The Arrogance and Realism of CGGC "Leaders"

Brandon Kelly is leaving General Conference staff. He's to be replaced, in part, by a new Director of Strategy.

Think about everything those facts signify. Here are only some of those things.

According to the myth of recent years, the Church of God began in 1825, 194 years ago.

In what, honestly, must be understood to be a move that is, at once, hyper-conservative and, yet at the same time, a radical innovation,...

...CGGC leadership is planning to submit to the delegates of General Conference in session...

...a FOR-THE-FIRST-TIME-IN-THOSE-194-YEARS, denominational Strategic Plan. 

And, that, in spite of the fact that, in recent years, we have proclaimed ourselves to be on mission to establish churches on "the New Testament plan" and, even more recently, adopted a Statement of Faith containing the bold promise to hold the Bible to be "our only rule of faith and practice."

Considering the 194 years of history and the Mission Statement and the Statement of Faith,...

...the mere creation of a Strategic Plan, in my opinion, has to be acknowledged to be a radical innovation of the highest order.

The title of this post contains the word, "arrogance," and I believe there is arrogance in the creation of the Strategic Plan itself.

Based on the recent proclamations of the General Conference, i.e., the Eldership, about biblical authority, and the fact that there's nothing approaching a Strategic Plan in the Word, I think the term "arrogance" fits perfectly.

However, there's greater...

...world-class arrogance...

...in the fact that General Conference staffers have already created a job description for the Director of Strategy AND that they've published it AND that they are beginning the search for the person who will be "hired" to do the job.

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What if the Eldership balks?

What if some delegates cite the Mission and the authority of the Word?

What if implementation of the plan is delayed?

What if this particular plan is rejected?

What if there is a challenge to the very notion that a church operating on the New Testament plan with the Bible as its only rule of faith could have a strategic plan...

...and a human being directing the plan?

There is incredible arrogance in the creation of a job description for the Director of Strategy...

...and even greater arrogance in the search for the person who will hold the job...

...even before any of this has been considered by the Eldership.

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If you ever read this blog, you know my opinions about what the New Testament plan consists of and you know that I see no place for a strategic plan in it.

But, that's not at issue here.

You may remember that there was a sense of humility among the members of General Conference staff, about a decade ago, in preparing for the General Conference votes on the revised We Believe and the Credential Standards document.

General Conference staff traveled to the far reaches of the body to seek face-to-face feedback on what was being proposed.

There was dialog, genuine dialog. I know. I attended one of those gatherings.

General Conference staff made itself accountable to engage the wisdom of the people of the CGGC...

...they behaved as if the CGGC is truly an Eldership: A body in which human authority rests among the people.

The lack of those actions from today's General Conference staff is where an unbelievable degree of arrogance lies.

From what I'm hearing, from multiple sources, the first-in-194 years Strategic Plan will be presented to General Conference delegates with little, if any, opportunity for the people of the CGGC to provide input.

The plan is already completely written. It's on the agenda for General Conference sessions on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.

I've used the word "Popish" to describe CGGC staff actions in the past, but to do so in the way the creation of this first-ever Strategic Plan...

...is an unjustifiable insult to the authoritarianism of Roman Catholic Popes.

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The title of this post refers to the arrogance of CGGC "leaders." And, the writing of the first-ever Strategic Plan, with little to no involvement of the body, is arrogant.

Truthfully, the beginning of the search for a Director of Strategy BEFORE General Conference sessions makes the adjective "arrogant" inadequate.

But, the title of this post also refers to the "realism" of the guys atop the CGGC mountain.

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One'll get you 50 that CGGC staffers will get their way.

My guess is that there will be virtually no discussion of the motion to approve the Strategic Plan and little or no vocal opposition to it and that the search for a Director of Strategy, initiated even before there is a strategy, will move to its conclusion unimpeded.

CGGC staffers have behaved in this matter as if they are a Pope and his Cardinals and Bishops, not members of a body in which human authority rests among the people.

And, you CGGCers will allow them to do it.

The Lord of all authority and power and blessing isn't blessing us.

Of that there can be no question.

And, the Lord of all authority and power and blessing won't bless us until we repent.

We must repent .