Voices to be Heard: An Evaluation

Over 75 participants (including the panelists/hosts) joined an online webinar to take part in an audio conversation. Led by the GARBC national representative (Scott Greening), and a few other panelists, the focus of the conversation was on the younger pastors of the Association.

Below are some of the highlights & reasons I was impressed with the discussion:

1. There was a genuine willingness to hear from younger pastors. Scott Greening is a refreshingly humble man who desires that the GARBC be the best that it can be. I sensed no "PR" effort to pull in young guys, but rather a passion for the GARBC to be a movement that is marked by grace, tolerance, and creativity.

2. There was a clearly identified commitment to the Gospel, and to the GARBC's heritage. I was thoroughly pleased that there was no hint of 'bashing' or criticizing the Association. At times, loving & corrective critcism is necessary (I have done it myself at times). But the emphasis here was not on laying a new foundation for the GARBC, but on effectively moving forward on that very foundation.

3. The conversation was intelligent. Simply put, the panelists who were speaking were all sharp guys. Other than my own muddled time at the microphone, the audience members who spoke were bright and articulate. Our secular culture and Evangelicals brothers often label Fundamentalism as anti-intellectual. There is some historical truth to this charge. However, as Scott Greening said, "we do have guys who know their theology".

4. There was a stated willingness to find and invest in men who have potential to become spiritual and intellectual leaders for the movement. I offered the following criteria: (a) they must have intellectual credibility, (b) they must have a thoroughly biblical worldview consistent with our identity, and (c) they must have 'cultural intelligence' (e.g. they know & understand the culture and have demonstrated an ability to communicate within it and to it).

5. I sensed an openness to cultural engagement. Certainly our Association is known historically for its separtist principles. I wholeheartedly affirm the necessity of separation, but there is another side to that coin: engagement. I heard, from the leaders and audience, a desire to engage our postmodern cultural while maintaining a commitment to separtism. Engagment and separatism are meant to be held in tension. But Jesus tells us to be salt and light. Light is something that stands above and apart from the darkness. Salt is something that gets down into the meat. There was a marked willingess of the participants to be both.

6. The discussion effectively balanced program verses identity. At first, I was worried the conversation was simply going to be another "what new program do we need to fix the problem". But the discussion turned to the more substantial issue of who we need to be as people and pastors. This indicates the presence of visionary thinkers--a very, very good thing.

7. There was a commitment to continued conversation. This was not seen as a "fix", but as the beginning of a new phase in the life of the GARBC.