Report of the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee
Introduction
The work of The Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee continued this past year at the direction of the 108th Annual Conference. The Committee proceeded with its work concerning the planting of Bible Fellowship Churches among ethnic people groups in our target areas of ministry. The Study Committee spent most of its time reviewing the Standards of Worship & Life of the FAITH & ORDER, contacting and assisting Bible Fellowship Churches interested in ethnic church planting, and seeking to develop an ethnic church planting model.
Has the need to be culturally sensitive to the people groups in our midst diminished? Have the fields of harvest among these cultures around us been depleted? Has the mandate of God to reach all tongues, tribes, and peoples with the Gospel been rescinded? The answer to all these rhetorical questions is, of course, NO! The need to reach the differing cultures in our areas of ministry is not only still present, but rather it is on the increase. This is evident by the new demographic statistics being brought to our attention on ethnic growth in America and by the ministry thrust of denominations and Mission Boards who are focusing their attention on the vast array of people groups here in our own country.
Jeremiah (Jer. 22:3) indicates that part of the reason for the judgment of Judah was their mistreatment of the aliens. They did this even though they were commanded by God to remember that they at one time were aliens (I Peter 2:11), and the descendants of aliens. If we, by the grace of God, have been recipients of God’s provision of a way of escape from eternal damnation, and if we withhold from them the message of that way of escape, are we not guilty of the mistreatment of the alien in our midst? The Bible Fellowship Church is not exempt from the biblical mandate to minister to diverse people groups around our churches. In fact, we are obligated.
The work of this Study Committee continues to seek God’s leading and wisdom in the planting of ethnic Bible Fellowship Churches. The following sections report our work this past year: our assistance to Bible Fellowship Churches interested in ethnic church planting, the review of the Standards of Worship & Life and the progress toward an ethnic church planting model.
Assistance to Bible Fellowship Churches
At the 108th Annual Conference the Committee distributed a survey form, which asked the members of Conference to respond to questions we hoped would stir the interest of Conference and particular churches toward ethnic ministry. We received back a good number of replies to the survey and at our first meeting reviewed the responses. The Committee distributed demographic survey materials to the churches which showed interest and individual Committee members were assigned to each church as the churches’ representative.
The Committee decided that we should not pressure the interested churches into ethnic ministry, but rather act as a resource and reference center for the churches if they decided to look further into establishing outreaches among ethnic groups in their ministry locales.
During the year we sent out information on how to do demographic studies and information on the availability of the most recent census and demographic statistics. We continue to compile very valuable information and resources for ethnic church planting and will make any of these resources available for a particular church seeking information or guidance on reaching culturally diverse people groups.
Review of the Standards of Worship & Life
The 108th Annual Conference resolved that, “The Inter-Cultural Study Committee proceed with a review of the Standards of Worship & Life in order to identify those articles which may not express culturally transcendent biblical truths and values in language that is applicable to all cultures without bias…”
The Committee’s observations identified three areas which could be hindrances to working with people from other cultures,
(1) Confusing or archaic language. Some of the language the Committee came across may not be understood by people who are unfamiliar with our western usage; e.g. dissolution instead of “breaking” in Article VIII, shamefacedness in Article XI, adjure and repeated burden of Scripture in Article IX, etc.
These terms and clauses, and many like them in the Standards, may not be comprehensible to people from other cultures. In almost all cases we believed that more understandable terms could replace these confusing words and clauses.
(2) The absence of statements on some significant values. The Standards of Worship & Life either do not consider or are vague concerning such significant values as: justice (racism), mercy (benevolence, orphans, widows), marriage/singleness (polygamy, celibacy), Christian liberty (situation ethics, questionable practices such as cremation, etc.)
In order to address this concern, the Committee prepared a “Values List” (EXHIBIT A) and an example of a “Value Statement” (EXHIBIT B).
(3) Inadequate demonstration of Scriptural basis for some Standards.
– Article III Public Worship – The implications of this Article seem to mandate times and places for services and special services, i.e. the Special Services Statement appears to focus on a cultural historical context of the Bible Fellowship Church.
– Article IV Christian Stewardship – There is a great emphasis upon financial stewardship, but very little mention of stewardship of time, family, creation, etc.
– Article VI Family – The Article does not give a complete view of the family.
– Article VIII Divorce – The question continues to be raised regarding divorce and its disqualifying a person for office.
– Article IX Separation From The World – The Article is perceived to be prohibitive rather than “a solemn note of warning.”
– Article X Harmful Indulgences – The question continues to be raised regarding abstaining from alcohol as a membership requirement.
This review has brought the Committee to begin the development of a list of values essential to serious obedience to God’s standards in the Scripture and to essential statements describing the behavior prescribed by the Scripture for Christians from any and all backgrounds. This task is important for cross-cultural work for two reasons: first, holiness of life according to Biblical standards must characterize God’s people without regard to diversities originating from different backgrounds; and second, culturally acclimated standards without biblical basis will create misunderstanding of the Gospel or barriers to submission to the Gospel for individuals from diverse backgrounds.
As did the brethren in Acts 15, so must we evaluate all of our values in the light of the Scripture. Completing this work is demanding because it calls for study of Scripture and our world, but it also is worth doing because it opens opportunities to reach people from diverse backgrounds. Such work is just as important in this country as it is overseas.
An Ethnic Church Planting Model
It has been the desire of the Committee to produce an ethnic church planting model for presentation to Annual Conference. We have attempted to proceed by seeking the participation of interested Bible Fellowship Churches who would be willing to enter into such a project. We have also, in this past year, investigated what is being done by other denominations and specific para-church ministries to plant churches among ethnic people groups.
On Thursday, March 22, 1992, the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee and the “City Concerns” group of Bible Fellowship Church Pastors met at the Wissinoming Bible Fellowship Church with Pastor James Correnti of Fleischmann Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Fleischmann is a multi-ethnic church planting work. This meeting led to a meeting with David Garnett and Bill Krispin from the Center For Urban Theological Studies (C.U.T.S.).
The meeting with C.U.T.S. took place on Thursday, April 23, 1992, at the C.U.T.S. office in Philadelphia. Garnett and Krispin shared the C.U.T.S. model for assisting churches and denominations in planting churches in the city among ethnic groups. C.U.T.S. offers a Task Force of experienced urban church planters to guide a church or a denomination through the steps in planting ethnic sensitive urban churches. The Task Force interviews and matches a church planter with the church or denomination. The Task Force then oversees, with the counsel of the church or denomination, the implementation of the church planting project until it reaches viability. This association with C.U.T.S. is on a contractual basis. The church or denomination is responsible for the Task Force fees and the support of the men called to do the church planting. The typical contract with C.U.T.S. normally runs three years.
C.U.T.S. has had good success with their church planting model among such denominations as the Mennonites, the Church of the Brethren, the Christian & Missionary Alliance, and has been instrumental in assisting the North American Baptists (with which Correnti is associated) in planting to date a cluster of six churches in the Philadelphia area. This model is adaptable to any denomination and can be implemented to reach differing ethnic groups, i.e. the Portuguese in the Newark, NJ area, the Asian Indians of Edison, NJ, and Hispanics and African-Americans in the Camden and Philadelphia areas.
The Committee believes this association with C.U.T.S. is an excellent way to formulate a model for Bible Fellowship Church planting work among ethnics. Members of the Committee met further with Garnett, to discuss details of what a contract with C.U.T.S. would entail. These Committee members reported that:
(1) Goals should be set for the timing of the contract with C.U.T.S.
(2) The level of financial commitment to the church planters should be considered.
(3 The doctrinal foundation of the Bible Fellowship Church should be made clear to the Task Force as it evaluates urban/ethnic church planters.
(4) The financial involvement must be considered. The Task Force fee would be an estimated $600-700. per month excluding support for the church planters.
(5) A decision would have to be made whether to start fresh and/or take on existing works.
(6) After the finalization of the contract C.U.T.S. would proceed to look for church planters to fit our distinctives.
The Committee was impressed with the C.U.T.S. model and agreed that association with C.U.T.S. could be what is needed to proceed to reach ethnic people groups. The Committee also raised the possibility of the Board of Church Extension and the Board of Missions working cooperatively to implement the C.U.T.S. model. Further meetings with C.U.T.S. will be necessary to develop this model and present it to Annual Conference.
Conclusion
The past year of work on this Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee has confirmed to the Committee that the task of reaching people from other cultures is imperative for the church in America. The Committee believes that planting ethnic Bible Fellowship Churches is a real possibility. Therefore, the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee enthusiastically recommends the following:
Recommendations
1. WHEREAS, the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee believes that God has opened a door to produce a viable model for ethnic church planting; and
WHEREAS, this model will take some time to formulate and present to Annual Conference; therefore be it
RESOLVED, the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee be directed to proceed with the formulation of an ethnic church planting model and report back at the 110th Annual Conference.
2. WHEREAS, it is the Lord’s desire to reach all tongues, tribes and peoples with the Gospel of Christ; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the particular churches of the Bible Fellowship Church continue to discover and be sensitive to ethnic people groups in their ministry target areas and seek ways of reaching these culturally diverse peoples.
3. WHEREAS, the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee has completed its review of the Standards of Worship & Life as directed by the 108th Annual Conference; and
WHEREAS, the Committee has identified Standards that do not express culturally transcendent biblical truths and values in language that is applicable to all cultures without bias; and
WHEREAS, it has been deemed necessary by the Committee to formulate biblical value statements that are culturally transcendent; therefore be it,
RESOLVED: that the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee be directed by Annual Conference to develop culturally transcendent biblical “Value Statements” for consideration at Annual Conference, and further,
RESOLVED: that the Inter-Cultural Ministries Study Committee be allowed to ask members of the Bible Fellowship Church to assist in the task of developing these “Value Statements.”
The 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.