Funny how similar the Baptists and the RCA are at the top...
"Go to a meeting of Southern Baptists and you will hear endless talk of President Bobby Welch's quest for One Million Baptisms. Telling Southern Baptists at this point in their history to get one million baptisms is to create a free-for-all. Anything that works will be praised. If a local church finds a way to use Judgement House to get 500 decision cards signed, it will be trumpeted as a move of God; a "revival" (a word that SBCers can't get enough of.) If it turns out that only 40 of those decisions ever show up for Baptism, it won't cause any pause for reflection or evaluation. It will simply give us permission to have more manipulation and decisionistic tactics next time. Evangelism in the SBC today has all the characteristics of the shallow zeal of the salesman. The theological foundation for evangelism has eroded, and the current atmosphere has allowed pragmatism to take over the driver's seat."
We all want to grow, and the pressure for more numbers pushes us to accept superficial spirituality. We wouldn't want to offend anyone, or ask too much of them - they might not like us; they might not stay. People liking us can be more important to us than God's desire for those very people. That is very dangerous to our souls.
I don't know if I want to laugh or to cry.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.