Category Archives: Blog

Victory On The “Losing” Side

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

As we wait for the next General Assembly, many of us in PCC orthodoxy are praying, listening, discussing, discerning and planning.

It appears that a future General Assembly will approve the proposed parallel definitions of marriage in which “faithful, Holy Spirit filled, Christ centred, God-honouring people can understand marriage as a covenant relationship between a man and a woman or as a covenant relationship between two adult persons.”

The expectation is not fatalistic, just realistic.

Among those in orthodoxy, three directions have emerged: depart from the PCC, divide the denomination into theological wings, and remain in the fold as witnesses to orthodoxy. (There’s a fourth camp: those who are undecided which path they might choose. But they remain amorphous.)

Regarding that third movement, also known as “stay and pray”, evangelicals might look to The United Church of Canada for inspiration. Yes, that denomination. Many in orthodoxy have distanced themselves from their counterparts in the UC.

But evangelicals are alive and well in the UC. They lead thriving congregations whose websites and language look right at home in the world of evangelicals. Many UC evangelicals find strength and solace in Cruxifusion, a network of ministers who are centred on Christ. They’re described by chair Rev. Greg Smith-Young as “ETOC: evangelical, traditional, orthodox, conservative” witnesses.

It is not a fringe group. Membership in Cruxifusion now totals approximately 500 and includes ministers, deacons, candidates for clergy and some lay members. It’s a pretty healthy number in a denomination with approximately 2,800 congregations.

Intrigued, Renewal’s board gathered by Zoom with some members of the Cruxifusion board of directors and supporters on a recent Saturday morning to hear their stories.

Cruxifusion is “a lifeline,” said one southern Ontario minister. To her, the network is like family. “You are not alone.”

Indeed, the description of “family” was tossed out a lot during our two-hour gathering. What does a family do for each other but to love, listen, encourage and provide shelter. Cruxifusion’s website banner (www.cruxifusion.ca) sums it up: “Supporting, inspiring, connecting Christ-centred ministry personnel within the United Church of Canada.”

Said an Alberta minister: “I could not serve in ministry without this network.”

“We’re here to support each other,” added a Southern Ontario minister.

Smith-Young says the network has no official standing in the denomination. “The UC recognizes us as a support network, but with no formal status. Our focus is to build relationships, as a connecting and supporting organization. Our goal is not at a formal level to lobby the denomination.”

No politics allowed. Cruxifusion is “not trying to convert the church. We just want to be faithful,” said the southern Ontario minister.

“It’s not an anxious prophetic voice,” said the Alberta minister.

That’s noteworthy, considering the history of renewal movements in the UC. Cruxifusion was born from the same theological roots of the former United Church Renewal Fellowship, Community of Concern, National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations and Church Alive. But their culture is remarkably different.

Those four groups formed at various times and each had a slightly different focus, whether spiritual, political or theological. When the UC decided to ordain those in LGB communities in 1988, many members of those renewal groups departed the denomination. Those who remained in the UC wrestled with their purpose. In time, they struggled with membership and energy.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, said Smith-Young, “there were a lot of younger ministers coming into the church who were more orthodox. They wanted to talk about Jesus. Their beliefs were consistent with the creeds. . . An evangelical influence was detected in the seminaries. Jesus has been calling these people. Students were coming in with different questions then earlier, and professors were noticing. These students were not questioning the tenets of the faith; they were embracing them.”

Smith-Young was among them. But a decade into ministry, he felt worn down by the reality that in many parts of the UC, Christ was not celebrated. He considered leaving the denomination.

“It was not around sexual orientation. It was because Christ was not celebrated; worship was a sham. It was harder and harder to maintain joy in ministry, even though I loved my congregation. The renewal groups offered no hope for me to regain that joy.”

In 2010, one of leaders from the older renewal movement invited him to a gathering of young ministers of like mind. A year later, Cruxifusion arose with 50 young ministers, most under the age of 50. Buoyed by $50,000 in leftover funds from the four groups, they sought encouragement and a voice.

Evangelicals in the UC sometimes encounter “heretical” beliefs and worship practices. They serve alongside some colleagues who are far removed from orthodoxy. Being unashamedly evangelical in a mostly-liberal mainline denomination has attracted some critical voices and they’ve been accused of hate. Rather than fight, they choose to witness Christ. They encourage their members to be involved in the leadership of the church.

Although it’s taken some time to develop, Cruxifusion is now “known for what we stand for, not what we’re against,” said the southwestern Ontario minister.

While Cruxifusion speaks orthodoxy, there are various translations.

“We may agree on scripture, but disagree on the interpretation,” said Smith-Young.

Said one Ontario minister: “We may not be on the same page theologically, but we’re in the same chapter.”

For example, those who call themselves traditional but who marry same-sex couples “would say they’re following orthodoxy.” At the end of the day, they remain united in their belief in Christ “as Lord and saviour” as stated on the website description.

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Are there lessons from the Cruxifusion story for those in PCC orthodoxy? And can we learn anything from the UC experience?

After gay ordination was affirmed, many in the UC were wounded. Smith-Young was entering ministry at the time and remembers the pain and bitterness.

“I wish I could go back to those a generation ahead of me and say, ‘I grieve for you. Something bad happened to you.’ Their pain was so deep. A spirit of resentment and woundedness became part of the life of that movement. That was not attractive to me. I didn’t want to become part of the renewal groups of the UC.”

For those of us in PCC orthodoxy, that’s worth noting. Righteous anger is a painful reality. It’s beautiful in the way it echoes the words of Christ spoken against the church leaders of his day who twisted the meaning of scripture and reinterpreted Mosaic law for their own gain.

But what fruit would result? If the ship has sailed, there’s little to be gained by gazing at the horizon or shouting into the sunset. No anger or politicking would change the course. The younger UC ministers who formed Cruxifusion recognized that. They were cut from different cloth than their evangelical predecessors; not necessarily more accepting of the gay lifestyle but certainly less offended by it. They recognized that no amount of politicking was going to change a church that was yoked to contemporary culture. So they did what they could. They prayed early and often, witnessed Christ, planted the seeds and allowed the Holy Spirit to do the heavy lifting. And they didn’t allow the enemy to get them down. And all of that continues in the present tense.

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During our online gathering, a Western Canada UC minister observed that Cruxifusion allowed her to be “humble enough to be led by Christ.” Ponder that. How many of us are willing to put down the sword and simply love our enemies? (Make no mistake about that: Christ told us clearly in Luke 11:23 and Matthew 12:30 that “anyone who isn’t with me opposes me.” Those who have departed from the teachings of Christ are not with Christ and are opposed to him. In this paradigm, there are winners and losers.) She noted how being on the “losing side” of sexuality politics, as defined by the progressives, was actually a gift: it allowed grace, humility and love to flow. Being on the “winning side” fueled self righteousness.

In the eyes of the world, wasn’t Christ on the losing side then and does He not reside there now? Absolutely. True followers of Christ remain on the trash heap of history, not inheriting the world but heirs to the Kingdom instead.

Flowing with grace, humility and love – that’s the dream for many. And doing so while proclaiming Christ and striving to deny ourselves in order to walk with Him. Now there’s victory.

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The PCC and the UC share much of the same polity ethos and nomenclature. While it’s interesting to compare and contrast the UC’s four renewal groups with the presence of different groups and movements in the current PCC landscape, our situations are also different.

Cruxifusion’s witness and work may be inspiring to those of us in PCC orthodoxy who yearn for peace while remaining as witnesses to some form of orthodoxy. This is not to offer up Cruxifusion as a wholesale model for those in PCC orthodoxy. They are in a different context.

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People in Cruxifusion are often asked about their name. The explanation is a testimony in itself: Crux is Latin for “Cross” and fusion means joining two parts together, creating a union. Their identity statement says it’s all about unity: “His cross fuses us, making us one.”

Allow me to take that a step further. In a nuclear sense, it results in a release of energy. Medically, vertebrae are rejoined to produce stability, strength and a new lease on life. The implications are powerful. It’s not my intent here to redefine another organization’s ethos or mess with the etymology. I’m merely suggesting that if the power of the Holy Spirit is present, amazing things can happen.

May this be something to ponder, as our praying, listening, discussing, discerning and planning continues.

Where Are All the Disciples?

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Andy Cornell
Andy Cornell

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched a lot of church people in a lot of ways. It continues to poke and prod and forces us to examine and re-examine who we are and how we do church. Even why.

In all the busyness of doing church and worship differently since March, I’ve become a tech trouble shooter as much as a teacher — a problem-solver pastor. With safe distancing and mandatory masking, many congregations are waiting for a vaccine before gathering in person. And even those congregations who are meeting are getting a fraction of their usual turnout. While we see evidence of unchurched folks checking out our social media and YouTube channels, we’re not seeing a wave of seekers. My church office phone has been silent. No one’s reached out by email or knocked on my door.

Surely this is not the future of the church: an insular group with unpublished Zoom links and posted messages and little contact with ordinary people.

How now are we to practice the Great Commission? If it was a nagging question with an uncertain answer prior to the pandemic, it’s crying out even louder now.

During our summer of COVID discontent, I came across Flourish, the training arm of ECO — A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. They were offering a special six-week online gathering on discipleship.

It was billed this way: “Flourishing Churches are led by Flourishing Leaders who are Flourishing Disciples. We cannot have a flourishing vibrant church if we are not, at our core, developing a greater quantity and quality of disciples. Perhaps during this pandemic season, the Lord is refining our churches and our ministries to help us focus on our main task of disciple making.”

Amen to that.

Dana Allin
Dana Allin
Simple Discipleship
Simple Discipleship

It’s led by Dana Allin and is based on his 2018 book, “Simple discipleship: Grow your faith, transform your community.”

The title says it all. It was a quick read, but hardly superficial. The essential points are nothing new, but they’re presented in a way that shouts, “Wake up!”

So I signed up.

Even before the COVID-19 shock, I was convinced that most churches were dead or dying. The most glaring evidence is not the steady decline in attendance. Rather, it’s the lack of faith held by its members. And not just in The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Many years ago, my wife and I were invited to a small group at a local Baptist church. It was conservative and evangelical. We were used to mainline, specifically Anglican and Presbyterian, so I was kind of nervous. I had flashbacks of the brief period in my childhood when the next-door neighbour, a Baptist pastor, managed to convince my parents to bring us to church, where all I remember was people talking about their faith. All the time. They were a devout and God-fearing lot, quite unlike the Anglican crowd I was used to, where church talk stopped at the door of the sanctuary and no one said grace before eating. The Baptists took their faith seriously — they walked it and talked it.

So I expected the same at this Baptist gathering. In the weeks before the first meeting, I brushed up on Biblical knowledge and prayed that I, a spiritual infant at the time, would be able to engage in conversation with a devout believer.

My worries were unfounded. No one talked about Jesus. Or God. No one quoted Scripture or the pastor’s sermon last week or talked about the clash between Biblical and secular worldviews. Nothing suggested that these folks were any different than anyone else. It was a huge shock. And not a one-off. We became regulars in this group and the only times we talked faith was when we had to—when a particular gathering was an actual Bible study.

Coffee conversation in our churches are rarely about faith. As one PCC colleague quipped recently, “No one talks about their spiritual health. It’s all about the building and finances.”

Yep. So true.

In my heart, I know that true believers should be on fire all the time. We should be filled with joy, eager to share the faith and talk shop with our brothers and sisters for the simple reason that that we are hungry and thirsty for it. Sadly, “shop” is literally that—the building and not the heart and head. Sometime, somewhere and somehow, the modem church stopped making discipleship a priority.

I had an opportunity to ask the author about this.

Q – In your opinion is the lack of discipleship a growing problem?

A – Yes. And I think we are more attuned to it now. In the mid to late 1900s I think much of our faith was a civic faith because in our Christendom culture being a part of the church was normative. In America that has been lost (except perhaps in the south). I think in Canada it happened earlier. So discipleship previously really was just gaining knowledge and people went to Sunday School or in later years small groups and gained knowledge. They were good moral people as both Christianity and the culture expected.

Now I think we as Christians are awake to the anemic faith. I think pastors have seen the gap between traditional discipleship classes and people actually being transformed in the image of Christ. So we are more awake to the discipleship problem that has been present.

But I do think it is a bigger problem now than in the past. At least in America in the 1980s we had the Christian Growth Movement. The premise was to create an attractive church that will meet peoples’ needs and they will come. So large churches had incredible worship and children’s ministry areas that looked like Disneyland. And it “worked” — a lot of people left denominational churches or boomers came back to church because this church was meeting their needs. However, I think the unintended consequence was that they propagated consumerism. So church became all about meeting peoples’ needs and making them feel comfortable. Dare I say that while Jesus met needs, He didn’t pander to making people comfortable. So some large churches get frustrated when people leave for other churches that have better programs and they wonder where their commitment is. But my point is, “You brought them in through a consumerist mindset. Don’t be surprised when they leave because the church down the street meets their consumeristic needs better.”

(I do think there have been huge blessings and it is easy to go after and criticize the large church. That isn’t my intention, but I do think it has added to the challenge of discipleship.)

I think COVID is also revealing the challenge as well. People who were church attenders are no longer church attenders (and I think probably 35 per cent in the US won’t come back.) Because you can’t be a church attender in this season, if you are a disciple, then you don’t have to attend formal church in order to be a disciple.

We do a lot with the church in Iran (my book is translated into Farsi) and to watch their understanding of discipleship is awesome and it is so non-Western. In the midst of COVID they are still growing in quantity and quality of disciples.

Q – Is this inability and unwillingness to be disciples just part of our fallen human condition?

A – Yes. I do think that part of our fallen nature keeps us from being a disciple. We are (and I still believe) totally depraved, and that affects every aspect of our life, including resisting the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And I do believe the enemy uses this, as he did in the fall, to distract us. I am not a “demon under every doorstep” kind of person, but I do think the enemy will distract us from our core calling as disciples. He would love nothing more, as C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters reminds us, than to render us ineffective in faith and just going through the motions of Christianity.

For more information: eco-pres.org and flourishmovement.org

Unmasking the Essential Issue

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Andy Cornell
Andy Cornell

I don’t like wearing a mask.

I don’t like the fog produced on eyeglass lenses. Fiddling with elastic straps is a pain. I hate how the straps sometimes get into a battle with my precious (and pricey) hearing devices, causing them to come loose. I don’t need yet another impediment to the effective enunciation of words, making verbal communication even more difficult.

That’s just the physical.

Socially, I don’t like not recognizing other people. (Although I admit on some days it’s sometimes nice not to be recognized by others.)

Logically, I’m bothered that some people actually think they’re protecting themselves when in fact you’re only protecting others, in the extremely unlikely possibility you have COVID-19 and are pre- or un-symptomatic.

With the exception of Hallowe’en and costume parties, does anyone actually like wearing a mask? Even if you are among the tiny minority who don’t mind, how many of us like being TOLD to wear one?

I remember when mandatory seatbelt use came in Ontario back in 1976.1 was only 13 at the time and in a fit of adolescent libertarian rebellion, I vowed not to comply. But I had no choice – if I wanted dad to put the car in drive, I had to buckle up. I got over it pretty quick and now feel naked without one.

Most of us don’t like to be told what to do. Especially by the government. But we are reminded in the first verse of Romans 13: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”

The most-powerful image of submission to worldly authority is the willingness of our Lord to be arrested, tried, and convicted. When Pilate asked Jesus, “Don’t you know I have the power to release you?” Jesus replied, “You wouldn’t have that power unless it was given to you by God.”

So most of us wear the dam things. I may see mandatory masks as a violation of my liberty, but I go along with it.

For the most part, we do a pretty good job of submission to human authority. It’s relatively easy to follow the laws of the land, because they’re spelled out and pretty clear. It’s a black and white situation.

And then there’s God.

The greatest authority also has a set of statutes and regulations. It’s called The Bible. An added bonus is that this canon of authority includes (at no extra charge) a rich judicial commentary from the lawmakers (our triune God) and arbiter (Jesus). The Holy Spirit, as the enforcer, flows through the Old and the New Testaments and weaves them together. No need for laws to be tested and precedents set, or appeals to high courts. It’s all there.

And yet, we don’t comply.

I’m not talking about the great heathen world outside the confines of our tidy churches and perfect homes. No, I’m looking at our collective mirror.

The church does not follow its own Creator. That may sound illogical. But how else to describe the way many churches have abandoned orthodoxy. Too many of us follow what we like, reinterpret what we don’t like, and ignore what’s unpalatable.

Take John 10:10, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” To some, it means that we find joy by acting upon our human desires, which were gifts from God so let’s use them – fully and freely. To others, it means we find joy from a devoted and abiding walk with Christ, who gives us spiritual peace.

So which is it? Can it be both?

While many — in an effort to be accommodating, perhaps — may accept both views as worthy, this dualistic view is idolatrous. In my view, orthodoxy strives to view Scripture through the eyes of Christ and a posture of complete submission to the Father. Our Lord’s ministry on earth is all I need in order to know that true joy is found in the Spirit, not the flesh. Life is not about us – it’s about God. My body does not belong to me – it belongs to God. This is among the central underlying currents which flow from Genesis to Revelation.

We don’t know or accept the authentic interpretation of Scripture because we are not willing to be fully submitted to the author – God. Please read that last sentence again, slowly and carefully.

Too many people in the church are focused more on soothing themselves and tending to the human condition than they are on pleasing the Creator.

Submission to authority means that we turn over our rights and freedoms. This lack of submission is at the root of church decline. This is actually proven. Believers and congregations who are focused on their submission to God’s holy and perfect wisdom and adhere to a traditional interpretation of Scripture, are for the most part, thriving. Just look at the Third World.

On the other hand, believers and congregations which are focused almost exclusively on social justice and give lip service to Bible study, dedicated prayer, seeking the person and work of the Holy Spirit in order to practice the Great Commission to go into the world primarily to make disciples – believers and congregations who do not take those things seriously are for the most part, dying.

Of course, we all know what happens when we point the finger. There are three fingers pointed right back at us. I’m looking right in the mirror when I say these things.

Yes, I have work to do. I know it takes discipline to remain focused on the Lord. It’s not easy. We live in a dark world full of temptation. The Calvinist in me says I am totally depraved. I need the Lord to do what I can’t do.

If we want to break free from the enemy, we need to make dedicated efforts to follow the Lord more closely. It takes faith and discipline. In the same way we are willing to give up our freedoms to all three levels of government – which is not easy; it’s not comfortable.

If we are more willing and able to submit to state authority than to Godly authority, who or what do we really serve?

Idols In Every Church

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

As statues come down and teams change their names during this summer of unrest, I wonder about the monuments and memorials in our own churches.

It’s good that people are noticing the names and histories behind all those centrepieces in our public squares. Until now, it was only history buffs who paid any attention.

The church should be no different. We are fond of naming our halls after church builders and major donors. Inside, you will see benefactors’ names attached to stained glass, crosses and baptismal fonts. Pew Bibles and hymn books are placed in someone’s memory. I’ve even seen plaques over dimmer switches.

We might also question the names of our congregations. Should we name anything after a sinful human soul?

Genealogists and history buffs love names because they’re part of our historical record. Local history is about people – pioneers and bush whackers who survived and thrived. It’s possible that all these names inscribed on church plaques testify to the faith of the departed and a witness by family and friends. And it’s true that we need to encourage philanthropy and be thankful to God and each other.

But what does all of this communicate?

To the congregation, it’s the fact that it was built and maintained by people just like them. Generous people. It’s unspoken incentive to do likewise.

But it’s a different message to the unchurched, those searching souls who happen to find themselves in our midst. I’m reaching back a decade or so, prior to my own conversion, but if memory serves, the takeaway for me was a congregation which glorified themselves more than God. Rightly or wrongly, that’s the image.

When I was a journalist, stories we did about benefactors and cheque donors used to rankle. I understood the desire for personal recognition and self glorification. Human nature. Perhaps I looked at the shiny, happy donors with a tinge of envy. Their wealth and all. It didn’t sit well.

When I became a believer, I was hit by the Biblical truth of our Lord’s warning:

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 NLT)

I love how The Message puts it:

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. … When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Memorials in churches are a subtle form of idolatry, taking our attention away from the true object of our faith.

I don’t mean to villainize church donors and their families. But we need to ask why we recognize and immortalize ourselves and each other. We are invited to examine our hearts.

Let’s give careful consideration of what all those plaques in our churches communicate and what they stand for. What a wonderful opportunity to explore scripture. It might be painful, especially for those congregants whose ancestors are named. But communicated the right way, it would be a tremendous teaching opportunity.

The church is called to give glory to God, whose love for us is so deep, wide and complete that He chose to come down from heaven and live among us. We need to marvel and meditate over that a lot more than we do. Churches need to be focused on the glory of God, not ourselves.

Renewal is about rediscovering what’s most important, peeling back the skin, biting into the fruit, examining the core, and using those precious seeds to plant anew.

They Don’t Know What They’re Missing

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

It was the first time in more than three months that I’d been in a sanctuary with other people on a Sunday morning. I was filled with unspeakable joy. I sat in the first available row and was swaying with the music, hands raised, grinning like a crazy man. It felt good. For the first time in many months, I let down my defences and didn’t care what everyone else behind me might have thought.

Maybe it was just cathartic emotion and the release of pent-up frustration, which makes sense when I consider that it was at the end of the longest time that I’d been away from in-person worship in two decades.

Maybe it was the tone of the music, led from the heart by Rev. Jon Van Den Berg, whose face also radiated joy.

Maybe it was the setting. The sanctuary at Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Ridgetown, Ontario, was designed a century ago to allow light to beam with radiance from its stained glass. If a physical space could witness God’s glory, this was it.

Maybe it was the reality that this was the first time that I’d been an active participant in worship, rather than a leader, in more than six months.

Maybe it was all of these things working together which allowed my staid defenses to come down and allow the Holy Spirit to work all things together to the glory of God.

And then the same Spirit hit me with these words, which flashed in my head: “They don’t know what they’re missing.”

It was revelation. It hung in my head like a huge banner over Main Street. It was a clear communication which packed a myriad of truth.

“They” are the ones who don’t know the Lord. They’ve never heard the witness. Or maybe they have, and the seeds were sown, but they were choked out by the worries and concerns of this world and never found the fertile soil in which they could take proper root and thrive.

“They” are also the ones who claim to know the Lord – and perhaps do – but they don’t know how to feel the joy. “They” are the “frozen chosen.”

“They don’t know what they’re missing” wasn’t just a conclusion. It was a statement, a challenge, an invitation. And a call to battle.

How do we get the hard hearts of the unsaved to let down their defenses for the nanosecond that it would take for the love of the Lord to pierce their hearts, spark a joy, and unleash an irresistible urge to know Him?

It’s a question that all true believers wonder from time to time. Some spend a lot of time scheming what it would take to usher others into a front row seat to God’s glory so that they can experience it for themselves. And not just in worship, but in everyday life, because the church is God’s people in a fallen world and not just a collection of nice people in a mysterious sanctuary for an hour every week.

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe,” Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:4. “They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand the message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”

It’s not only the minds of unbelievers which are blind. Even those who claim to believe are hampered to some degree. It’s part of the human condition, and it’s why we need Christ to wash our sins and make us right. So, even the deepest believer has some degree of doubt.

But too many believers have given in to the god of this world. For whatever reason – and there are many – they hide their joy. We fear being labeled as crazy. We allow the lies of the enemy to go unchallenged. We fail to take the opportunities to proclaim the hope that we have. Doubt, a lack of faith, and the absence of submission are cancers upon the church.

The church needs to get its act together.

To begin, let’s stop pointing fingers at the powerful forces which have diverted our attention from Christ. Instead, let’s look in the mirror. If Christ has given us hope, let’s show it on our faces and in our decisions, words, and actions. Let’s make conscious and conspicuous efforts to live disciplined lives in submission to the Holy Spirit and turn from all physical desires which don’t lead to life.

As we slowly re-enter our buildings, let us do so with holy anticipation as to what God’s Holy Hands can do if we allow them to work.

The Real Battle Is Local

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

“The world has a mission – to capture and assimilate the church,” said apologist R.C. Sproul. “If the church becomes an echo of the world, the mission of the world is accomplished.”

In the minds of many who adhere to orthodoxy in The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC), the battle is lost on a denominational level. The fact that proposals to approve non-traditional marriage are well on their way to approval is proof that the church has been captured. Adoption of Remits “B” and “C” is seen by many as inevitable.

Three responses are emerging: leave, divide the PCC into separate wings, or simply “stay and pray”. Leadership will emerge and alliances will be chosen in the months ahead. Not every pastor, elder, and believer is called to enlist in a national movement. Alliances are not for everyone.

While the battle may be lost nationally, that’s not necessarily the case locally. We need to remember that the church is built from the ground up. It started with the Son of God who called a few fishermen. One person at a time, the movement grew. After the ascension, the church was founded by the apostles and other believers, one home at a time. This was the church in its purest form. And it remains so today. The congregation – some would say the small group – is the real church.

Of course, this is not to dismiss the usefulness of organization, for we can accomplish more together than we can apart. The point is to say that denominations don’t regenerate on their own; rather, they are to equip their local congregations to do that work.

On a collective, national level, the enemy has managed to infiltrate enough hearts and minds to ignore Scripture and use politics to change practices and beliefs. But the real church will thrive on the Holy Spirit power of those who adhere to Biblical authenticity on the streets, in our homes and workplaces, and in the local electronic media. That Holy Spirit power is working on the local level, through congregations.

Of course, the same secular forces which are successfully changing denominational doctrine – as if you can change the mind of God! – are also at work in the congregation. But there are many elders and believers whose hearts and minds have not been captured.

It’s a mixed bag. Rare is the congregation which is entirely of one mind in orthodoxy (orthodoxy being defined as beliefs and practices which are in line with those of the original apostles, who adhered to Christ’s commands to deny oneself, to carry one’s cross and follow Him, even unto death, rather than give in to the egregious lie, spun compellingly by Satan, that God didn’t really say that). There are congregations which are mostly of one mind. There are places which are divided to varying degrees. There are churches where the pastor identifies as traditional but whose congregation and elders largely are not.

We didn’t get into this situation overnight. The battle between orthodoxy and apostasy has been going on since the beginning of time. And it’s not leaving us until Christ returns and His kingdom is restored.

Until that time, we fight on the ground. For pastors who adhere to orthodoxy, it means boldly preaching the Word of God – and its sometimes-inconvenient truths – to anyone who has ears to hear, and to do so with love. Be the shepherd who mentors the ruling elders, who equips the flock with the tools to plant the seeds of faith. Be the believer who loves every single person and is bold enough to do good things for those who don’t share the same theology – and to do so in humility and submission to the Holy Spirit of Christ.

We are not alone. Renewal Fellowship and our many friends in orthodoxy – including PSALT, the Han-Ca presbyteries, many non-Anglo congregations and those who aren’t aligned formally with any group – are taking steps to work together in the months and years ahead of us. There are separate initiatives being developed to encourage and equip local church leaders to be better disciples. And there are many local things going on in congregations across the country.

In the same way a tree emerges from the group and is only as good as its roots, the church is only as strong as its congregations.

I’m not going to allow any change in doctrine to get me down, as grievous as it is. The enemy can change a few words, but he cannot change my heart.

Safe Space to Sow the Seed

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

I'm a young-enough Christ follower to remember my seeker days. I was a believer in something. God for sure. Jesus, yes. But was He the actual Son of God, the only way to connect to the Creator?

I had my doubts. That despite having been raised in church, knowing the Anglican liturgy by heart, having completed confirmation classes and having a bishop place hands on me, having worked as a counsellor and senior staff at our diocesan summer camp and even, amazingly, making the sacrificial decision to send our sons to an independent Christian school and being an active part of a local church.

I'm going to hazard a guess that there are a lot of folks like me out there. Lost sheep, I like to call them. Raised in the church, or at least being exposed to a basic understanding of faith, the Word had been planted, but like that powerful parable of the seeds which fell on rocky ground or among thorns, there was no life. They are just waiting to be born again.

How do I know this? Well, despite the widespread belief that our world is bordering on hostile atheism, I'm going to suggest that it's more naively agnostic. The enemy undeniably has control of our culture and many have been sucked in. But what we forget is that our laws are based on Judeo-Christian principles and the first line of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) says, "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:" Yes, that's 1982, not 1882.

There is a deep faith foundation out there. The cause is not lost.

I also know this because not once in my eight years as a pastor has anyone been openly hostile in my face. Quite the opposite; I am respectfully received in the community and in my neighbourhood when I tell them what I do. Even more compelling is the fact that at every funeral I have done, I witness gently but boldly about the reason for my faith. And without exception, at least one unchurched person has approached me afterward and thanked me.

This gives me great hope.

So, when we locked our doors on Sunday mornings and cancelled midweek programs in mid-March, amidst dire predictions of illness and death, I changed the sign outside the church and did some website and Facebook house cleaning – putting on an inviting smiley face for all the desperate seekers bound to come our way.

While I'm glad that widespread devastation didn't happen, the lost sheep remain out there. And the ones commanded to reach them and teach them remain locked up in here.

Can we bridge that divide somehow? Yes. There are bold attempts going on to make connections. Cue the creative use of online technology.

Matthew Ruttan is minister at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Barrie, Ontario. He knows that church buildings might look scary. What actually goes on in there? Those who dare to enter – God bless them – might be mystified by the orders of service and words. Why do some of us do prayers of confession and hear words of assurance? Why are we so Bible-centric? Who are all these elders? And so on. All of that may be second nature to those in the pews, but it can be a huge barrier to the uninitiated. (Ever been in a court room? Lawyer talk is a foreign language unless you know the reason for it.)

People who have never set foot in a church use such terms as "Gospel truth" and "he's an evangelist for the company's business plan," Ruttan says. "We assume people know what the gospel is."

Of course, they don't.

That's one reason that he produced a two-and-a-half minute video recently, entitled The Gospel, which he plans to air at the beginning of every service. It's a lively, timely and accurate micro-primer of the Christian faith. Watch and listen to it enough, as maybe that's the primer that a seeker needs – a mini catechism.

This online gospel primer might not have happened if it were business as usual.

(For the record, you don't need special training to produce a video such as this. Just the desire. Matthew writes, "The music and pictures are free for Internet videos. I just use the native Movie Maker program that is on Windows operating systems. I find the videos on free video websites and use canva.com for the rest of the graphics. I use the free YouTube audio library to find music. Different free fonts can be found online too.")

In London, Ontario, the lead pastor of a growing non-denominational church plant tells me that his congregation's Bible study/fellowship groups were meeting in person and going quite well before the pandemic. What then? Meet online of course. He now uploads a personal 3-4-minute mini teaching, which the groups take in before opening Scripture and discussing on their own.

"We've got more community in those groups than there was before on Sunday morning," he says.

It's one of the essentials of the mission field: equip believers to make more believers. I look forward to seeing how this evolves.

These are only two examples.

In a general sense, congregations everywhere are seeing people online who would never have dared to enter a church before all this. At St. Andrew's in Dresden, Ontario, I'm sometimes getting more views of my 12-minute online weekly YouTube messages from folks on unique devices than I would get warm bodies on a Sunday morning. True, a view does not automatically translate into the full rapt attention of a person who takes in a satisfying spiritual meal. But then, how do we know that the people listening politely in the pews are doing the same?

We don't.

All we can do is sow the seeds and allow God to do the rest.

At St. Andrew's, I'm told by reliable sources that some of these viewers are not regular churchgoers. One's a family member who lives somewhere east of Kingston, Ontario. Another lives only a few blocks away. Again, people are hearing the Word who would not otherwise.

Are we about to enter a new age of seed sowing? I am praying so.

This unexpected season of adjustment for church leaders is perhaps a wake up that most of us needed. Help us, as poet Robbie Burns once said, "to see ourselves as others see us." Help us recognize the barriers. Give us eyes to see where we are speaking a foreign church language. And doing strange churchy things. Then react accordingly.

Be honest. Tell the story that reveals the reason for the hope we have. Talk like normal people. Allow the Holy Spirit to equip us and provide the words. Sow those seeds.

Lessons From the Busyness

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

“Are we ready for this?” That was the headline in mid-March as pandemic restrictions hit like a tsunami. Thankfully, all those arenas converted to emergency wards were never needed. Now, as we enter phase 2 of the recovery, I ask: Are we ready for a new way of doing church?

The sudden opportunity to reopen our doors has thrown many pastors and ministry leaders for a loop. In Ontario, the province surprised everyone on June 8 when churches were given the green light to reopen the following weekend.

While no one was prepared for the first wave of restrictions, many are not fully prepared for the re-entry. Tired and dragged-about for almost three months since emergency measures began, many of us are just now getting used to using online technology to do church.

We now face a new wave of learning and preparation.

When Ontario made its announcement, the only requirement was that churches operate at no more than 30-per-cent capacity of whatever space they were using – and stay tuned for guidelines. On June 9, pastors were told by our MPP, “Each church can set their own rules and guidelines for return to church. The government is not going to prescribe what you should and shouldn’t do as it varies so much from church to church, congregation to congregation, and community to community.”

I’m grateful that we aren’t being told what do and local culture is respected. But we’re starting with a blank slate, so it’s gonna take some work.

There’s the additional reality that many people won’t be immediately returning. And it’s not just because they need a proper hairdo. They’re nervous about the second wave, so they’re expecting some form of electronic or online form of worship to continue. That leads to more work: how to organize and lead a hybrid service for those who want the live experience?

My head is spinning.

It does not matter whether your congregation has a sizable staff and teams of gifted and able volunteers or if you a one-person shop. It’s still stressful.

I speak from first-hand experience. I am called to a congregation in which I am handling all of the technical online production and the content. I am interim moderator of another small congregation which has a small team of volunteers who divide the work. I am also interim mod of a congregation with 10 staff and a gifted retired minister who heads worship planning and leads a squadron of volunteers.

Guess where the stress level is the lowest? It’s that middle group.

Why? They keep it simple. Its three-member session is small enough to be able to meet with me and make decisions quickly. They are blessed with the services of a minister who is between congregations and delighted to self-produce short weekly worship and a midweek devotion. They have a part-time administrator on payroll. They have a congregant well into retirement who is tech-savvy enough to be their webmaster.

They know what they are capable of, and they do no more.

We have a tendency to do too much, to carry a heavy burden, to be overly ambitious. And it causes stress.

A close second is the multi-staff setting. In the early weeks of the pandemic restrictions, they continued to do livestream in front of an empty sanctuary. It was awkward and didn’t work well. They recognized this and quickly adapted, prerecording worship in a smaller space, producing a package that was timed to go live on social media on Sunday morning. They lived and learned. They had leadership in their midst – for the record, it was not me – which made it happen. The stress level there has been reduced.

As for me, the lone wolf, it’s taken a few months to figure out what works. Like the fact Zoom and music do not go well together. Likewise with PowerPoint, where the preacher is a tiny face in the corner of the screen. These and several other lessons took about two months to figure out. I finally got it.

And now I have to learn something new.

So, while we have no individual control over the end of the first wave of the pandemic, we can take what we’ve learned and apply it to the next phase.

First lesson is the need for teamwork. I am reminded of Acts 6:1-7, where the apostles were feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their rapidly-growing congregations that were taking them away from their core duties. As the New Living Translation puts it: “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.” They appointed others to do this work so “we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” There’s an obvious lesson for the 21st century: delegate. If you don’t have congregants who are tech savvy, everyone can be a critic, so use it. Demand that they be brutally honest and tell you what works and doesn’t. I learned that late into the game.

Second is equally Biblical: lay down that burden. This applies to the lone wolves as well as those who run in a pack. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest,” the Lord tells us in Matthew 11:28. And the burden that He gives us is light. I need to be reminded of this and chill. All church leaders need to chill. Elders and ministry leaders: Don’t do anything until you’ve prayed early and often. Wait for the guidelines, not just bits and pieces of information. If you’re first out of the gate, bless you. Share your experience. And for the reticent, learn from them.

Third lesson is more of an eyeopener. In all the busyness, we’ve run out of time and energy to reach out and be the hands and feet of Christ. Have you noticed? There are a lot of people who are feeling rather lost right now. Our feverish work to go online has benefitted the sheep mostly. Now that we have a handle on technology, and we take our time to move to the next phase, we should be better equipped to go into the world as we’re commanded in Matthew 28:19-20.

My prayer is that by the time the almost-inevitable second wave of COVID-19 hits, we will be able to actively engage the community like never before.

Will we be willing?

An Opportunity, Not a Threat

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

One of the most-encouraging aspects of church renewal is seeing the Holy Spirit work in surprising ways. When all appears to be without hope, a Saviour appears.

When churches around the world were forced to suspend in-person worship in mid-March, I was blown away by how many of my colleagues immediately opened their virtual doors and continued to provide weekly teaching and worship online.

With lightning speed, para-church organizations offered pastoral support to church leaders. The Centre for Missional Leadership at St. Andrew’s Hall starting ongoing one-hour weekly gatherings for church leaders on Mondays with a different presenter each week. Ligonier Ministries has been offering its online teaching for free. And so on.

It has pushed many of us to learn new technology.

It has allowed people to worship who otherwise might be shut in. In my congregation, a person with crippling arthritis is now participating for the first time in years, thanks to Zoom. A young family now tunes in regularly.

It has prompted a new ecumenical drive. Witness “The UK blessing” chorus, which has sent shivers through the bodies of believers everywhere since it was released May 3. I now watch and listen to it daily.

I may be a minority voice, but I believe the forced and unexpected shutdown of in-person activities may end up being a good thing for the church.

There are the immediate benefits mentioned.

Then there’s the “time will tell” department. I believe with all my heart that God’s hands are working all the time, and particularly so in times of trouble.

The longer this goes on, the more we can think about the true expression of church in the 21st century. For too long, we have clung to a worship practice with roots deeper than the industrial revolution. Our organizations were designed prior to Confederation, and even these were modelled on something out of the Reformation.

In the same way that rural municipalities are no longer tied to the township – a geographical area that a 19th century municipal worker could have covered in one day on horseback – why do churches remain so tied to their buildings, which sit empty 95 per cent of the time? (Yes, some are bustling seven days a week, and that’s great. But the majority are just struggling to pay the utilities and/or cough up enough for pulpit supply.)

Are we truly serving Christ? Few congregations today are focused primarily, if not exclusively, on the Great Commission, the parting words of our Lord, to “go into the world, baptize and teach.” That command closely followed our Lord’s words to Peter: “Feed my sheep” – take care of believers as a dedicated shepherd would protect and provide for a flock: ensure they are equipped to do the work to which they are called. To do that work, they need to know Scripture and its essential message, to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was raised from the dead, to model their lives after His and be in agreement with His command to “deny yourselves, pick up your cross and follow me,” and to receive the Holy Spirit, like the apostles did on that Pentecost Day and to use the powerful gifts that He has provided.

And yet, too many of us are preoccupied with the negatives. This week, a petition to Reopen Ontario Churches was presented to the Premier of Ontario asking that churches be allowed to open their doors sooner than later.

It reads, in part: “Never before has the church been denied the opportunity to be with the sick in the hour of their death. Never before has the church ceased to celebrate the sacraments, pray together, offer counsel to the afflicted, visit the prisoner, officiate weddings and funerals, or fellowship together. The inhumanity of abandoning people in their deepest hour of grief or need is gut-wrenching for followers of Christ.”

Whoa. Who says we are abandoning people? Many of us have rediscovered the phone. We have re-learned the art of postal delivery. Who says we are unable to practice the sacraments? Well, baptism yes. But the Lord’s Supper, for those of us in reformed circles, can be celebrated online. This was done by a colleague of mine in a very powerful and memorable fashion in a Maundy Thursday service. I wish I had recorded it. (Note to self: enable automatic recording of Zoom gatherings.)

Yes, the radical downsizing of funerals is tragic. Families and friends have been prevented from sharing and receiving comfort and hope. But again, that’s only physical. We can still meet in small groups of five or fewer and keep our distance. True, that physical touch, which Christ embodied, is absent. But do we truly believe that Christ can’t work via telephone, email, and virtual communication? I hope not. But the plaintive petition suggests otherwise.

It continues: “​The consequences of the lockdown on people’s lives are far-reaching. We know as pastors that addictions are resurfacing, and that isolation, unemployment and economic ruin are taking their toll on family relationships and physical and mental health. Our service to the poor and disadvantaged in the community has been curbed, with serious implications for the most vulnerable. To save lives are we actually sacrificing lives? In short, we implore you that we must start meeting very soon because of our obligations to God and because our people need us. We cannot delay.”

True that. But again, reach out in other ways. I’m going to suggest that the social upheaval – and emotional, mental, spiritual and physical impacts – won’t actually be felt until autumn and winter. Churches will then be open again in a limited fashion. This time of closure is actually a God-given opportunity to get our acts together and plan for the social breakdown.

The last thing the church needs to be doing is putting one more piece of pressure on our governments, who are already weighed down by demands from business and industry to lift restrictions.

Thankfully, I haven’t seen any news coverage of the petition. That’s good, because I know how many unchurched people will react. All they care about is money, they say.

But again, will our good, good Father not provide what we need in good time and in bad? Yes and yes!

I don’t need the agreement of a co-operative secular government in order to be the church.

In the big picture, what we are enduring in the Western World is nothing compared to the daily threat of persecution and violence against believers in the rest of the world. In those places, the church – pure and authentic, Holy Spirit-filled and wholly submitted to Christ – is actually thriving.

May this be our inspiration – and may it bring true renewal.

A Dualling Dynamic

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This blog represents the thoughts of the author. While they may reflect the theological position of The Renewal Fellowship, they should not be seen as an official statement.

While a conversation about colonialism in the PCC is vital and overdue – as described in my May 2nd column – there’s another dynamic begging to be addressed.

Mostly absent from April’s Renewal Day discussion was the voice of those in orthodoxy who believe they have no future in the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC), even if separate theological wings are granted. Some congregants, in fact, have already departed.

Seven overtures are awaiting the response of the next General Assembly. Six are proposing the creation of two or three separate wings within the denomination to accommodate different theologies. One is actually calling for the creation of a “partner or sister denomination” that would be linked to the PCC only to share the pension plan.

“Should I stay or should I go?” Many who are asking that question are itching to depart but are awaiting GA’s response to those overtures.

To those who are anxious to leave, our Renewal Day panelists and speaker said, “Wait.”

“Please stay. We need your witness and your continued voice.”

“Wait. Wait as long as you can.”

It’s an implicit call for a discussion about theology within orthodoxy.

On the one hand are those whose desire is to create safe space within the existing denomination to operate in mutual respect but without interference from one another. It’s an underlying clarion call to keep the PCC together – even if it means separate rooms in the same house – rather than split or allow congregations to depart. It’s a firm stand against gracious dismissal.

Many of us in orthodoxy keep our distance from those who are bent on revising our subordinate standards. And when we do talk, we steer clear of the issue. The separation is even wider with LGBTQI Presbyterians.

Renewal Day speaker Rev. Jonathan Hong referred to the matter of proximity in his April 25 presentation on the distance between Korean and Anglo congregations. “In ministry, it’s easier to hate a congregant member when you see them in passing weekly; it’s harder to remain hating them when you have to talk with them weekly; it’s even harder to remain hating them when you have to do life together with them.” Hong suggested using a mediator in order to bring the Korean churches into fellowship with the rest of the denomination.

Might that same approach be used to bring revisionists and traditionalists together to work out some house rules if we are to co-exist in a denomination with dual definitions of marriage?

On the other hand are those in orthodoxy who want a fresh start. They yearn for a denomination united in traditional, reformed hermeneutic, in which there is no debate over sexuality. The outlook would focus on how to preserve orthodoxy, equip congregations to go deeper in their Christian experience and then witness an apostolic walk to an unbelieving world.

They are motivated and inspired by Biblical commands to remove unbelievers from our midst, something found throughout Scripture.

“Woe to you,” Christ the Lord spoke to the church of the day.

“Remove the impurities,” the Lord spoke though Isaiah.

“Remove this person from your fellowship,” the Lord spoke through Paul.

It’s a much-different vision than that of those who see the PCC as a collection of congregations and presbyteries which represent wildly-differing theology and practice and yet mutually respect one another without interference. The ones pondering complete separation ask, “Is that even possible? Would the conversation ever go away to allow us to be the church?”

I doubt that either side will completely convince the other. But as a discussion point, I remind the church of something more important than a workable atmosphere between those of different mindsets: reaching the lost. There is no greater call. How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring Good News. That is the core of Christ’s departing command.

And so, I ask, “Are we better positioned to witness Christ to the unchurched as a community of one mind, united in orthodoxy, or as a collection of communities united in respectful diversity?”

It’s not so much a matter of optics, how the rest of the world sees us. Frankly, that should be of no concern. What matters is what Christ wants of us.