1 of 4

The pastors who gave us "purpose-driven" ministry and "seeker-oriented" services are leading their churches to take up new causes, campaigns that do not promise growth, at least not traditional church growth.

Rick Warren is championing the eradication of AIDS, illiteracy, and poverty in Africa, and Bill Hybels has named racial reconciliation as his next summit worth climbing. The question is, will their churches and the thousands of churches that take their cues from Saddleback and Willow Creek join the campaigns?

A skeptical observer of these developments suggested this article be titled "Boomer Pastors Get a Social Conscience," noting that concern for social issues was characteristic of his own generation since before they were named "busters." It is true that the prominent churches of the boomer-led era are known more for excellence in leadership, weekend services, and evangelism than for tackling social justice issues, but to attribute their leaders' recent elevation of social causes to the midlife need for significance and legacy seems a harsh judgment.

The megachurch pastors who have set trends in worship style and evangelism for three decades have done so out of concern for the lost people of their (and the subsequent) generation.

Their emphasis was in leading Christians to reach unchurched people in their surrounding communities effectively. Now, with their paradigm-shifting strategies ingrained on their local congregations and espoused by pastors in churches worldwide, these prominent leaders are turning their focus further outward.

They're shifting their efforts to people and issues that cannot be changed within the walls of their large auditoriums, or by cell group meetings in their church members' suburban living rooms, or through pilgrimages to summits at satellite host sites across North America.

The apostles of the contemporary church are moving out of Jerusalem and Judea, through despised Samaria, to address even larger issues worldwide. And they're inviting their purpose-driven and seeker-oriented disciples to follow.

Warren's ambitious plan is to defeat what he calls the five "global giants," problems that affect billions of people worldwide. Warren labeled these five giants as spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy, goals which he named to form the acrostic PEACE:

Plant (or partner with) churches
Equip leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation.

Warren kicked off the PEACE plan in the East African country of Rwanda in 2004. Decimated by AIDS, poverty, political upheaval, and genocide, Rwanda welcomed Warren's efforts.

President Paul Kagame invited Warren to visit the capital, Kigali. Their March 2005 meeting launched the effort to make Rwanda the "world's first purpose-driven nation."

The challenge is staggering. More than 40.3 million Africans are living with HIV, according to figures from UNAIDS.com; 4.9 million new HIV cases were reported in Africa in 2005, and as of 2003, 15 million children had lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

Warren is counting on local churches, both in Rwanda and worldwide. "Every revival and spiritual awakening in history starts with the peasants, not with the kings. It starts with average, ordinary people," Warren told Christianity Today. "There are not enough superstars to win the world. It has to be done by average people."

next page... |  1 of 4

share this page

				Try an Issue of Leadership Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Leadership coming, honor your invoice for just $22.00 and receive three more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Leadership as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for Leadership's e-mail newsletter, Leadership Weekly. You'll receive illustrations, resources, practical advice, and a devotional for the leader's soul every week!    RSS Feed   RSS Help