Thanksgiving break came and went (this time an enjoyable weekend trip to Coaldale) and I’m in the middle of a day and a half pit stop back in Hepburn. Tomorrow afternoon I’m heading out to Abbotsford, BC for a Study Conference being put on by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches. The title of the conference is ‘Culture, Gospel, and Church‘ and the keynote speaker is George Hunsberger, who directs the North American branch of the Gospel and Our Culture Network (the UK version of which was started by Lesslie Newbigin).
I was reading one of Hunsberger’s articles (provocatively entitled ‘Is There a Biblical Warrant for Evangelism?‘) in preparation for this conference and was intrigued by his take on some of the key New Testament texts that are often pointed to as the basis for Christian mission. Particularly interesting to me was his interpretation of Acts 1:8 where Jesus says, “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Hunsberger says that most Christians read this text as a command that is meant to be obeyed. Jesus is finished his ministry on earth and is now charging his followers with their responsibilities. If this is our framework then the emphasis within the church is simply on doing what Jesus told us to do. In times of church decline the solution is simply a louder reminder that the church is to go into all the world and to become better witnesses.
Hunsberger’s conclusion is that Jesus’ words here are not a command to be obeyed but a promise of what the identity of the church is in light of what Jesus has accomplished. “Being witnesses is not our assignment, it is our identity.” In a world like ours, a world that has a ‘history’ with the gospel but a growing cynicism about whether it has much to offer today, this is a needed reminder. The message of the Gospel is widely accessible. What may be missing is a credible demonstration of its truth in the lives of those who claim to follow it.
I like the way Hunsberger summarizes this. He says, “It is essential to the church’s identity that it be a living embodiment of the gospel, demonstrating in word and deed what it means to believe and hope in the gospel.” I’m looking forward to hearing more this weekend.
I’m looking forward to reading your “report” (impressions, etc.) about the conference!
[...] of what the church’s identity as a ‘missional’ body might look like (see the previous post for a summary). What some of us would have liked was more critical analysis of actual cultural [...]