Movements that change the world

Here’s the first installment of Howard Snyder’s “scattered thoughts” on his Ten Major Trends. He refers back to my “muddled thoughts”.

1. From regional churches to world church.

This is continuing. As you mention, Philip Jenkins’ Next Christendom is relevant here. It is not clear however what “world church” might end up meaning. The church will be increasingly diverse but increasingly linked, I think—both in terms of global electronic communications (e.g., your work) and in terms of various ministry and mission networks. This includes the continuing internationalization of denominations; denominationalism is not dead, even though it is morphing.

I don’t see a “world church” emerging in any organizationally unified sense (that would probably be Anti-Christ!). But I do hope for Spirit-led greater understanding and cooperation globally, and I think global communication and revival currents here and there will foster that.

Significantly, we are seeing the globalization and internationalization of Christian leadership and writing. I see this, for instance, in the increasing numbers of non-Anglos as book authors and organizational leaders in the English-speaking world. Also, influential Christian leaders are emerging already in (e.g.) India, China, Korea, and throughout Latin America. Their numbers and proportion will increase, to the good of the whole church, I believe. But new divisions, conflicts, and controversies will emerge unless trend #2 really flourishes.

Clearly, well before the end of this century the church will be predominantly non-Western in virtually every respect. In what has been “the West,” more and more of the church’s leaders will be non-Western or multiethnic.

2. From scattered growth to broad revival.

As you noted, we argued in 1986: “Now that the world has become one global, interconnected communications network, the unprecedented Christian growth worldwide is bound to have an impact in the traditionally Christian lands of North America and Europe.” And I agree you’re your observation: “Unfortunately, we’re still a long way off seeing the dynamism and growth of the church replicated in the ‘traditionally Christian lands.’ If the problem is consumerism, God may have to take away our toys before we’ll see significant revival in the developed world.”

We can now identify a number of “impacts” of church growth and revival around the world on the North Atlantic countries. I mentioned some above, and Jenkins speaks of this (and probable longer-term influences) in The Next Christendom.

I do see signs of a movement (or movements) brewing in the U.S. I just read the Time cover story on Bono, clearly a prophet of our time. He notes, as others have (David Brooks of the NY Times in some ways) numerous signs of ferment in the U.S., and probably elsewhere—a sense of a transition coming.

As to broad revival, in terms of a genuine movement of the Holy Spirit that will transform the church and society? I don’t know. I’m hopeful. I believe God is working in a number of subtle ways. I don’t see a lot of positive signs in (or hope for) U.S. churches that can’t distinguish between the kingdom of God and U.S. patriotism, but that’s being transcended or questioned in places. A number of Evangelical leaders, for instance, are becoming concerned with environmental issues and global poverty. (Quite a report recently on that in CQ Weekly, the influential magazine published by the Congressional Quarterly.)

Granted that no truly broad, authentic revival has yet occurred, I’m actually more hopeful about that today than I was in 1986.

3. From Communist China to Christian China.

This was stated provocatively, of course. Obviously China is not yet a Christian nation. As I see it, a great contest is underway there between the Christian faith and economic materialism/ consumerism. The remarkable growth of the church continues, much of it more or less underground, though Christians are beginning to have some influence in educational and political circles.

I don’t know where this will end up. If the Christian church can maintain radical fidelity to Jesus Christ and not succumb to materialism, and not be torn apart by internal divisions, a genuinely Christian China could emerge in the next fifty years. But the church in China will have to prove more effective in resisting the seductions of advertising, entertainment, and consumerism than Western Christianity has been.

I still believe China will evolve in a more democratic direction over the next decades and that the Christian faith will be less and less persecuted—as a result both of Christian influence on the society and of the openness demanded by economic globalization. But this is not assured.

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