Igneous Quill

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." - John 17:20-21

My late father often said that people who complained about overpopulation on a global scale didn't have a very good idea of how big the world really is. In general, I still agree with that thought. Although overpopulation in specific areas can cause severe environmental distress and there can be food shortages if resources and the supply chain are not well-managed, I do believe that there is room enough for the nearly 7 billion members of the human family that already draw breath on our planet, and many more as well. 

One social consequence of this unprecedented number of people alive at the same time is incredible diversity. Socially, there needs to be room enough for us all as well. To bring it even closer to home (for me, at least), the faith tradition of which I am part, the Stone-Campbell Movement, is in the process of increasing diversification. In North America it has long been said that there are three main branches of this movement, these being the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the a cappella Churches of Christ and the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. The a cappella Churches of Christ have long been composed of multiple sub-groups, and now within the independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ there appear to be distinctions forming between those that tend to look more mainline evangelical in faith and practice, and those that are holding to a more traditional or "conservative" stance.  Add to these the vibrant, relatively new fellowship of International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and a two century old movement for unity looks quite divided.

Honestly, I don't despair, for three main reasons.

First, with so many people coming from so many distinct backgrounds, there are bound to be diverse perspectives. Not everyone is going to come to understand every matter in exactly the same way. Yes, I know the bumper sticker that says "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." In real life, though, what I have seen over the years is that my understanding and perspective have changed with new information and experiences. The me of 2011 would likely grit his teeth if he had to hear what the me of 2001 thought about any number of topics, and vice versa. Worse, the me of days gone by might well label the me of now as a backslider or liberal. What to me looks like progress could be taken by someone else as regress.

Second, different approaches are taken by different ministries. What's good in one place might not be the best way to carry out God's mission in another place. Or, it could even be that one place is so multicultural as to call for many different methods of outreach and engagement. Certainly rural Missouri is a far cry from Brooklyn, New York, and even within Brooklyn there are different kinds of people.

This isn't to say that segregation is okay. The church is called to be multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, and I'm proud to be able to say that my home congregation, Central Jersey Church of Christ, is composed of disciples from 37 nations of people. At the same time, the way my home congregation "does ministry" might not reflect the perspective of many Christians. Some, believing women should be in all leadership roles of the church, will be more at home with the Disciples of Christ or some other group. Others, rejecting instrumental accompaniment in worship, will prefer the a cappella Churches of Christ. In actual fact, many will be brought to faith in Christ through these other ministries and will come to know those outlooks as normative. While I may disagree, there's room for us all.

"Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." - 1 Corinthians 9:19-22

Third, as I've said repeatedly since the outset of this post, there really is room for all of us on this earth. Although it disappointed me when when I was in college and heard classmates of the a cappella variety talking about parts of the United States as "unreached" where I knew that independent Christian Churches were thick (and had been for years), I have little interest in dissuading them from trying to evangelize in such areas. So long as what they are doing is true evangelism (so often it's just converting Baptists and others to their views) there are certainly people who can be "reached."

The world is seeing the rise of megacities. Some of the largest are in South America. In these urban environments the churches of the Stone-Campbell Movement are so much the minority as to barely register the smallest fraction. Though, for instance, I'd rather see the ICOC, a cappella and Pentecostal Churches of Christ in São Paulo find ways to cooperate, that won't always be possible. According to Wikipedia, the population of that city in 2009 was estimated at 19,889,559. With that many people, there is plenty of work to be done without a lot of overlap.

"Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.' Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." - Acts 15:36-41

Paul and Barnabas had a serious disagreement over Mark, one that caused them to literally go their separate ways for a time. Certainly both did good in the directions they took. Sometimes in ministry we're going to disagree, even strongly, with our co-workers in the Gospel. If a point arrives that we can't continue along the same path, it's better if we bless each other and split up. After more time passed Paul and Barnabas were reconciled and Paul came to accept Mark (see 2 Timothy 4:11).

In the region of the United States where I currently live there are four distinct groupings of Stone-Campbell churches (not counting the Christadelphians, who also have a minimal presence here). Two of these groups maintain their own campgrounds, and the other two rent facilities for youth camps. All have several congregations, though some are quite small and composed of mostly older people. In core matters of faith they are on the same page, but when looking at any details the variety comes into play. Some of these would likely not be willing to sit for long at the same table, but in them all I've seen the work of God and the fruit of the Spirit.

It's a big world full of hurting people, oppressive regimes and idols that set themselves up against the only true God. There's a lot of work to do, a mighty Spirit empowering us and one true Lord sending us. There's room enough for us all. Let's get to work.

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." - Ephesians 4:1-6

All verses, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the New International Version, ©2011.

When I hear hints of cooperation between Christians within the Stone-Campbell Movement, I'm encouraged. While I don't believe in unity for the sake of unity (what's the point of endless conferences to discuss similarities and differences if they don't result in positive action for the mission of God?), it excites me to think that there can be progress in working together, across the artificial lines we draw. So it is with the program Rocky Mountain School of Ministry and Theology (RMSMT) has worked out with Lincoln Christian University (LCU).

This endeavor first came to my attention in late 2009 through an article on Disciples Today. RMSMT has existed, under the guidance of David Giles and the leadership of the Denver Church of Christ, since 1991. Only in recent years has it taken its current name. David is a graduate of Lincoln Christian Seminary and had his background in the independent Christian Churches until joining the discipling movement (ICOC) in the late 1980s.

The accredited Masters degree currently offered (beginning now, Spring 2011) through RMCMT and LCU is pretty general, and the program overview itself admits that this course is "not designed to prepare people for full-time, vocational ministry." At the same time, this is a definite step in the right direction for providing quality, accredited ministerial and theological training for members and leaders in ICOC congregations.

Again, as I said at the outset of this post, I'm pleased with this effort as well because it represents collaboration between institutions of two distinct branches of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Cross-pollination can be a good thing, and I hope it's a mere inkling of more yet to come.

Coursework can be done online and on-site.  See the documents below for more information, or simply visit RMSMT's website.