The ERC's annual Evangelism Summit is set for next Saturday, February 24 and I'll be working at the store until 10:00 that evening and, therefore, unable to attend.
I've been looking over the material the Conference has published about it and am particularly interested in the workshop Dave Williams will be leading entitled,
What is a Life-Giving Church?
As far as I can tell, nowhere in the Old or New Testaments, is there a command for a (the) church to be life-giving.
Interestingly, from the description, it seems Dave's workshop might either provide an assessment of how life-giving your church is, or, at least, promote an assessment tool for the life-giving-ness of your church, which, apparently, will then be provided by the hierarchs of the ERC.
So, I'm asking you, off the blog if you wish, to give me some information:
1. What Scripture does Dave cite in his definition of a life-giving church? (You know, New Testament plan...only rule of faith and practice.)
2. What Scripture that he uses is actually taken in context (i.e., it is actually, in context, a part of a biblical discussion about church)?
3. Since the church is virtually unmentioned in the Gospels, what legitimate authority, if any, does he cite from Jesus to define and assess the life-giving-ness of a church?
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Honestly, while I can't see authority in the New Testament for emphasis on churches, pastors and institutional hierarchy, I hope I'm still humble enough, in my tender moments, to acknowledge that I might be wrong.
Please fill me in.
I've said previously that, in my opinion, Dave's the most gifted theologian among the ERC hierarchs.
If there's going to be biblical integrity in how this gang does things, it is, most likely, going to have to come from Dave.
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