Ablaze! Creates Conflict

One of the things I’ve never covered in any of my criticisms of the Ablaze! program is the actual effect it may or may not have on the members themselves. Most of what I’ve written here, when I wasn’t being sarcastic and snarky, has been what I believe a series of discussions only viewed from a Scriptural or Confessional perspective. It is those two views that really make me what I am, because at the end of the day, I don’t believe anything else matters.

I’ve been fortunate that I have a Pastor and a parish that looks at things, most of the time but not always, very much the way I do. It is for this reason that I’ve been insulated from the circuit, district, and synodical ventures into the reformed waters of an American Arminian style of evangelism where people make desisions that count as critical events and folks are told that to reach the unchurched we must stop acting so much like a church. But with district officials visiting and members of my own congregation thinking it might be a good thing to abandon that with which we have confessed to be a Scriptural view of evangelism, I been forced to look at things with new eyes.

What I’ve noticed more and more is that Ablaze!, whether by design or by accident although leaning more and more toward design, seems to force people to compete with each other for that “pat on the back” that tells them they are living up to God’s law that we just do our part. I’m not going to rehash that subject again. If you want to know what I’ve written, click on the Ablaze! tags and have at it.

So what do I mean that Ablaze! pits people against one another? Lets look at an excerpt from an email from an a member of my circuit:

As you know, several congregations in circuit 123 have already made decisions to participate financially, such as church A with a $48,000 minimum and church B with a $19,000 plus commitment; church C will be doing 50 Days Ablaze! in the fall. In addition… there are a number of publications , as you know from synod and the district that can be ordered and distributed to members of the congregation to help individuals make an informed decision of whether to participate and how.

The person that sent me this was and is very upset that we don’t seem to be measuring up to the other congregations. Never mind that we give more money to every pet charity that everybody and their cousin wants to support every time a budget meeting is called. We give plenty! But we don’t allocate 40% of our budget to send to a district that cant and wont seem to tell us how the spend our money. We decided some time ago that we wouldn’t drive ourselves into bankruptcy just so we can say we gave more that you did. That is poor stewardship and that is no different than giving to a bunch of rich Pharisees strutting around the marketplace in flowing robes devouring all the people gave.

And is that the only example? Heck no! look at this recent communication from the Southeastern district highlighting a convocation that promotes starting new congregations:

From Rev. Lloyd Gaines

I'm excited to announce the first SED Regional Church Planting Conference. It will take place at St. John's Lutheran Church, Franconia, Virginia September 5-7, 2007. This conference is not for everyone. It's for those with a deep passion and strong desire to learn the latest principles and techniques of church planting.

Ok, it’s not for everybody? Really? So how do I know if it’s for me? If I think that the focus of any congregation should be Word and Sacrament, will I be asked to leave? If I say such, will I be called a worthless wordsmith as I have in my own circuit? Again, how do I know if I’m welcome?
This you can’t be for evangelism if your focus is on Word and Sacrament pits those who should be for the same goal against one another for no good reason. Word and Sacrament are evangelism. Good doctrine and good theology can’t be separated from missions! And my new understanding frustrates me even more that we proceed day after day with a program that doesn’t measure up and pits brother against brother.