Report of the Study Committee on the Inter-Cultural Ministries
Introduction
The work of the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee progressed this year and accomplished some very meaningful work. At the direction of the 109th Annual Conference, the Committee worked at producing “Biblical Principles For Living”, principles our churches could adopt in reaching other cultures and assisting our churches with a clearer and more complete understanding of how the Bible speaks to issues of life. The Committee formed “Cell Task Groups” made up of interested Bible Fellowship pastors and lay people. Thirteen cell groups were formed and organized with a group leader and several individuals to serve on the Committee. A copy of the Cell Task Groups is included at the end of this Report (Appendix A).
The cell groups were each assigned a principle and instructed to formulate a statement which would be biblically sound, reflective of our present Standards of Worship and Life, and trans-cultural. The cell groups need to be applauded for their interest and work. This was a very positive exercise. After the Committee met with the cell groups, the Committee spent a day selecting four principles to evaluate, edit, and present to Conference for debate and discussion. The four statements are located at the end of this Report (Appendix B). The Committee named these principles “Biblical Principles For Living,” which is open for discussion by Conference.
The Committee also negotiated with The Center Of Urban Theological Studies (CUTS) toward a contractual agreement which would incorporate a CUTS Church- Planting Task Force and the Bible Fellowship Church, seeking to plant ethnic churches. The resulting Contract is included at the end of this Report (Appendix C). The Board of Church Extension and the Board of Missions, in the mind of this Committee, should attempt to establish a cooperative effort in finalizing, seeking funding, and implementing the Contract with CUTS.
The Committee also produced a Statement concerning membership, its meaning and relationship to ethnic church planting as well as membership in our existing particular churches. The Committee believes that consideration of standards for membership is vital to ethnic church planting as well as in our established churches. The Committee’s statement on Membership is included at the end of this report (Appendix D). We realize that other study committees have worked on this subject, yet the Committee believes that serious consideration of the issue of membership should take place again in the Bible Fellowship Church. The Committee’s Membership Statement is included in this report, for the purpose of stimulating discussion and input on the subject of membership.
The work of this Committee, in the past year, has been the most profitable since the Committee’s inception. Profitable because of the increased interest and desire there is in the Bible Fellowship Church to reach other cultures in our land. Profitable also, because of the work accomplished by the Cell Task Groups. The commitment and wisdom which was evident in this cell group work encouraged the Committee with the realization that there are many in the Bible Fellowship Church who desire to see the Gospel reach other ethnic groups through the outreach of our churches, and have principles in our FAITH & ORDER which would better present the Bible’s teaching on life issues. Almost forty (40) Bible Fellowshipers diligently worked to produce biblical principles which would be understood and could be applied by anyone from any culture. Everyone in this project expressed the significant importance of what this work entails.
We may still ask, …why do all this? Why consider the adoption of “Biblical Principles For Living”? Why seek association with a ministry like CUTS? Why seek to raise issues for consideration, like membership? It may be true enough to state that, based upon biblical argumentation this Committee has presented in the past, the biblical requirements to reach the aliens in the land and the biblical evidence of our Lord’s desire to reach all tongues, tribes, and nations with the Gospel, the Bible continues to call the church to reach other cultures and establish churches. It is also true enough to state that with each passing year there comes more and more of the world to our doorsteps and specifically the Bible Fellowship Church’s ministry target area. These clear calls to action are concrete enough for our church to be fully supportive of what this Committee is attempting to do. Yet, there remains some unclarified and vague opinions in the Bible Fellowship Church as to what this Committee is really seeking to accomplish. The following statements will hopefully dispel this vagueness and enlighten the Annual Conference as to the desires of this Committee.
Why Formulate “Biblical Principles for Living”
A brief statement could capsulize the answer to this question. There are many relevant cultural issues not addressed in our STANDARDS OF WORSHIP AND LIFE, i.e. homosexuality, racism, single parenting, stewardship of the earth, etc. and such “Biblical Principles For Living” should be considered as a more comprehensive and accurate presentation of the biblical statements which speak to these issues. The Committee believes that the Biblical Principles For Living should be at some time included in our FAITH & ORDER, maybe replacing our present STANDARDS OF WORSHIP AND LIFE or augmenting them.
Paul’s last charge to Timothy was that his disciple would pastor in such a way that the Word of God would be Timothy’s guide in all areas of life; that Timothy would be able to understand and apply the Word of God in all of life and that his listeners would be set free in the Grace of the Lord. Also, that Timothy would be equipped and able to equip others in every good work (II Tim.3). As the Bible Fellowship Church, we also have the charge to equip the saints in our churches, and those who come by our way, with biblical direction for all of life’s encounters. If we are vague or fail to consider relevant life issues in light of Scripture, we fail the saints (Col.1:28).
Why Have an Association with CUTS
The question might be restated in this manner…why do we as a denomination which has a church planting board and a missions board need to go elsewhere for help in church planting? Several responses answer this question. First, we, as a denomination, have not had success in planting churches among ethnic people groups in our geographic area and the CUTS Task Force has had success. CUTS has been successful in planting ethnic churches with the North American Baptists, the Mennonites, and several other groups. Second, because of the Center’s educational focus and its degree programs it hasaccess to men from diverse cultural backgrounds ready to be placed in church planting ministries. Thirdly, the wisdom CUTS brings to the area of ethnic church planting is invaluable for the Bible Fellowship Church. The Bible Fellowship Church, as a whole, is very inexperienced in reaching ethnic groups in our geographical location and needs to look to other parts of God’s vineyard for help in our weak areas (I Cor. 12:12-14; Eph.2,3).
Therefore, it is not only prudent but biblically mandated to work in cooperation with the body of Christ and seek ways to reach more with the Gospel.
Why Raise Such Issues As “Membership”
All of our hopes are to be a church which lives and ministers as close to the Word of God as possible. This is not to say that our previous work on topics, such as membership, did not consider the truth of the subject or come to scriptural conclusions. Rather, to continue to consider the major areas of body life is to keep fresh with the Scriptures and discover insights which may not have been looked into or discussed.
Such is the case with raising the topic of membership. Has the Bible Fellowship Church studied the New Testament in order to identify the practice and teaching of membership. This question on membership and maybe others should be studied and discussed.
The Committee raises the topic of membership because membership is significant in church planting and is significant to the life of all our churches and their understanding of this particular topic.
Conclusion
The task of formulating a model for ethnic church planting, for the Bible Fellowship Church, has stretched the Committee in many areas. By seeking to develop principles for the church which would be more comprehensive and sensitive to life issues, while making sure we retain true biblical teaching, the Committee has been challenged to study God’s Word anew. Through the investigation of partnership opportunities with other parts of the body, we have been blessed and challenged. Finally, since this work has called to our attention issues for clarification, the Committee has been concerned how our brothers would perceive its desire to determine God’s truth.
The work still seems staggering, but there are flickers of light at the ends of the tunnels. Your coopeartion, encouragement, trust, and support in this work of the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee is needed and wholeheartedly appreciated.
The Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee recommends:
WHEREAS, the Committee believes that the partnership with CUTS will bring the Bible Fellowship Church experience, expertise, and human resources for establishing Bible Fellowship Churches, and
WHEREAS, the Committee believes that the joint efforts of the Board of Church Extension and the Board of Missions would be the viable way to proceed with the implementation of the partnership with CUTS, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the 110th Annual Conference authorize the Board of Church Extension and the Board of Missions, upon favorable consideration, to sign a contract with CUTS and seek to implement a partnership with CUTS which will begin the formulation of ethnic Bible Fellowship Churches, and further
RESOLVED, that we urge that each Pastor and Delegate of Annual Conference return to their congregation and adopt a line item on their budgets for the planting of ethnic churches.
WHEREAS, the Bible Fellowship Church’s present STANDARDS OF WORSHIP AND LIFE do not address some very key areas of life, and
WHEREAS, the Bible Fellowship Church’s present STANDARDS OF WORSHIP AND LIFE is not trans-cultural, and
WHEREAS, the BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING reflect a more comprehensive listing of life issues and a more accurate presentation of the biblical standards, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the 110th Annual Conference direct the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee to complete its work on the production of BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING, and further
RESOLVED, that the 110th Annual Conference direct the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee to present these Principles to the 111th Annual Conference for consideration of adoption into our FAITH & ORDER.
WHEREAS, membership and the meaning of membership is vital to our churches, and
WHEREAS, discussion on such topics is vital to our churches, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the 110th Annual Conference hold a discussion on the issue of membership, and further
RESOLVED, that the 110th Annual Conference discuss the four Biblical Principles For Living; Worship, Mercy, Work And Rest, and Singleness And Marriage, in order to give direction to the Committee as it completes its work.
This Committee has been informed that Joseph Dugan is not presently a member of a Bible Fellowship Church and therefore is not eligible to serve on the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee. Inasmuch as he has contributed to the work of the Committee, we have listed his name below as a Committee member when he was a member of a Bible Fellowship Church. In that this Committee has been appointed by the Chairman of Annual Conference, we would request that the Chairman of the 110th Annual Conference appoint a replacement for Joseph Dugan.
Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee: Roy A. Hertzog, Chairman; David E. Gundrum, Secretary; Delbert R. Baker, II, Carl C. Cassel, G. Wayne Clapier, Joseph Dugan, Daniel G. Ziegler