Progressive and Pentecostal

As our worship becomes more spirit-filled we may be informed by this recent post from our friend Rev Derick Wilson:

10 Core Values of a Progressive Pentecostal Assembly

by Rev. Derick Wilson on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 8:29pm

Recently I became quite interested in two movements that are beginning to dominate various segments of Christian expression: the Progressive Christian movement and Pentecostalism.  Pentecostalism with all of its emphasis on the shout, gifts, and ecstatic worship has clearly transformed the church turning the most staid and traditional Black Baptist and Methodist churches into places where you can now "get a good dance in". Progressive Christianity has swept our traditional, main line denominations with the only real growth in these denominations taking place among churches who are influenced by Progressive Christianity's call to social justice and engagement.

Both have assets as well as liabilities. Pentecostalism is usually noted for having extreme engagement of the heart and passions along with bringing certainty in uncertain times. However, it is also noted for not being socially engaged and for encouraging a disengagement of intellect in favor of rote  recitations of dogma backed by proof texting.  Progressive Christianity is all about social engagement and full engagement of intellect through well researched academia. However, passion in worship is often lacking, preaching is often more about concepts than every day issues, and uncertainty is prized and seen as the essence of faith.

I believe it is essential that persons who wish to engage the text and worship with minds as well as heart, and who find connection to Jesus must be both profoundly personal yet socially transformative, have a construct in which to lay this out in practice in their home assemblies.  Below are 10 core values that I propose in talking the best of both movements to create a Progressive Pentecostal church/fellowship.   

1.      Commitment to Christ as Savior: We understand salvation as being progressive: I was saved, I am being saved, I shall be saved.  We enter into relationship with Christ (was saved).  We then grow in our understanding of Him and how we are to develop our character in accordance with His teachings (being saved).  Finally, after a life spent growing and caring for the dignity of all of God’s creation, we look forward to hearing Him say well done (shall be saved).

2.      Fidelity to the Intent of Scripture: We understand that the intent of scripture is to point us to personal knowledge of God and inform our relationship with God, not record history.  Focus on intent liberates the text from the onerous challenge of having to be taken literally, while at the same time honoring and revering the text as foundational for faith formation.

3.      Holistic Service to God: We believe in a seamless cycle of service to God which encompasses dynamic/ecstatic praise and worship in the sanctuary that in turn, fuels passion for improvement of self and society, which leads back to dynamic praise.  Our coming together in fellowship and praise is a tool to energize us to create the justkingdom of God on earth. 

4.      Prophetic Transparency in Leadership: We affirm strong pastoral leadership that flows from pastoral vision in connection to God is essential in growth.  However, we understand that strength also extends to the strength to be transparent in humanity.  Thus, even as members see their leaders being transparent, they respect the call of God upon their leader’s life and the importance of maintaining Apostolic order so that there is an infrastructure for the church to grow on.

5.      Distributive Leadership: We believe that the sole responsibility of leadership and success of the fellowship is not left to the pastor.  The fellowship is a fully functioning organization with various entities and needs for individual members to step up in excellence to execute program functions.  This leadership is accountable to the pastor, yet also understands that it must work independently. 

6.      Commitment to Excellence and Accountability: God, God’s people, and God’s church deserve and require our best effort and the humility to be held accountable to giving our best. This extends to all tasks related to the fellowship, from execution of leadership tasks, to regular and timely attendance in worship, to support of church programming, to the giving of tithes and offerings. 

7.      Fully Inclusive in Membership: We are called to be a house of prayer for all people, and will take deliberate steps to ensure that all communities and demographics are represented on all levels of leadership. We must deliberately reach persons for membership and leadership, from a variety of backgrounds, yet having faith in Christ and passion for holistic service as our unifying common element. We love and seek fellowship with all without regard to issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, ability, or any other physical distinctiveness.

8.      Balance in Life: We believe that a life in accordance with the will of God is lived in a harmonious balance between sacred and secular. We are faithful to the things of God and to our commitments as members of the fellowship, while at the same time attending to those things in life which God has given us for pleasure and fulfillment such as family, relationships, travel, education, and other pursuits which enrich our lives in a healthy way. Thus, we strive to take time to fellowship and enjoy time spent with each other away from the context of the worship experience.

9.       Stand with the Powerless: In all matters in society, we believe that God can be found on the side of the powerless, thus in all matters where a choice must be made, we stand with them as well and strive to do the work of God in defending their dignity. This commitment is without regard to the situations that may have contributed to their powerlessness. We raise our voice to supplement and support, not replace, theirs.

10.    Reconciliation: We seek to maintain fellowship by always being proactive in seeking to overcome differences that will lead to disruption in relationship. We covenant that should our relationship with each other or the fellowship need to cease it will only be after concerted efforts of communication, mediation, and correction. This implies an understanding that no matter how wronged or justified we feel, the other party also has a perspective that must be heard.