Missional Mal-Practice

Hardly anyone gets kicked out of the church because they did nothing.  Even among the clergy, who are employed, we seldom relieve them for “doing nothing.”  Can you imagine members of the church being brought up on charges of inactivity—for doing nothing right or nothing period?  Our practice might suggest there could be no such …

FOR LOVE OF THE PHARISEES

It is common to rail against the Pharisees in our churches.  Pharisees embody everything that goes wrong in the life of a “missional church.”  Pharisees gather herds of sacred cows and solemnly lead them to pasture, carefully tend their bruises, and eagerly exalt their status among the other, ordinary and mundane bovine.  Pharisees travel far …

On Security and Mission

I am writing from inside a secure compound in Eket where the Rev.  P. S. lives when she is in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, which is located in the south central region of Nigeria and is a city central to the established Free Methodist Church in the country.  We have armed security police stationed …

It’s a Slum … That’s why!

Our Kenyan friend, en route to the Church in Kagwangware, explained, “This place is a slum, not like Kibera (Kenya’s world-famous slum) but still a slum; that’s why you see these churches!” My mind did a quick rewind and replay several times in the next while.  I would never have expected this comment as part …

Disturbing Contrast

Last week I read about the global church south and east of us, that is exploding in growth with aims of taking the gospel back to Jerusalem and boldly proclaiming the good news of Jesus all along the way, much of that way dominated currently by Islam.  When this church calls others to follow Jesus, they tell …