RSS 2.0 FeedIssue : Managing the Forces of Change
Introduction
Fifty years ago change was little more than a subtle knock, knock, knocking at the leader's door. The world moved at a measured pace, the daily rhythm tied to metronomes of pen and paper, centralized jounalism, and a shoe leather postal system. Intrusions into schedules and routines of pastors were seldom unexpected and easily controlled.
In 2010 the winds of change buffet ministry organizations and its leaders at hurricane force. Closed office doors once secluding the leader now yield little protection for personal and organizational privacy. Our inner clocks are ticking faster and we are programed to move at breakneck pace with an insatiable search for more information -- to know what is happening at the moment, not just down the street, but around the world. Christain fellowships once isolated from litigation, government inspection, and cultuaral phenomona find themselves insuring, auditing, and clamoring for relevance. In its infancy the church persuaded a pagan world to accept Christianity; in its 21st century it is struggling to rebuff accusations of fakery, mismanagement, and irrelevance.
Today there are many but too few fine Christian ministries doing tremendous work for the Kingsom of God. The church is in need of young men and women skilled at harnessing the potentially destructive societal currents and converting them into a new wave of church ministry -- a force pristine in soul yet fully immersed in a dirty and broken world. It is hard to argue that the century of ministry expression birthed at Azuza Street has delivered on its God-given mission. Consequently, the coming generation must do things differently, and it seems to this observer that the traditional Pentecostal church mvovement now stands at a critical crossroads. Do we turn a new directiion or stay on the same course?
The theme for this issue of Current Blessing is Change Is Coming. From any angle the title couldn't express a truer statement. Will Christian leaders change their methods or will change methodically marginalize and mute them? One of the two is inevitable. Current Blessing's intent is to raise this issue within our fellowship, and initiate dialouge about change within GCMF and the church throughout North America. Our GCMF overseer, Apostle Eugene Weaver, has a forward-looking article that provides insight about the issues he sees as important to our future journey. It is a must read.
We are grateful to the contributing authors in this issue of Current Blessing and recognize the wisdom of hearing a multitude of counselors and teachers. You will find several articles that address elements of our topic and others that provide biblical insight and organizational highlights of interest. We hope you are challenged and encouraged by this issue of Current Blessing.
