Just in Time for the conference next week, we have the rest of the churches of Brazil agree to the UP.

I’m certain that instead of allowing people to work through their delay in signing, someone or some few flew there and ‘presented their case’. This, of course, is coded language for ‘signing is showing unity.’

TWO LEGS GOOD
FOUR LEGS BAD

The tolerance for a ‘no’ or ‘wait’ vote is basically none. What a surprise.

The Unity Group has dissolved as their purpose has been served. That’s one positive step, a temporary group performing one specific function that shuts down upon completion. This couldn’t have happened in the old ICC, where committees were whim-based.

DToday has also greatly toned down the cheerleading aspect of reporting it. Too little, too late. Then again, they had the luxury of changing tone this late, it already appears that the editor’s wishes are going to come true. Why not throw a bone to us critics at the end? In any case, it finally happened and yes, I’m glad that it did.

So there’s now about 61% of churches signing (Kip churches not included). I didn’t include Kip’s churches this time because there’s enough of them now to statistically throw off the numbers. He now has a church in Hilo and LA.

Yes, Los Angelos has their own International Christian Church. No website, yet, but I’m sure a WordPress based site is coming in the near future.

The point of this post, though, is that my purpose in sharing my struggle with the UP and the machinations of its proponents is coming to a close. There’s no point in talking about the UP any longer as the meetings this week in Va. Beach will cement it as law for the new ICC.

One of the Nine can finally get the name change he wants. Another can pursue the position of Lead Evangelist of the ICC (or whatever new name is developed) that he has been trying to get since 2003. Yet another can begin policing what the ICC members say and work to quell criticism. “Scenes” will now be created for the ICC teachers to work behind, after all, they have never been able to do anything publicly. (Yes, I say this despite the fact that I have sent and continue to send money to DJ.) What began with Abilene will fizzle to mainly local efforts until a committee is formed by the new central body to look into it. At that point, it will be a non-issue. Everyone can talk about getting back to normal, and why not. All the same players are there, all that happened was a few deck-chairs got rearranged.

More importantly, the history of what happened from 2000 to now will continue to be rewritten and revised:

• It’s Henry’s fault (insert character assassination here)
• Critics are rebellious souls that do not believe in Biblical conflict resolution
• The Internet is bad (and bloggers are worse)
• If the World Sector leaders had been able to enact their transition plan in 2002, none of this would have happened.
• The period of ungodly autonomy is over. (Insert obligatory reference to the book of Judges)
• We fulfilled the promises of change we made in 2003.

Tell me that it hasn’t crossed any of the Big Name Leaders’ minds that this new group is Isaac and those that didn’t sign are “Sons of Hagar”. (Oh, those Ishmael churches will be okay and God will protect them, but us Isaac churches are the child of promise.) Seriously, find one of the Nine in November, or DToday, or any other Big Name Evangelist(TM) that doesn’t have that analogy in mind.

I continue to move on. I did everything I could and my conscience is clear. We didn’t change, we missed the boat – we missed the entire (emphatic adjective) ocean. After this week, efforts can begin to convince the remaining churches to sign. There’ll be much ado about the regional reps and ironing out some of the issue that come from non-signing churches. The answer, of course, will be to put pressure on non-signing churches.

When it came down to it, this is really what most people wanted. They wanted something that looked at lot like ‘the old days’, you know the prime of the movement before it was corrupted. (To some, this is 1998, others 2000, still others 1983, for me it would be 1974 if I had to pick.) There wasn’t many of us that wanted substantial change and I may have been one of the most radical amongst those that stayed involved. Even those that wanted more modest reform were not that many. So, it’s up to us to figure out how to stay a part of this organization or get out.

I do not think it is sour grapes to realize that despite all your efforts, things didn’t go according to hopes and dreams. It is sour grapes to say that you didn’t want or hope for great reform in the first place. I do not think it is bitter to believe that people have made the wrong choices and that you weren’t heeded in your efforts to help. It is bitter to say that you’ll never offer help again because you’ve been wronged. Through this entire process, I have not been wronged by anyone, even members of the Nine that traded email with me. No matter what happens next, I believed then and I believe now in a great dream of what we can be for God. If an opportunity for great change comes again, I will be there.

On to the next episode…