MOAC 2005 is getting in full gear. This year promises to be pretty eventful as you have staunch old school and the passive reformers together in one place. This can only mean one thing: the passive reformers will get shouted down and ignored. The old school folks will go to the old school classes, the passive reformers will go to their passive reformer classes. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what we now call unity. In other words, for the sake of avoiding conflict, we’ll all get together in the same room and “get along”. It isn’t exactly contending for the gospel as one man, but it does show progress, right?

This is nothing more than changing the rules as we go along. First, unity was defined as having the same practice and doctrine. Then it was having the same doctrine. Then it was having the same organizational structure, then it was having the same worldwide leaders. Now, it is simply defined by name, proximity, and historical association. No one wants to be the one to draw the line in the sand, except Thomas, and so in order coexist without much conflict, we let him do it.

We tell our children to stand up to bullying. We ask our school systems to deal with bullies so out children can go to school. Better school systems deal with bullies by getting the bully to see the error of their ways, ask for help, and devise strategies for managing, and taking responsibility for, their own behaviour. Failing this, the bully is isolated so that he or she can receive more professional and personal help. In Christian parlance, this is acknowledge sin, repent, ask for help, and change their ways. Failing this, they get professional and personal help.

Lest you think this is ignoring the needs of the bullied, there is more to the story than just helping the bully change their ways. Rupert Kaye, CEO of the Association of Chirstian Teachers has this to say:

Rupert says, “Helping the perpetrator seems the perfectly Christian thing to do, but we should never overlook the needs of the victim. In fact, standing resolutely with the oppressed is nothing short of a biblical imperative – it is precisely what God expects us all to do.”

“The parable of the Good Samaritan is not about helping the bandits who robbed the hapless journeyman – it is about the help which the victim received from an enemy. Interestingly, Jesus does not allow himself to become preoccupied with blaming the bullies, but nor does he take time to explain or excuse their actions.”

“Instead, Jesus uses this parable to show his disapproval of those who walk on by on the other side of the road. I think that God expects all school staff, parents and governors to do everything within their power to bind up the wounds of the victims, and provide for their safety and wellbeing.”

We allow Thomas to say that a church three hours away from Savannah doesn’t have God’s approval.
We allow him to say that he is going to replant five former icoc churches (and then allow him to do it).
We allow him to say the it is unbiblical to eliminate “overseeing evangelists” and
We allow him to claim exemption from having an ‘overseeing evangelist” over him.
We allow him to talk about how churches from all over has ‘lost the dream of discipling’ and sit by while he boasts of all the people moving to Portland.
We allow him to talk to our staff members and divide leadership groups.
We allow him to be the only one that helps people in need. We have no problem sending money to Europe and Asia, but no help to anyone in America either spiritually or financially. (There is one exception and Chicago should be commended for it.)
We allow him to say that being in a small group is a biblical mandate and that there is no such thing as a Christian without a small group.
We allow him to say that former icoc churches are lukewarm when some are not.
We allow him to speak at our conferences and naively think that everything will be okay.
We allow him to mock us, ridicule us, and tell us that we are not real Christians unless we follow his dream, his plan and his leadership.
We allow him to continue preaching his message of death and destruction unopposed for the sake of a warped sense of unity.

So forgive me if I take a pass on the MOAC 2005 this year. It sounds like MOAC 2003 (which I attended). Nothing will change, we will ‘agree to disagree’ and continue to allow him to cut a swath of destruction in our churches. We write these books on what it means to be men and what it means to be elders and then we just lay down and die.

Worse yet, we talk about unimportant things like money:

How important are material possessions to you? How important is comfort and ease of life-style? Do you have the same attitude toward these things as God does? How willing would you be to sacrifice your present life-style if doing so would further the spread of the kingdom? How sensitive are you to appeals for increased contributions in the church? Do you need help with your heart in these matters? Will you ask for it?
(Gordon Ferguson, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory, Discipleship Publications International, 1996, p 140.)

or we talk about doing the right thing:

Of course, if someone constituted such a threat to the flock that to say nothing would be to allow the sheep to be slaughtered, I would not hesitate to speak up. I have often done so in the past and I do not see this pattern changing anytime soon. No, I am not afraid of taking a stand.

only to hide behind fear of lawsuits

Besides, there are libel laws. To defame another person is to take a legal risk, and quite possibly to expose the trustees of the church to litigation. While 1 Corinthians 6 instructs us not to sue our fellow believers, the directive does not necessarily protect us from a lawsuit if we have gossiped, slandered, or borne false witness. We are the ones forbidden to sue our fellow Christians. (In the meantime, let’s pray that he or she will not ignore Paul’s directive and sue us!)

I have had it with being nice. I have had it with waiting for those that purport to be leaders to do the right thing. The very things we did at first, which most of us said two years ago were ungodly, are coming back with a vengenance. So while we as leaders are charged with protecting the flock, we just open the gate and let the wolf in.

Peh.