Comments on: If We Were The GCR Task Force We Would Head To The Slaughterhouse http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/ Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:43:27 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Terrell Suggs http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-158 Terrell Suggs Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:38:31 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-158 John, Your article is brillant. Your words are well framed, full of insight and wisdom. We are certainly facing some tough days ahead. May God help us to make right decisions about these mammoth issues. Terrell Suggs John,
Your article is brillant. Your words are well framed, full of insight and wisdom. We are certainly facing some tough days ahead. May God help us to make right decisions about these mammoth issues.
Terrell Suggs

]]> By: Todd Littleton http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-92 Todd Littleton Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:41:02 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-92 Ken, You may well be right. It reminds me of what often happens with church splits. Leadership knows what they do not want to be and so spend quite a number of years proving they are not what they do not want to be. One day there are few who remember what it was we were living to prove we were not and now we must find another something to prove we are not. The constant battling either turns inward, finds an outward target, or in few of the best cases realize the need to recapture the nature and mission of the Church and propel the group/community forward. In these instances there is always, of necessity, a catalyst who may or may not benefit from the hard struggle to see a new day. Ken,
You may well be right. It reminds me of what often happens with church splits. Leadership knows what they do not want to be and so spend quite a number of years proving they are not what they do not want to be. One day there are few who remember what it was we were living to prove we were not and now we must find another something to prove we are not. The constant battling either turns inward, finds an outward target, or in few of the best cases realize the need to recapture the nature and mission of the Church and propel the group/community forward. In these instances there is always, of necessity, a catalyst who may or may not benefit from the hard struggle to see a new day.

]]> By: Ken McKinley http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-91 Ken McKinley Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:19:55 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-91 Hey brother, Just a few comments if I may. It has been my experience in life as well as in the study of history, that it is often visionary leaders that are also put on the chopping block, shot down as radicals, fired from positions that they have worked long and hard to obtain, and forced to endure all sorts of hardships; and it isn’t until five, ten or even twenty years later that a new leadership emerges and takes up the visionary mantle of the previous leader that through enduring all the hardship, paved the way for the new visionary. I think in the SBC (and correct me if I’m wrong) we have some of the “old guard” who have fought on the hills they chose to die on (I’m thinking of the ‘moral majority’ in particular) they fought their battles and in one sense they won them. Our current leadership came up under these men, watching them fight tirelessly against “issues,” but when they came to position and prominence the “issues” were resolved at least somewhat, and so our present leadership began looking for their own “crusade.” The result of this was a lack of action on anything, including the fundamental things like fulfilling the Great Commission, after all – they had not been faithfully equipped to fulfill it themselves as their predecessors were to busy fighting about “issues.” Now we have up and coming leaders who are seeing this short fall, and we want to do something about it, but it very well may be that we have to be the ones who are put on the chopping block, shot down as radicals, fired from positions that we have worked long and hard to obtain, and forced to endure all sorts of hardships so that in five, ten or even twenty years a new leadership will take this cause, run with it, and find success. I don’t know… what do you think? Hey brother,

Just a few comments if I may.
It has been my experience in life as well as in the study of history, that it is often visionary leaders that are also put on the chopping block, shot down as radicals, fired from positions that they have worked long and hard to obtain, and forced to endure all sorts of hardships; and it isn’t until five, ten or even twenty years later that a new leadership emerges and takes up the visionary mantle of the previous leader that through enduring all the hardship, paved the way for the new visionary.
I think in the SBC (and correct me if I’m wrong) we have some of the “old guard” who have fought on the hills they chose to die on (I’m thinking of the ‘moral majority’ in particular) they fought their battles and in one sense they won them. Our current leadership came up under these men, watching them fight tirelessly against “issues,” but when they came to position and prominence the “issues” were resolved at least somewhat, and so our present leadership began looking for their own “crusade.” The result of this was a lack of action on anything, including the fundamental things like fulfilling the Great Commission, after all – they had not been faithfully equipped to fulfill it themselves as their predecessors were to busy fighting about “issues.”
Now we have up and coming leaders who are seeing this short fall, and we want to do something about it, but it very well may be that we have to be the ones who are put on the chopping block, shot down as radicals, fired from positions that we have worked long and hard to obtain, and forced to endure all sorts of hardships so that in five, ten or even twenty years a new leadership will take this cause, run with it, and find success.
I don’t know… what do you think?

]]> By: Michael Wilcox http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-90 Michael Wilcox Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:52:08 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-90 This might be the best post I have ever read. This might be the best post I have ever read.

]]> By: Brenna http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Brenna Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:19:02 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-89 Reminds me of another fave song of a fave group, 4Him "we need to get back to the Basics of Life." "denominational staff are sent back to the church to take up their work of serving Christ" ...not to supplement their incomes through interims but to experience the 'real world' of ministry and see what people need; also good ways to see what people are longing for is to get a job outside of the church world and experience what 'regular people' experience, talk to them, share with them. Reminds me of another fave song of a fave group, 4Him “we need to get back
to the Basics of Life.”

“denominational staff are sent back to the church to take up their work of serving Christ” …not to supplement their incomes through interims but to experience the ‘real world’ of ministry and see what people need; also good ways to see what people are longing for is to get a job outside of the church world and experience what ‘regular people’ experience, talk to them, share with them.

]]> By: Alan Cross http://missioscapes.com/archives/if-we-were-the-gcr-task-force-we-would-head-to-the-slaughterhouse/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Alan Cross Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:31:52 +0000 http://missioscapes.com/?p=46#comment-85 Well said, John. I think that there are more than a few futurists in and around the SBC that can chart an intelligent and engaging array of possibilities for us to step into. But, we have to put away politics and power plays. We have to make the right decisions. We don't need to say, "Don't just stand there, change something." But, we also need to look at everything. Ministry and the ability to cooperate must be returned to the local church. Well said, John. I think that there are more than a few futurists in and around the SBC that can chart an intelligent and engaging array of possibilities for us to step into. But, we have to put away politics and power plays. We have to make the right decisions. We don’t need to say, “Don’t just stand there, change something.” But, we also need to look at everything.

Ministry and the ability to cooperate must be returned to the local church.

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