Welcome to issue three of Equip to Disciple.
This issue will be a little different than the previous two. We
have been featuring the church from many perspectives in the last
three issues. Our original plan was to have the next two feature
articles on the church and the kingdom, and we will pick back up
with that direction for the fourth issue of 2008.
The church ’s assignment is making kingdom
disciples, discipling Christians to live Christ-like lives as the
salt and light people of God. Another way of stating the church ’s
role is to disciple God’s people to make His invisible kingdom
visible throughout all of life, which is the theme for our
upcoming conference. On November 13-15, 2008, CEP will hold a
conference on making kingdom disciples featuring people like Chuck
Colson, Anthony Bradley, Christian Smith, Allan Curry, and a host
of others speaking on various aspects of “Making God’s Invisible
Kingdom Visible.” We will amplify that theme both at the fall
conference in Atlanta and in the next Equip to Disciple.
This is an election ye a r, and consequently we
are hearing reports on many atypical topics on the airways and in
the news media. We have had our attention drawn to a theme that
may be somewhat new to many of you, Liberation Theology and
especially Black Liberation Theology. However, you do probably
know the controversy in the news over this topic.
Recently, Dr. George Fuller, a former pastor,
seminary professor and president, and current consultant for
Christian Education and Publications in its senior citizen
ministry, was asked to address the topic of Black Liberation
Theology. Now, we have asked him to do two things in this issue:
review a book entitled The Decline of African American Theology
and to allow us to do an abridged version of a sermon he
preached on the topic. Dr. Fuller deals with the general topic of
Liberation Theology and specifically Black Liberation Theology. He
goes to the origin of the theology from a historical perspective,
which helps us see more clearly what God says and expects
regarding oppression .
Another feature in this issue grows out of a
discussion and action taken by the 36t h PCA General Assembly
regarding whether to establish a study committee to deal with
women and the office of deacon. The assembly debated this issue
and concluded not to establish such a committee. As a result, I
have been asked by a number of people what I thought about the
discussion and action. I have chosen to use our In Case You’re
Asked section to share some thoughts that we re not stated, though
maybe implied in the discussion. It is always good and helpful in
any discussion to have in mind what, where, why,
and how we are where we are. That becomes a key in helping us
determine where we go from here. The answer is not intended as a
pro or con to the issue but rather to offer some historical
perspective that is important when processing the assembly ’s
action not to study it at the present time.
You will also want to read the Equip Tip by Dennis
Bennett. He writes on discipleship and reminds us of the need to
keep in mind wh at we are referring to under the umbrella of
Christian education .His focus is on the planning and
organizational tools necessary for having an effective
discipleship program .He reminds the reader that doing
organization and planning requires hard work but, when properly
done with God’s guidance and blessing, can produce much benefit.
Along with the book review by Dr. Fuller mentioned
above, Bennett has a couple of interesting reviews on The
African Bible Commentary and How We Got the Bible. You
will also want to read the two reviews on Polishing God’s
Monuments and Renewing Minds. The first is a gripping,
true story of a pastor theologian and his family and the story of
the suffering that they have experienced. Prepare yourself and
read the book. Renewing Minds deals with the overall theme
of CEP’s ministry, equipping and discipling God’s people to live
in this postmodern world with a biblically Reformed world and life
view perspective. The book reminds us that we have three options:
to assimilate into the world ’s patterns and ideologies, to
isolate ourselves from the world as much as possible, or the third
and right way, engagement .We need to know how to live in the
culture and how to engage the culture rather than let it determine
our life style. Sometimes we need to be in the world ’s culture,
sometimes we need to be counter cultural, and at other times we
need to be transcultural, rising
above the culture. This book will help us to that
end. Please also read about the new adult and teen studies
produced by CEP and introduced at this past 36th General Assembly;
and more than that, consider using them in your local Christian
education program.
Our prayer is that you will find this issue of
Equip to Disciple informative, challenging, encouraging, and
most helpful in your role as a kingdom disciple in God’s church
and world.
Third
Quarter 2008