done it” is a statement I hear all to often and one that is increasingly indicative that traditional can become a trap and grave for those who are unwilling to be moved. 

4. Embracing your context and seeking the lost brings excitement and life to your church. We need to be reminded that if we truly believe in all of scripture, yet lack in evangelistic zeal and effort consistency, we are disobedient to the call and command of God. Established churches that are inward focused will soon close down. 

5. Everything rises and falls on leadership and volunteers. Leaders need to mobilize people in your church to fill the leadership vacuum and to serve regardless of membership status. It’s okay to have Christ-following believers serve in ministries in your church without being members. Members still occupy important and elect roles, yet those who call your church home need to know there’s a place for them to plug in a serve. Don’t be too legalistic about involvement, or you may land up doing everything. 

6. Your future will be dissimilar to your past and you need a (simple) strategy that you can deploy that will assist your leaders, staff and members to navigate the pain because of the Kingdom gain. People need a vision to make change easier. 

7. Embracing the next generation is critical to reaching and impacting families in South Africa. If your church does not incorporate children, youth and young adults fully into the life of the church, your church does not have a future. 

8. Your community probably doesn’t care much about your denominational affiliation and so be sure to introduce them to Jesus before you make them a disciple of your flavour. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not advocating that we disassociate with our denomination, what I am simply saying is that to most unchurched people today, that’s probably not the thing that will attract them to your church at first, or keep them there. It’s a reality that we need to acknowledge. 

9. You have to embrace and create a sending culture in your church in order for evangelism and outreach to function holistically. Your church is an important role player in God’s mission and you must ensure that you’re equipping and deploying Christ’s ambassadors, not simply feeding and shelving them.

10. You must strive to be welcoming in your posture and embrace and ensure that guests soon become members and serve using their gifting. This is impossible without a process and intentionality. 

Thank you for taking time to read this short post; I hope that it has been meaningful to you. Feel free to leave a comment or email me regarding any particular point for further clarity. I strongly encourage you to subscribe to EST. Church, a weekly discussion for pastors lead by a friend of mine, Micah Fries (Brainerd Baptist, Chattanooga TN) and two others great leaders, Sam Rainer (West Bradenton Baptist Church, Bradenton FL) and Josh King (Sachse’s Church, Sachse TX). Although these are from a Western/ American context, their content is helpful and engaging and will assist you in thinking through some important consideration for your ministry. Be sure to check them our  here.

ENDNOTES

1.  Woodward, J.R. & White, Dan 2016. The Church As Movement”. Downers Grove: IVP.
2. Erre, Mike 2009. Death by Church. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers.
3. Henry, D. & Niemandt, C.J.P, 2015, ‘Baptist identity and mission in a rainbow nation: Distilling imperatives from mixed-methods research within the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (1994–2012)’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 71(2), Art. #2026, 10 pages.

THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL CHRISTIANITY

Some time ago I presented on seven trends that impact South African Christianity at the Regional Baptist Northern Association gathering. Since then, I have spoken to various audiences on the importance of understanding context and trends that shape where we live and will affect our future. This post is a reminder to us that the trends which shape South African Christianity should not be seen in isolation from what’s happening in the Global North and in other countries within the Global South. There is a world unfolding, unlike any other we have see before, that requires we face the future with boldness, sensitivity, and courage. Allow me to share on seven such themes.

 Using the acronym, ‘futures‘, we will explore seven macro trends that in some way impact the ministry of the church. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, rather, a helpful starting point for discussions on trends that shape ministry globally.

 F-  FAST AND FURIOUS

The world we live in is rapidly changing, and traditional values are constantly;y being eroded and challenged in an evolving world. Rapid and continuous changes in technology are one of the driving forces of these changes. Churches that have disengaged from the technological revolution will find themselves increasingly isolated from culture and ineffective in ministry globally.  When it comes to technology and the pastor, the expectations have certainly changed and the pace of leadership in churches seems relentless. Pastors need to guard against a super-pastor complex, and other need to guard against pastel co-dependancy.

U-  URBAN CONFLUENCE

Ministry in cities will be of increasing importance globally as the vast majority of our populace is urban-bound. Cities are not only where people are located but are important centers for the development and flow of culture and influence for any region or country. What is our strategy for reaching urban centers? In Africa, many city centers are places evangelical churches are fleeing from, and have abandoned ministry in this context for the suburbs. How do we work for the glory of God in our cities, and establish viable ministries in these contexts?

T-  TRIBAL OUTREACH 

This is somewhat new thinking for many evangelicals. In 2008, American author and public speaker Seth Godin published “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us”. In the book, he identified an emerging pattern of new communities connecting with one another outside of the usual socioeconomic benchmarks, such as living standards measures (LSMs). “Tribes is any group of people who are connected to one another, a leader and an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe. A shared interest and a way to communicate”.  French sociologist Michel Maffesoli (1996:75) helps to build the idea of urban tribes, his research showed that while rural social groupings tend to be driven by authoritative systems of power, urban dwellers are socially motivated by peer influence and energy. Rather than being organized around family, modern tribes are voluntary and tend to be based on affinity. People select their social circles, however subconsciously, to replace the clans they were born into but serve the same functions. What tribes do we influence,

U-   UNREACHED/ UNCHURCHED/ DE-CHURCHED

There seems to be an evident deficit in evangelism among our churches, built upon a sense of complacently and at times, a false missional hermeneutic. There is endless conversations and debates on methodology, where few people are practitioners. How do migration trends shape the way we evangelize? What is our strategy to include these important aspects of ministry?

R-  RADICALLY MISSIONAL

The church should be BOTH missional AND attraction, centrifugal and centripetal. There are many ongoing conversations regarding the rise of missional/ incarnation movements globally, which have stirred many into action, and continue to shape our praxis. Mission needs to be seen as both our originating impulse and its organizing principle, under the overarching banner of the Mission of God. The future of the church cannot be seen in isolation from the concept of being missional in nature.

E-  EVANGELISTICALLY REVIVED 

Culture will continually experience a sifting of people, based on what they believe regarding the truth claims of Christianity. With the marginalization of the Christian faith and the dubious nature of many so-called Christina movements globally, many people are no longer self-identifying with Christianity and are becoming what may in the West have described as the “Nones”. This may not be a bad thing, after all, at least those who go to church, know why they are there and have increased involvement and commitment to the Lord’s work and to witness.

It is in this context that we are called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. There will be increased distance from churches that do not see themselves sin they light int he future.

S-  SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Much has been written on this topic over the years, and servant leadership, in many senses is what defines Christian leadership, or service within the kingdom of God in the way of King Jesus. Our attitude should emanate from Christ’s example and we should not simply focus on service. There needs to be an authentic humility attached to our ministry and leadership, recognizing that we are simply stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Servant leadership is counter-intuitive and does against almost everything the world is aiming toward and teaching, yet it is a sign of God’s presence and example we must follow. I know too many leaders who think that they have ‘arrived’, and no longer serve as it is beyond them. God’s kingdom defies the standards of this world, and our leadership is always in submission to Jesus’s lordship- without exception. How are we leading? What will be the outcome of our ministry and life? Will we be remembered as the autocrat, or as one who spent their lives for the sake of the fame of King Jesus?

Sharing one’s story can be a powerful tool for encouragement and challenge. My story, is not so much my own story, but one that is intimatly linked with God’s mission and I want to share with you, briefly, how God can use your life and shape you into the person He desires. I trust that my story will reflect glory back to God, and that as you read this you will have time to reflect on your own journey with God and be challenged to embrace God’s hand at work.

I grew up in a conservative South African Baptist Church where Scripture was highly valued and expository preaching was always seen as a strong point. I fondly remember time spent as a child memorising Scripture. Sadly, my motivation was wrong; I was trying to be the top of my class and win the prize at the end of the year for having memorised the most Scripture verses. I often won these prizes as my competitive spirit motivated me. However, despite my motivation, these verses have often rung through my mind over the years, and I have found that having studied God‘s Word, it has been a light to my path.

My life up to that point had been simple, and so too was my conversion to the Christian faith; it was not spectacular in any way. I committed my life to Christ at a young age and found myself drifting away from the Lord due to life circumstances and choices I had made (and not all of them were good). The path I chose was one of bitterness and hatred spiced with anger and later, regret. Let me share some of my story with you. I am an illegitimate child and I was brought up by my mother. I had to learn that God does not make mistakes and that I was on this planet for a purpose. My family has always been in conflict ever since I can remember, and I found myself drifting further away from my circumstances and my faith into a pseudo-reality, where I drew strength and gained reprieve from my life situation.

My childhood was humble to say the least, and left me feeling estranged from my family, from peers and from God who I blamed for His passivism. Looking back now I can say that I never really had many true friends, my pseudo- reality prevented anyone from getting too close and exposing the reality of my life. God intervened in my circumstances through the preaching of one of South Africa‘s true prophets; Angus Buchan. I clearly remember being in high school and attending a Christian crusade meeting being held at my local Church, where God brought me back into the fold and where I was baptized and forever changed.

What had changed? My family was still in conflict, my circumstances were unaltered. But, what made the difference can be described as a ‘God- consciousness’ that had invaded my life like never before. For the first time in my life I felt the urgency to forgive, mend, restore and move forward. God became the centre of my being, my motivation changed from self-centeredness to constantly looking out for the interests of others. My conversion to faith had become a relationship with my eternal father; I had become a follower of Christ, and had resolved in my early years to dedicate my life to serving my heavenly Father‘s purposes. So the journey began.

One of the first things I did, besides involvement within my Church, was get involved in weekly outreach. I will never forget the lessons I learnt through serving others- especially those who were not as fortunate as I was. Johnny Buchner, a former South African Springbok Rugby player, and I went to the Ruimsig Squatter camp every week where we met with fellow believers and conducted a Bible study in a local shabeen (tavern/ bar). I learnt more from my interaction with the members of this community than any sermon or Bible study, not that they are unimportant, but for the first time I began to realize God‘s design for my life and my life purpose. Ever since those early days I have always embraced every opportunity for service in missions, and went on several trips to places like Dikwepi near Polokwane and other places in the surrounding areas where God shaped my understanding of what it means to be His people, what it means to be Church. When I was a youth pastor at Florida Baptist Church I led several mission trips to the Transkei, and always encouraged people to serve God through missions. I also represented the Baptist Union Missions Department as the first short- term missionary to North Africa. My Church was mission- minded, I was mission- minded. Since then I have discovered that mission-mindedness is not nearly enough!

I have changed a lot since those days, and I thank God for every opportunity He has afforded me to this day. I have been privileged enough to work in my home Church where I grew up in the faith. Also, to work under a passionate and effective evangelist who taught me the value of a vital and dynamic relationship with the Lord. This has significantly shaped my understanding of Christian ministry. I have had the honour of working alongside a seminary president who has shaped my understanding of the Christian faith and who has taken tremendous risks in giving me opportunities to serve and grow in Church life and the academic world. I thank God for the myriad people He has brought along my path that have impacted my life in greater ways than they perhaps would ever realize. God has been faithful to His Word, and has begun a work in my life that He alone can bring to completion. I thank God most of all for the wife He has brought into my life and for the love and support she continuously gives, and also for the many sacrifices willingly made along the way in fulfilling what God has in store for us. God has blessed us with three beautiful daughters that fills our lives with great joy, and contribute toward church growth too :).

I trust that the content here will be of great benefit to many in their journey with the Lord, serving God’s mission.

Des