The Global Conversation

Phenomenal!! Tremendous truthful insight. Young and older ministers both need to read this article.

One of the two major goals for creating UNITYINCHRIST.COM was to attempt to inspire cross-denominational cooperation in the central arena of international evangelism. The site's Mission Statement explains this and gives a novel idea which if adopted by enough believers, could boost funds going into the major international evangelistic organizations. (log onto: http://www.UNITYINCHRIST.COM/missionstatement.htm ) There is also a new article written about short-term missions (check left-hand nav. bar). When Jesus looks down upon us, he doesn't see denominations, he sees individual believers. Denominations, new and old alike, can be used like parts of an army, the Lord's army for evangelism--each one serving in it's own special way, and needed for it's special abilities. The sad thing, though, the older denominations, as the author mentions, tend to be dead or dying (liberalism taking over), more born-into the denomination than born-again within it, as Charles Stanley once remarked.

As a mission counsellor, I recommend that young or inexperienced, cross-cultural workers go with their denomination, if they have one. However, there are experienced workers whose denominational or missional executives will not allow them to follow their vision, call or opportunity. Those who have a support base, enjoy working cooperatively, and have proved their skill, often become more productive and influential by starting or finding a looser structure for financial , ethical and professional accounting and accountability.

I'm a big fan of @EdStetzer and Lifeway Research. But the article only seems founded on the pragmatic, and not at all on some theological foundation for 'denominations'. [which I can't find in scripture either]. Moreover, I'm unconvinced even as to the pragmatic arguments; they fail to persuade us that after 200 years of the American Experiment they've been particularly effective at accomplishing the Great Commission here at home. (9% Americans hold a biblical worldview, per Barna Research). Thus we might conclude that indeed denominations MAY be contributing to ineffectiveness at being/doing the Church the way we read of it in scripture.