Comments on: Why so much growth and decline? http://tatumweb.com/blog/2005/08/22/more-church-growth/ Pentecostal Rumination and Review Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:20:05 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Rich http://tatumweb.com/blog/2005/08/22/more-church-growth/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Rich Sun, 04 Sep 2005 10:31:36 +0000 http://tatumweb.com/blog/index.php/2005-08-22/50/#comment-34 Thanks for the comment, Bethany. I really like your blog, as well. I'll be adding it to my blogroll, and a list of Pentecostal blogger links as soon as I find a few more. Woohoo! Thanks for the comment, Bethany. I really like your blog, as well. I’ll be adding it to my blogroll, and a list of Pentecostal blogger links as soon as I find a few more. Woohoo!

]]> By: Bethany http://tatumweb.com/blog/2005/08/22/more-church-growth/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Bethany Sun, 04 Sep 2005 00:51:15 +0000 http://tatumweb.com/blog/index.php/2005-08-22/50/#comment-33 Yay for Pentecostal bloggers. :) Welcome to the fold. Yay for Pentecostal bloggers. :) Welcome to the fold.

]]> By: Rich http://tatumweb.com/blog/2005/08/22/more-church-growth/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Rich Mon, 22 Aug 2005 22:06:57 +0000 http://tatumweb.com/blog/index.php/2005-08-22/50/#comment-27 Thanks for the comment, Jody. I agree: the moral and cognitive dissonance created by theological and practical liberals in faith is off-putting. And with the diminishing corps of conservative mainline churches, people likely switch to the other side despite misgivings. Yet theological liberalism has existed within mainline churches for most of this century. It's not just <em>recent</em> history that has led to the ordination of homosexuals and the priesthood of confirmed atheists. That kind of crassness takes <em>decades</em> to ferment, and explode. When put in the context of the global growth trends the recent move toward a deeper and more athentic faith seem to reveal something more supernatural than mere human dissatisfaction. Anglicans in Rwanda aren't flocking to the church because of a reaction against liberalism. Instead, they're being drawn by the Spirit and by effective evangelism. Truly, only the hand of God could do that. Regards, (And thanks again for the comments, and the link!) Rich. Thanks for the comment, Jody. I agree: the moral and cognitive dissonance created by theological and practical liberals in faith is off-putting. And with the diminishing corps of conservative mainline churches, people likely switch to the other side despite misgivings.

Yet theological liberalism has existed within mainline churches for most of this century. It’s not just recent history that has led to the ordination of homosexuals and the priesthood of confirmed atheists. That kind of crassness takes decades to ferment, and explode. When put in the context of the global growth trends the recent move toward a deeper and more athentic faith seem to reveal something more supernatural than mere human dissatisfaction.

Anglicans in Rwanda aren’t flocking to the church because of a reaction against liberalism. Instead, they’re being drawn by the Spirit and by effective evangelism. Truly, only the hand of God could do that.

Regards,

(And thanks again for the comments, and the link!)

Rich.

]]> By: Jody http://tatumweb.com/blog/2005/08/22/more-church-growth/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Jody Mon, 22 Aug 2005 13:46:45 +0000 http://tatumweb.com/blog/index.php/2005-08-22/50/#comment-26 Hey, this is Jody from Quo Vadis. I've been thinking a lot about the topic of this post over the past few years and I have to say that people seem to be over analyzing the trend. The simple fact of the matter is that people who are conviced of their faith and people who are truly searching for the truth are irked and turned off by people who continually throw out the "I believe but...." or seem to reject the core tenets of Christianity, never mention Jesus when they talk about thier "ministry" and generally make everyone wonder why they aren't just in social work...in the Episcopal Church, it must be a desire to dress up ;-p Hey, this is Jody from Quo Vadis. I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic of this post over the past few years and I have to say that people seem to be over analyzing the trend. The simple fact of the matter is that people who are conviced of their faith and people who are truly searching for the truth are irked and turned off by people who continually throw out the “I believe but….” or seem to reject the core tenets of Christianity, never mention Jesus when they talk about thier “ministry” and generally make everyone wonder why they aren’t just in social work…in the Episcopal Church, it must be a desire to dress up ;-p

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