PROGRESS VS PROGRESSIVISM
Ever wonder why the Church of today is going through this recent change in ministerial accord that all seems to be just to try and render more converts than ever before? It’s kind of like there is this competition among the churches and ministries to be the latest trend producer or next overnight mega church, and to do it better than any predecessor ever did. Along with this are the places where we see that all praise and worship has to now be in a Hillsong style, and all preaching in an Joel Osteen manner of pulpit ministry. Now don’t go off and get righteously ballistic on me here, I greatly appreciate the ministries of these organizations and feel they are having an impact on the populace internationally and in their local areas. But why does every other church or ministry now believe they have to conform to what these ministries are “called to do” by God in order to succeed?
What is progressivism? It is a movement to bring about and enforce a manner of social reform that is only according to the ideology of those who actively promote it. (my definition) So, why do we need to reform the work of the word of God and the Holy Spirit, since clearly the things being done are to that end? I believe it is because today there is an acceptance of this progressive ideology being promoted in the Church purposed to render the past cultural mannerisms as non effective in any continuance of growing the body of Christ. And that these new ways of ministry are justifiable as an conformance to the Holy Spirits capitalizing on the cultural attentiveness of today’s masses. For the Church corporate to allow all of this conformity to occur I say we have clearly gone spiritually stupid, Proverbs 12:1 (HCSB) 1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but one who hates correction is stupid.
The first thing we need to recognize is that progressivism isn’t being done to better our cultural integrity, it is being done to degrade it to such a degree that all immoral mannerisms are totally acceptable and even seen as necessary. Look at what has happened in this country over the past 30-40 years regarding liberals or those who have an opposing view to conservative values. They have now accepted this progressive far left social reform as the thing to do because they see how it devoid’s one of responsibility for any errors that might occur. A similar situation is happening in the churches where within the workings of this new manner of ministry there is a sense of non aligning to responsibility of leadership. Seen in the fact that many pastors no longer want to be called pastor, but co-pastors or co-lead pastors or subordinate pastors or associate organizers. All of these terms are right out of the progressive playbook and used solely to defer any accountability to a degree that if issues arise no one person can be seen as the blame. Proverbs 12:2 2 The good person obtains favor from the LORD, but He condemns a man who schemes.
There are scriptures in the word of God that warn us about any conformity to the ways of the world, and none reveal that all of these cultural labels are part and partial to any work of ministry. As a matter of fact a definition of ministerial ordinances is clearly called out aligning everyone to a work of ministry perceived as a Pastor, Evangelist, Prophet, Teacher, and Apostles. The reason why many ministries are aligning themselves to such immoral mannerisms is that those in our younger generation are trained to see themselves as part of a global image of progressive ideas that states everyone is the same. What used to be a definition of ministerial purpose is now being clouded by the use of such terms as spiritual orientation groups and non traditional services and new contemporary social elements. If the work of ministry as formatted in scripture has for over two thousand years been effective in bringing in the masses, how come it no longer is? Why do we now need to conform to the elements of the world to entice someone to come in and be welcomed? Proverbs 12:3 3 Man cannot be made secure by wickedness, but the root of the righteous is immovable.
Many churches have now turned out the lights in order to offer an atmosphere that is more like a Miley Cyrus concert than an event where the power of God is to be present. And back-lite the performers to the same degree so that an expression through social media dynamics is proportionally occurring. Somehow I don’t believe this is being seen as progress in ministry by God, but more as a conformity to a progressive social indulgences. We can also gauge this by using another factor that is occurring in the churches, and that is there has never in the history of the church been more of an exodus as there is today. People who have a relationship with God know something isn’t right about all of this, and the uncomfortable aspects is causing many to just leave. So, is progress really being made or is progressivism purposely being advanced by a guise of Christ simply to satisfy the egos of those who think they through ministry have a right to conform Christ’s Church?