The
Soul Tidal Wave!
Allow me to share some
reflections on the pastors/spouses conference in
Chiang Mai, Thailand at which you were kind enough to
sponsor Nancy and me last month.
These annual meetings of
like-minded international congregations like our own
are valuable professional fatherings for exchanging
ideas and building morale. They also allow us a good
insight into Christian ministry in the host city and
country. They are especially helpful for pastors of
independent churches like our own because we have no
denomination to nurture us; these gatherings remind
pastors and their spouses of independent congregations
that they are not alone in their work in Asia and
elsewhere.
Let me note some aspects of
this recent gathering:
l. Our study theme was "Soul
Tsunami." A tsunami in natural terms is a tidal wave.
And we tried to open ourselves to the theme that God
is going to send us a spiritual tidal wave in our new
century of such radical nature that churches will have
to decide sail with the coming wave or sink beneath
its force. We are all committed to sailing with
it!
We spent considerable of our
seminar time brainstorming on how the church can use
modern technology like the internet without succumbing
to its siren seductions.
2. Our worship featured
blended music, much as we do in community church. This
contrasts with only a few years ago at similar
conferences when we used only hymns. It is now taken
for granted in international congregations that
liturgical music needs to strive to incorporate the
best of traditional church music and the best of new
praise music.
Our own worship incorporated
additional elements of dance, spontaneous skits,
rehearsed drama, and the creative use of symbols and
graphics. While all of these are not feasible in
Sunday worship for most of our congregations because
of logistical limits, your pastors are open and
experimenting with them all. The use of more beauty,
more appeal to all the senses and sensibilities of
worshipers, and more creative methods of presenting
the Gospel, are part of the coming liturgical tidal
wave. .
3. Next I am glad to see that
the theological range of international congregations
continues to broaden. All churches, and there were
about 23 represented this year, including three from
Hong Kong, are post-denominational in focus. That is
equally true of those churches which officially retain
a denominational link as in the Lutheran, Presbyterian
and Episcopal congregations which participated as in
the independent congregations, like our own. Of the
five most recently created international congregations
which sent pastors to Chiang Mai, all had the word
"community" in their name, whether they were
independent or denominationally linked.
Community, as an expression
of theological inclusiveness in the post-denonination
era, has replaced the former preference for the word
"union" which a generation and more ago attempted to
convey the same respect for multiple Christian
traditions.
I am also glad that one
formally Pentecostal congregation now participates and
that the entire fellowship of international
congregations is in theology both mainline and
evangelical in outlook and appreciative of charismatic
elements in public worship.
4. Finally, this was the most
diverse group of professional church leaders which I
have encountered at these annual meetings. Until
recent years international churches everywhere have
tended to be pastored more by Americans than any other
nationality, and Americans continue the largest
nationality among the ordained leaders, but the
demographic spread grows. Of the 44 participants, four
were Canadians, four Australians, eight New
Zealanders, two South Africans, two Japanese, and one
Korean. I believe this ethnic diversity will continue
to grow as international congregations become, like
our own, more cosmopolitan and inclusive both of
expatriate Christians and local Christians who respond
to our worship and outlook, based in the use of the
English language.
All in all this final
gathering in Asia for Nancy and me was certainly one
of the very best among the seven we have attended.
Thank you for sponsoring us and may you take
confidence and enthusiasm that international
congregationalist ministry, while only a small part of
the vast Christian movement in Asia, is nonetheless a
well led and significant portion of the scene for
Christ in our region.
Pastor Gene Preston