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 | | From: | forwarded | | Subject: | Winston-Salem NC Journal features Tony Campolo article | | Date: | Tue, 07 Dec 2004 04:17:29 GMT |
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 | Message: Growing: Movement is new form of evangelism
Saturday, December 4, 2004
As we enter the 21st century, a vital new expression of Christianity is
growing in the United States and worldwide. This movement even has a name. It
is called "the Emergent Church."
This movement expresses what I call "progressive evangelicalism," because it
emphasizes traditional evangelical beliefs - affirming the doctrines of the
Apostle's Creed, a high view of Scripture and the importance of a personal
transforming relationship with a resurrected Christ - yet rejects the
structures and styles of institutionalized Christianity.
The Emergent Church turns away from spending money on buildings. Instead,
most congregations meet as "house churches" or gather in makeshift
storefronts and warehouses.
Rejects hierarchal systems
Emergent churches espouse a decentralized grassroots form of Christianity
that rejects the hierarchal systems of denominational churches. Each emergent
congregation makes its own decisions by consensus.
Leadership is fluid, with all members sharing authority and participating in
the mission of the church. Task forces are assembled to undertake such
specific programs as feeding the homeless, establishing a partnership with a
Third World church, developing an after-school tutoring program for
disadvantaged children or organizing people in a poor neighborhood to solve
pressing social problems.
The missionary programs of such congregations are committed to direct
involvement with those they decide to serve. These churches want little to do
with bureaucratic organizations with professional administrators. Members of
these congregations want to be involved personally with those in need. They
want to know the names and faces of the people they serve.
---- See complete article ----
In many ways, these Christians express a postmodern mindset that may come
across as being somewhat "new age." They see care for the environment as a
major Christian responsibility. They are attracted to Christian mysticism.
They talk a great deal about "spiritual formation" and focus significant
attention on the healing of illnesses through prayer.
This new expression of Christianity is growing faster than most sociologists
could have predicted. It is thriving, in part, because so many people are fed
up with the arguing and pettiness that they claim are all too evident in the
rest of Christendom.
It remains to be seen whether the Emergent Church will fade away or become an
ongoing expression of Christianity.
But there is no question that it is attracting many sophisticated Christians
who contend that traditional mainline churches are devoid of vitality and
mega-churches are irrelevantly narrow.
-- Tony Campolo, an internationally known evangelist, is a professor emeritus
at Eastern University and the author of more than 26 books.
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_Ba
sicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031779493534&path=!living&s=1037645509005
House Churches are discussed at http://housechurch.org
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