Trends and challenges

ABBOTSFORD, B.C.

They came for sharing and prayer, but also got a primer on contemporary church life. The B.C. MB Conference sponsored an afternoon of prayer and sharing for pastors, spouses and conference workers on Feb. 26 at Columbia Bible College. After an hour or two of sharing and prayer, guest speaker Gary Walsh spoke for half an hour, outlining what he has learned in his first eight months as the new president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

Walsh first outlined four areas of blessing he has observed:

1. Authenticity. People in evangelical churches are increasingly experiencing spiritual nurture; caring, committed relationships; and community.

2. Partnering. Churches and denominations are learning the necessity and advantages of cooperating in ministry, often across denominational lines, instead of competing with each other. The emphasis is not on merger but on cooperation, while still cherishing each congregation's and denomination's unique values and strengths.

3. Engagement. Evangelical churches are increasingly involved in the world, combining evangelism and social action in comprehensive ministries.

4. Corporate worship. Debates about worship style are easing. People are seeking churches where they can be touched powerfully by God every week.

Walsh also outlined five challenges to evangelical churches:

1. Learning to thrive on pluralism. In a society where Christians are no longer the majority, churches are losing their favoured status and will lose their tax advantages unless their ministries are seen to be making a discernible difference in society. If the church can learn to accept the new reality, it will do well because "church history tells us the church thrives when it is swimming upstream."

2. Bringing the next generation of leaders on board. Current leaders must pass power to younger leaders now, rather than waiting until after they have retired.

3. Learning to be intentional in ministry. Churches and church organizations need to vision and plan; churches and organizations that try to rely on existing loyalties are now "hitting the wall" and losing members to others that are more intentional.

4. Rethinking denominational connectedness. The focus is shifting from denominational control to empowering the grassroots, something Mennonite Brethren are doing better than others. Congregations need help knowing how to minister in the '90s--because good people from the past do not know how to do this.

5. Bringing new people to Jesus. Much church growth is still "recycling the saints". In order to be effective in evangelism, something more effective than minor adjustments is needed.

In the evening, the pastors and local church moderators met for a B.C. MB Conference Council of Church Leaders meeting, primarily devoted to making preparations for the B.C. MB Conference convention May 1-2.

JC

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