AssociationForChurchRenewal.com

From Bob Thompson

The next ACR meeting will be March 12-13, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn Key Bridge in Arlington.

o We had excellent presentations from John Bradosky of the newly formed North American Lutheran Church (attached) and Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council.  Phil did not use a transcript but said the essence of his comments can be found in two articles – Article 1, Article 2.

o We regretfully accepted the resignation of David Runnion-Bareford as our President.  David’s shift to a new pastoral calling has made ongoing participation with ACR very challenging to him.  He sent words of encouragement and appreciation to the ACR, and in turn the ACR expressed its deep gratitude to David for his leadership, creativity, insight, and humor across a generation of involvement in renewal.

o We also spent meaningful times together in worship and prayer, including prayer for the current strategic situations shared by our Presbyterian and Lutheran friends.  We have a renewed sense that we are, indeed, at a pivotal moment in the history of the North American church.  We want to discern what God is doing and be led by the Spirit as we seek to maintain a loving witness to truth.

o The ACR will continue to retool its identity and mission as a place for those with past or present mainline ties to connect, encourage, support, and inform one another.  More on that in subsequent messages.

If you’d like to stay informed… please be sure to join our Facebook Group!

From Biblical Witness Fellowship:

The theme of this Synod, “SAND”, seemed especially appropriate as the UCC continues to sink slowly. We could only be mindful of the words of our Lord Jesus, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand. The rain came down and the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:26,27

BWF issued a press release at the outset of Synod that seemed especially prescient:

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST SYNOD MEETS “ON SINKING SAND”

The liberal UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, the leader among protestant denominations in membership loss, is meeting at Synod 28 this weekend in Tampa, Florida using the theme of “SAND.”  According to the Synod Handbook (page 8-9)http://www.ucc.org/synod/pdfs/general_synod_28_handbook.pdfdescribing the event’s worship focus, “sand remains a powerful image of an unimaginable quantity. It also reflects the rich imagery of desert, of journey, of shifting sands.” It goes on to say, “At the Twenty-eighth General Synod in 2011, the United Church of Christ finds itself in oasis and desert. Blessed with diversity of thought, vibrant life, and shifting sands, we journey through challenging times seeking possibility, engaged in thoughtful and difficult conversations.” Jesus used this image powerfully when he contrasted the wise man who built on the rock with the foolish, saying, “everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Matthew 7:26)

Renewal leader David Runnion-Bareford said, “This is indeed a powerful confession by the Synod of the UCC that, having rebelled against the word of God, is on sinking sand – with our members, churches, historic witness, and identity in Christ washing away before our eyes.”

• Perhaps the most striking action of Synod was to eliminate the acknowledgment of God as heavenly Father from the Constitution. Again the BWF press release just before Synod was clear about the relevance of this action. Unfortunately the Synod did not listen to our counsel and went ahead with this misguided action.

• UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST SET TO REJECT GOD THE FATHER

• Meeting at General Synod 28 in Tampa, Florida this weekend, the historic United Church of Christ will vote on an amendment to eliminate God the Father from Article 5, lines 9-10 of its constitution.http://www.ucc.org/synod/pdfs/proposedconstitution.pdfThe Constitution of the denomination has remained unchanged in its theological core since the United Church of Christ’s founding in 1957, and remains the covenant connection with the basic truths of Christianity that keeps many churches affiliated who are otherwise alienated by the denominations very liberal agenda.

• According to renewal leader David Runnion-Bareford, “Rejecting God as Father in an age of fatherlessness is unthinkable. God acted toward us in amazing grace when He offered to be our Father through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ who offers us life in his name. This is not something we as humans made up in some other time. Rejecting our Father is act of arrogant rebellion in the name of cultural conformity that only further alienates members, churches, but more importantly God himself. We call the delegates to reject the change for God’s sake.”

We think that the analysis of this action in USA Today’s Faith and Reason was interesting:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/god-father-ucc-obama-religion/1

Particularly as it links to our press releases:http://www.reformationucc.org/2011/07/01/united-church-christ-synod-meets-sinking-sand/

In that article the author quotes UCC spokesperson Barbara Powell defending the change in language,

“It could be Father or Mother or Creator God. Our language reflects the God of all.” We believe that captures the essence of the idolatry. God has revealed the wonder of his willingness to be our Father. How magnificent. When we describe God in images to please ourselves or our culture we are doing nothing more than creating an imaginary friend.

• Acknowledging a continuing decline in basic support to its general budget, United Church of Christ delegates this morning approved a national allocation of $7.1 million for 2012 and $6.8 million for 2013. This is less than ½ the basic OCWM support just a decade ago. Sinking Sand.
• Synod passed a resolution titled:  “Supporting International Human Rights Related to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” seeking to promote the LGBT agenda in foreign cultures where such behavior is “legally, politically, socially, or even religiously” condemned. This resolution will further jeopardize Christian witness particularly in Africa and Asia where Islamics use information as propaganda to compromise and persecute Christians on the grounds that they are advocates for sexual perversion. This resolution was submitted by the “Wider Church Ministries” of the UCC.
• Synod passed a resolution titled: To Counter Actions of Hostility Against Islam and the Muslim Community.” Committee 12 member Paul Adkins quoted theologian Hans Kung, who said, “There will never be peace among the nations of the world until there is peace among the religions of the world” as he introduced this resolution. The conflict between Kung’s syncretism and the reality that “at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow” is obvious. This resolution does not specifically say that Christianity is one way among many but it offers that impression and could be interpreted that way.
• The Synod passed a resolution titled: “The Right of LGBT Persons to Adopt and Raise Children.” The point of this one is obvious.
• The Synod tabled a resolution titled: “In support of  Effective and Constructive Peacemaking between Palestinians and Israelis” that would have resurrected many of the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel proposals that were put to rest in previous Synods.
• The Synod passed a resolution:  “In Support of the Release of Puerto Rican Political Prisoners.”. It was the fifth time the UCC Synod has passed a resolution calling for the release of Puerto Rican terrorists who perpetrated a reign of violent terror across the U.S. in the 1970’s and 1980’s including more than one hundred bombings and armed robberies. It was the first such resolution since 1991. In 1999, Bill Clinton offered amnesty to 12 of these terrorists one of whom, Oscar Lopez-Rivera refused because the amnesty involved an admission of guilt. This UCC resolution calls specifically for the unconditional release of Oscar Lopez-Rivera as well as Gonzalez Claudio. Claudio was apprehended in 2008 after 25 years on the lam and convicted of robbing an armored truck of $7 million in 1983, the largest heist of its kind in the history of the U.S. up to that time . Lopez-Rivera a primary leader of the FALN is widely held to be responsible for many bombings including the Fraunces Tavern Bombing in 1975 which killed four and injured over 60. He was caught in possession of 100 sticks of dynamite at his arrest. After the “12” were incarcerated the bombings and other violence related to Puerto Rican Independence stopped.

On the Lighter Side:

• the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, UCC general minister and president, “Encouraged and Enlightened the delegates to General Synod 28 delegates and visitors at the GMP/Collegium of Officers presentation in the plenary hall of the Tampa Convention Center.

Referring to the popular business acronym for “Big Hairy Audacious Goals (B-HAGs),” Black said, “You know how we are at the United Church of Christ – we got a hold of that, and said, ‘Well, that isn’t quite right for us. Let’s make it Big HolyAudacious Goals.’ “

“These B-HAGs are only a part of what the church’s organization or vision should include,” said Black. “I like to remind myself that we tend to do that which we intend to do.”

And then . . ..

• By a 4-to-1 margin, General Synod 28 on Tuesday passed “A Resolution for Mindful and Faithful Eating.”

The resolution, submitted by the Southern California Nevada Conference, evaluates ways in which our dietary choices can have profound implications on the environment, as well as on human well-being and animal welfare. Encouraging Christians to explore and discuss how food choices can accord Christian values and beliefs.

Really?? Seriously?

TO READ MORE: http://www.ucc.org/synod/news.html

An Open Letter to Mr. Daniel J. Lehmann
Editor, The Lutheran, Magazine of the ELCA
8765 W. Higgins Rd.
Chicago, IL 60631

Dear Sir:.

I am writing in response to your editorial in the October 2010 issue of The Lutheran, the magazine of the ELCA.  In that editorial you write about the formation of a new Lutheran church body, the North American Lutheran Church.  You make a number of statements that are either petty or untrue, creating a false impression.

1)  You observe that “the NALC becomes, in the eyes of this magazine, one more Lutheran denomination” and you assert that “The Lutheran won’t give it any special coverage just because of its heritage.”  Why not?  The Lutheran should serve the people of the ELCA and not only the bureaucracy at Higgins Road.  The NALC is composed entirely of congregations and pastors who left behind many close friends and relatives in the ELCA.  The NALC is therefore not just another Lutheran church body, no matter what you say.  It will always have a special relationship to the ELCA as “a chip off the old block.”  Don’t you think the people of the ELCA deserve to be kept informed about what their friends and relatives are experiencing in the NALC?  Your response is pitifully petty, a mere defensive reaction born of resentment.

2)  You observe that “the magazine turned down an advertisement sought by organizers of the NALC gathering.  It promoted a theological symposium that served as a run-up to the constituting convention.”  These statements are half-truths.  As a journalist you should pay attention to the pesky little things called “facts.”  I was the initiator and coordinator of the theological conference, “Seeking New Directions for Lutheranism.”  I know what happened, down to every detail.  The fact is that Lutheranism in North American has been and is theologically in disarray, in a state of confusion.  My idea was to ask CORE to sponsor a free theological conference for all Lutherans, to discuss the identity and future of Lutheranism with integrity in an ecumenical age.  When this conference was planned and announced, there was not a hint about the formation of a new church body.  The theological conference was announced at the CORE assembly in September, 2009, Fishers, Indiana, at which time there was no proposal for a new church body on the table.  Our theological conference was organized as a function of CORE, pure and simple.  What possible objection could you as a journalist or editor have to that, unless you had already taken the side of the bureaucrats in the church struggle that led to the 2009 ELCA assembly in Minneapolis?  The fact that the organization of the NALC took place chronologically soon after the theological conference was an after-thought.  The advertisement that you turned down was sought by the officers of CORE and not by the organizers of the NALC, as you suggest.  The ad was for a conference sponsored by CORE.  Not a single word suggested anything about creating a new church body.  When we planned the conference, selected the speakers, and produced the brochure, we knew nothing about the NALC, nor was it on anyone’s radar screen.

3.  You observe that “many if not all of those involved were still on the ELCA roster, but their actions were schismatic.”  Now, as a self-professed schismatic yourself, you should know from experience that neither the conference itself nor any of the speakers were guilty of actions that were schismatic.  Who are you to judge that their actions were schismatic?  All of the speakers are ordained ministers of the ELCA and have served for decades as professors of theology at its colleges or seminaries, in some cases more than 50 years.  Neither the theme nor the aim of the conference was to call for or to promote the creation of a new church body.  We are all church theologians and not church politicians.  We covered the loci of Lutheran dogmatics — the authority and interpretation of Scripture, the doctrine of the Trinity, the centrality of Christ, the nature and purpose of the Church, Christian ethics, and so forth.  The Lutheran theology embedded in these lectures stands on its own feet, and does not ride piggy-back on the church-political actions to start a new church.  You should know that theologians who promise to serve the whole church of Jesus Christ are not beholden to the officials of any Protestant denomination.  Over the years all of us speak across the ecumenical spectrum, at Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, and Evangelical institutions.  Is there something un-Lutheran or un-churchly about that?  Now that the NALC is organized, as theologians we are free to speak at its events, just as we are free to speak at any non-ELCA Lutheran church bodies.  That may be too difficult to grasp by those who think and act as though church theologians should be the functionaries of church bureaucrats who manipulate the levers of power.  If Martin Luther were here, he might say with Yogi Berra, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

4.  You ask “why would the magazine assist with highlighting an event aimed at distracting, if not undermining, the ELCA?”  What do you know about the aim of the theological conference?  The brochure states the aim this way: “This theological conference will reaffirm the original aim of Lutheranism to be a reforming movement within the whole church that is both evangelical in preaching and orthodox in doctrine.  Each of the presenters will focus on a particular article of faith at risk in Lutheranism today and spell out what we confess on the basis of Holy Scripture, the ancient Creeds, and the Lutheran Confessions.  We invite all Lutherans in North America to come together to reclaim the great tradition that witnesses faithfully to Jesus Christ, builds his Church on earth, and proclaims the Gospel of salvation to the nations.”  Those are scary words, but only to heterodox revisionists moved by a different spirit and loyal to different principles and standards.
More than eight hundred persons attended the theological conference.  You were invited too.  Editors from non-Lutheran magazines chose to attend, for example, Christianity Today, Touchstone, inter alia.  You chose not to attend, even though it was a major theological event within the orbit of the ELCA.  There is a reason for this, and we know what it is.  Lutheranism began in history as a movement of critical theology, biblical and dogmatic.  The lackeys of the church bureaucracy at that time were opposed to Luther and his reforming and renewing efforts.  They could not tolerate criticism.  All the theologians who spoke at the theological conference in Columbus, 2010, are responding to the theological crisis in American Lutheranism.  They have been critics of various aspects of the ELCA from its earliest beginnings, for example, the quota system, radical theological feminism, antinomianism, etc.  The two “Call to Faithfulness Conferences” at St. Olaf College in 1990 and 1992 put the spotlight on a number of critical theological issues.  Those who have ears to hear heard, and the rest plugged their ears.

Is there something un-Lutheran about raising voices in protest and criticism of false teachings and practices going on in the church?  That’s what theologians do.  Lutheran theologians have been doing that from the get-go.  Understandably, then and now the church politicians don’t like to hear it.  What is the mission of The Lutheran?  Is the ELCA beyond criticism, so that critical theological voices should be ignored, muted, and regarded as schismatic? That is what the bureaucrats charged against Luther when they tried to muzzle him.  Does The Lutheran have a greater obligation to heed the wishes of the bureaucrats of the ELCA than to hear the voices of its theologians?  Do the bureaucrats who have served the ELCA for a few years have a greater right to address the ELCA than its theologians who have served its various educational institutions for many years?
A schism has occurred now.  You seem to exhibit no understanding of what caused it.  It’s not the case that a few pastors and congregations woke up one morning and said, “Hey, let’s start a new church?  Wouldn’t that be fun?”  Every historical event has a cause.  We know what caused the schism.  There would have been no schism except for the ELCA assembly decisions in Minneapolis, August, 2009.  The game is now hard-ball and you have joined in, using the kind of tactics applied against you in that other schism to which you refer.

You end your editorial with a quotation from Luther: “The most dangerous sin of all is the presumption of righteousness.”  Your editorial reeks with the kind of self-righteousness Luther had in mind.

My question to you is:  As a journalist, why can’t you be fair to all parties involved in the debates and discussions going on within the ELCA?  Why do you need to be a partisan beholden to its bureaucracy?  If that is the mission of The Lutheran, maybe that explains why it has fewer and fewer subscribers and readers, as you yourself have acknowledged.

I am sending this as an “Open Letter,” because I do not expect to see it in The Lutheran magazine.  Nor do I want it edited so as to make it say things I did not write.  I have had that experience before.

Sincerely,
Carl E. Braaten

Via ALPB Forum

The October 2010 meeting of the Association For Church Renewal will meet the 18th and 19th in Washington DC.

Items on the agend include revisiting and fine tuning the ACR’s strategic plan as well as beginning implementation of the Leadership Development strategy unveiled at MainlineCall.org

Christian leaders serving mainline congregations interested in particpating in these discussions may contact the Association for Church Renewal here

The “Answering the Call” Event—

The Leadership Training Process

By L. Faye Short, ACR Coordinator of Leadership Training

The Event

The coolness of the Illinois days was an added bonus to the excellent conference sponsored by the Association for Church Renewal at Elmhurst College near Chicago, August 6-8, 2010.

A pre-conference boot camp focused on church replanting and revitalization within the mainline denominations. This event offered practical “how-to” information for those called to remain within their denominational settings. View various boot camp presentations at www.mainlinecall.org.

Ed Stetzer, Director of Lifeway Research, drew the audience into laughter and reflection as he shared well-researched truth about the state of the church and the essential need to discern where God would take us if the church is to be the viable witness God has called it to be in the current culture. You may access Ed Stetzer’s presentation at www.mainlinecall.org—and, glean additional information by going to www.edstetzer.com.

John Armstrong, Director of ACT 3, and adjunct professor of evangelism at Wheaton College Graduate School, has a passion for the Church of Jesus Christ, collective, to unite in missional-ecumenism. By missional-ecumenism, John stresses two truths: (1) God is both a unity in himself and as such is a sending God, and (2) God’s revealed desire is that we would be (relationally) one with him in this sending and sent (mission) process. At Answering the Call, John conveyed his heart’s burden that the Church fulfill Jesus’ prayer for all believers found in John 17, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me….” To fan this flame of ecumenism, read John’s book Your Church is Too Small, and visit his web site at www.Act3online.com.

Workshop topics for the weekend included: Speaking Christianly about Sexuality; Loving Truth, Preventing Schism; Stories of Renewal; Understanding Online Communication; Current Issues in the Mainline; Developing a Leadership Base; Discerning God’s Heart for Women’s Ministries; Mentoring the Next Generation; The Family in Mainline Ministry. These and other workshops facilitated thought-provoking conversation and potentially life-changing application for participants.

Worship and Music under the leadership of the Rev. Rich Rubietta was uniting and inspiring. Rich brought diverse mainline members together around the person of Jesus Christ and the essentials of our faith. The warmth and enthusiasm of his leadership style was contagious. Consider inviting Rich for your event: Abounding Ministries, Grayslake, IL, 847-233-4790; RRubietta@Abounding.org.

The Process

The leadership training process introduced at Answering the Call is ongoing through the ACR/EQUIP partnership.

EQUIP is a non-profit organization specializing in the development of effective international and national Christian leaders. EQUIP and the ACR believe, “You can go fast by yourself…but you can go far together.” We hope you will join us to make this so.

In his Elmhurst College address, John Hull, President/CEO of EQUIP, encouraged those attending in their renewal and reform efforts within their various denominations. He shared the importance of leadership training in the church renewal process. John cited the effectiveness of EQUIP’s leadership training program, now in over 140 countries, training in excess of two million people worldwide.

In a recent comment, Rev. Steven King of Word Alone Network stated, “We need to stop asking God to bless what we are doing and to simply do what God is blessing.” There is no doubt, God is blessing EQUIP’s leadership training ministry.

Tom Atema, EQUIP Vice President of International Ministries & Strategic Partnerships led a workshop on Leadership Training. Tom identified worldwide needs that require strong leaders. He stated, “Leadership is influencing people in a positive direction—leaders are facilitators of constructive change.” Participants were reminded of our charge to fulfill the Great Commission, and the fact that, culturally, our means of communicating and reaching the world is changing. Even so, the core characteristics of a leader do not change. As Christians, we must think with biblical leadership values. Biblical servant leadership is the EQUIP model.

Tom spoke of the power of partnership in the fulfilling of the Great Commission. Two EQUIP partners from the Chicago area testified to the effectiveness of their partnership with EQUIP in their ministries.

Melanie Clements serves as a director with African Youth Hope, an outreach ministry that seeks to evangelize the people of Sudan. Leadership training for ministry leaders has been a key in multiplying their effective outreach. They have provided EQUIP materials to high ranking governmental officials and church leaders in order to develop their leadership skills in the biblical, servant leader model. This brings about systemic, cultural change that enhances the spread of the Gospel. Melanie recounted sharing the EQUIP leadership material with a Sudanese bishop one day, only to have him knocking on her door at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, ready to get resources and get started.

Robert McCleland is the Executive Director/CEO of the North American Baptist Conference. Dr. McCleland’s first application of the EQUIP leadership material was to use it in staff training at the home office. Regional leaders teach through the first six lessons with area pastors and leaders. They then take the info to local congregations to train lay leaders. Missionaries in seven countries utilize the EQUIP leadership training materials to train indigenous leaders. Rob shared how his own engagement with the EQUIP leadership material challenged him and influenced his leadership style. Rob summarized his partnership experience thus: “The response from pastors and church leaders has been overwhelmingly positive. Partnering with EQUIP to make this curriculum available to our pastors and church leaders is probably the most value-added service I’ve ever provided.”

The Process Is Ongoing…

In a recent study, Barna identified the quality of leadership provided…as the most critical element in determining the future health and growth of mainline congregations.

“Answering the Call” keynote speaker Ed Stetzer wrote, “While pastors believe that the church is a place where leaders need to be developed and they see themselves investing in this task, they generally recognize a real deficit in the church’s effectiveness in accomplishing it.”

At a recent EQUIP gathering, Rev. Jeff Appling, pastor of “The Grove” near Commerce, Georgia, recounted how EQUIP leadership resources were utilized to train his staff members, who in turn trained those serving with them. The leadership training material continues to be effectively used in various venues within the church. The same resources are used to train leaders through their mission outreach to Honduras.

The leadership training curriculum offered through the ACR/EQUIP partnership is based on biblical leadership principles that are timeless and universal. They are transferable across all denominational lines. The resourced cover three areas that are crucial to leadership development:

1. Spiritual formation: Integrity, Ethics, Humility, Motives, Core Values
2. Skill formation: Developing People, Communicating, Team Building, Problem Solving
3. Strategic Formation: Effective Planning, Priorities, Vision

Leadership Training is a process. This means leadership training must be ongoing to be effective. In the EQUIP curriculum, there are three volumes, consisting of six notebooks in each volume, with six lessons in each notebook. The resources offered can be tailored to your needs, designed to fit your schedule and contextualized for your denomination.

We are living in a time when biblical leadership is needed as never before. The crisis of confidence within the culture and within the church shout to this need.

Christian leader—will you be instrumental in bringing biblical, servant leadership training to your denomination?

Testimonials

EQUIP Partnership Testimonial
Dr. Robert McCleland
Executive Director, CEO
North American Baptist Conference

As a denominational leader, my highest professional aspirations are reserved for church leaders under my care. I’m incredibly thankful when I see church leaders growing in their spiritual leadership and ministry effectiveness. Leaders multiplying leaders means strong ministry today and a brighter future for tomorrow. But where do you begin?

I must begin with myself then bring others along with me. That is exactly what I love about the EQUIP material. Every lesson speaks to my heart. The consistent emphasis on Character Development, People Skills, and Leadership Strategy is extremely helpful. Each set of six leadership development lessons has proven helpful to my own growth and to working with others who want to grow in their love, service, and leadership effectiveness. The response from pastors and church leaders has been overwhelmingly positive. Partnering with EQUIP to make this curriculum available to our pastors and church leaders—it’s probably the most value-added service I’ve ever provided.

Rob McCleland, PhD

EQUIP Partnership Testimonial
Rev. Jeff Appling
The Grove
Maysville, Georgia

Outstanding are the tools, service, opportunities, and excellence EQUIP has provided for me. EQUIP’s passion for leadership development and their priority to fulfill the Great Commission is greatly being used of God around the world.

It has been my privilege for twelve years to partner with EQUIP from Maysville to Morocco. The leadership training I’ve received and shared over the years has helped me at home, at church, and now in the world. My life is better because of EQUIP. I thank John Maxwell, John Hull, Doug Carter, and the entire EQUIP team for their investment into me and the Kingdom of God.

As I celebrate my 20th year as pastor of a wonderful church founded in 1802, it gives me great pleasure to recommend the EQUIP organization to you. Having been taught the material, and having taught the material, I would be happy to talk with anyone who needs more information. As they say, “the proof is in the pudding,” well, I’ve tasted it and it’s
great.

Grateful & Thankful,
Pastor Jeff Appling

Find out more:

www.associationforchurchrenewal.com

www.mainlinecall.org

www.iequip.org

David Runnion-Bareford, ACR President

207-505-0600

L. Faye Short, ACR Coordinator of Leadership Training

706/778-5032

“You can go fast by yourself…but we can go far together.”

Let’s connect.

“…for the equipping of the saints

for the work of the ministry….”

Ephesians 4:12

Theologian and friend Dr. Donald Bloesch died Tuesday, August 24th in Dubuque Iowa where he taught. Dr. Bloesch inspired and informed the passion of an entire generation of renewal leaders not only in his own denomination, the United Church of Christ, but throughout the Mainline Church. His earlier work such as “The Reform of the Church”, “Evangelical Renaissance”, “Wellsprings of Renewal”, and “The Invaded Church”, were the battle cry and blueprint for those calling their drifting churches back to authentic ecumenical orthodoxy. His later work in Christian Foundations will remain a part of classical theological educaton for years to come. Dr. Bloesch largely authored the founding document of the Biblical Witness Fellowship, the confessing movement in the UCC, known as the Dubuque Declaration.

BWF Executive Director, David Runnion-Bareford said, “Donald Bloesch was the major theological force in shaping our radical vision for church renewal in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He gave us not only an understanding of the deep perversity in the mainline church but theological skills to be effective witnesses in a difficult time. He was my inspiration in the early years, and when I found myself in leadership, Dr. Bloesch became an invaluable mentor and friend. It is ironic that this evangelical was the most widely read and respected UCC theologian of his generation. He will be received into glory with great joy! Thank you Dr. Bloesch.

Dr. John Thomas, who completed his final term as President of the United Church of Christ in September 2009, recently announced that he is living in an adulterous relationship with a fellow national UCC staff member and is consequently separated from and divorcing his wife. The duration of the adulterous relationship with his co-worker, engaged in while he served as President of the UCC in Cleveland, or whether she was a subordinate has not been revealed. UCC Announcement.

Biblical Witness Fellowship, a confessing movement in the United Church of Christ has issued the following statement in reaction to this news.

“It is a great sadness for all of us that our former President John Thomas has broken his covenant commitment to marriage in exchange for an adulterous relationship. His action deepens the crisis of integrity in the UCC with consequences well beyond the tragic dissolution of his own family. During his administration, Dr. Thomas was a champion for the religious legitimization of sexual license and the redefinition of marriage. It now appears that his agenda may have been driven by personal justification of his own behavior rather than by any authentic conviction. The whole church is deeply hurt when our leaders fail to keep their vows and engage in this form of duplicity. It compromises the witness of all of us in the body of Christ. We understand that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God, and call on our brother John Thomas to repent and seek restoration.”

In the July 1, 2010 article by Ken Walker in Christianity Today titled, Sheep Stealing Studied PCUSA allegations that the Evangelical Presbyterian Church was somehow “stealing sheep” was mentioned. Though the study found no credible evidence of any organized “sheep stealing”, David Runnion-Bareford, President of the Association for Church Renewal noted that this controversy comes as the renewal effort in the mainline has reached a new critical state. The “renewal” has matured enough to see the formation of “Lifeboat Groups” such as the Anglican Church in North America and the newly forming North American Lutheran Church. Far from “stealing sheep”, they exist for the sheep who, weary from weathering the battles for historic orthodoxy within the mainline, now must associate with other faithful Christians to preserve the well being of their own congregations. Without such groups, the ability of America’s historic denominations to remain faithful to Christ’s Great Commission and Great Commandment remains questionable.