Asbury Theological Seminary

Consultation II Report

The Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements conducted the second of three international consultations during late May and early June, 2010, in Edinburgh, Scotland: “Exploring the Dialectic between Revitalization and Church.” The significance of this setting for World Christianity was obvious to all who attended, as the consultation coincided with the Centennial celebration of the 1910 Edinburgh conference. In a manner similar to the first consultation, participants were asked to do their work in table discussion groups, focusing attention on three primary tasks: (a) providing a definition of revitalization, (b) constructing a model of the church for revitalization, and (c) explaining what revitalization means for the internal and external life of the church. As we (the editors) worked our way through the fifteen, single-spaced pages of notes and reflections that were collected from these table conversations, two impressions quickly began to form. First, we were struck by the complexity of the assigned tasks. Second, the work of our participants has made an important contribution toward increasing our understanding of revitalization and the church. The following reflections are a modest attempt to identify some key themes and questions that emerged during our reading of this material. In their discussions, table participants acknowledged that attempts to define revitalization will inevitably presuppose other fundamental questions - what do we hope will be revitalized, and to what end? Their reflections seem to indicate that ways of answering these questions will differ from community to community depending upon a variety of aims: i.e., revitalization of the church, the culture, the liturgy, or the human community. In addition, there was considerable discussion regarding the nature of revitalization: is it an end in itself, or a means to another end? In other words, for whose sake does Revitalization occur? Is its purpose to strengthen the church, to transform aspects of culture, to advance the gospel, or more fundamentally, to glorify God? As we reflected on the questions raised by our table groups concerning the nature of revitalization, we were reminded of earlier periods of extensive evangelization, spiritual awakening, and cultural transformation in North America which demonstrated a similar dialectic between revitalization and church. Such historical examples led us to ask if we should attempt to understand revitalization in historical or theological terms. What we have discovered, however, is that in attempting to arrive at a definition of revitalization table participants generally began by orienting their conversations theologically. For example, acknowledging the action of each member of the Trinity; emphasizing the “already, but not yet” dimensions of God’s kingdom and the church’s eschatological hope; focusing on the paschal mystery and the cruciform nature of Christian faith and life; and confessing that revitalization is, from beginning to end, “God’s presence and action in the world via the body of Christ.” On the other hand, one of our table groups chose not to begin theologically, questioning the appropriateness of defining revitalization by the use of formal theological terms rather than the language which is indigenous to the historical, social, and cultural location of each ecclesial community.

Given the variety of working definitions around the concept of revitalization we were not surprised that a number of correlative questions and concerns began to emerge as our table participants shifted their focus to constructing a model of the church for revitalization. One group suggested that “there is no model” (since revitalization movements are context-specific) and that renewal should not be conceived as an abstract concept but rather as a narrative account of “doing things together.” However, this hesitation may also reflect a certain amount of ecumenical sensitivity and restraint, since another working group had already expressed concern that the process of constructing a model of revitalization should not require the prescription of any particular ecclesiology. Moreover, another table discussion focused on the question of whether a theological basis for constructing a model of revitalization was necessary prior to the movement or should be discerned as one of the effects or fruits of the movement itself. We suspect that such questions and concerns will inevitably be part of any attempts to situate and understand contemporary revitalization movements within the larger vision of God’s dealings with his people provided by the narrative of Scripture. Another set of questions thus emerged for our consideration: Where should we begin? What should we emphasize? What length of time is required to constitute a revitalization movement? And in an ecumenical gathering such as this one, whose story (stories) of the church will be told?

 The second question assigned for table discussions emphasized the central place of ecclesiology. In other words, how is revitalization related to and expressive of ecclesial forms of life? And should our understandings of revitalization be derived from tradition or stand over and against tradition? The complexity of this particular question was accentuated by the historical reality of revitalization movements that have been raised up to serve as a prophetic voice in relation to the “mother” church which gave them birth. The discussions around this particular question were framed by participants in a variety of interesting ways. One table group contended that ecclesiology cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit, and that attempts to program or structure renewal may actually become an obstacle to the church’s freedom in the Spirit. Another group concluded that that the metaphor of a journey, or the church on pilgrimage, might be more appropriate than language which suggests human mastery and control. A third table grouped grappled with the question of how the authority of leadership is authenticated as the work of the Spirit within a movement, given the prevalence of charismatic preachers and other popular figures who occupy prominent positions in leading renewal movements. In relation to this line of discussion, another table group raised the question as to whether revitalization movements are more likely to emerge in the West than in the East. Moreover, the members of this group acknowledged their question may point toward a need for careful analysis of the particular personal, social, political, and ecclesial conditions preceding and surrounding renewal movements such as: long term cultural crises leading to a loss of hope concerning the future, identity alienation, a sense of spiritual emptiness and longing, consumer - oriented and market - driven church competiveness, denominational decline, and governmental oppression.

 Finally, our table groups were asked to explain what revitalization means for the external and internal life of the church. This question prompted extended discussion around the challenges related to indentifying the particular characteristics, effects, and fruits, etc., that may be seen as signs of an authentic revitalization movement. Attempts to define particular signs of spiritual vitality as criteria for indentifying an authentic revitalization movement yielded a rather long and diverse list. This prompted one table group to suggest a possible taxonomy of revitalization movements which might include the following classifications:

• Repentance leading to a way of life characterized by self-denial

• Healing - restoration that may be associated with reconciliation within family life • Prophetic discernment - exposing and confronting culturally accommodated forms of idolatry

• Pentecostal signs and wonders

• Persecution

• Embodiment of the Word

• Care for creation

•Ministry with the poor

• Liturgical renewal

During the course of this discussion a number of other important questions were raised concerning the types of vital signs that may accompany authentic revitalization. In addition to asking what kind of conditions might invite or facilitate revitalization, our participants also thought it important to ask what kind of practices might sustain and extend such movements. This last question turned the conversation to a discussion of how the study of revitalization and the church might require a fresh theological exploration of divine and human action. For example, do human needs prompt divine action, or is the divine initiative completely responsible for generating renewal? And in light of the clarification pursuing such questions might yield, are there faithful and appropriate ways that established churches and institutions might seek, encourage, hope for, and position themselves to be made participants in the Spirit’s work of revitalization?

“Exploring the Dialectic between Revitalization and Church” completed the second stage of a three year project which aims to serve the global church by identifying, studying, and interpreting revitalization movements from around the world. This article has attempted to briefly summarize a series of conversations that took place among the diverse group of participants who gathered on the occasion of remembering and celebrating the 1910 Edinburgh Conference. Our hope is that the results of the good work which was completed during the first and second consultations will serve as a guide for participants of our third and final consultation which will be hosted by Tyndale Seminary of Toronto, Canada, in October, 2011.

—Chris Kiesling & Michael Pasquarello

Reflection

From May 29 – June 2 the Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements held a consultation in the historic city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Thirty-eight representatives from across the globe convened as a follow-up to the October 2009 meeting on Revitalization held on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary. The topic of the current consultation focused on “Exploring the Dialectic between Revitalization and Church,” and thus provided a timely precursor to the centennial celebration of the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh, which commenced on June 2. Following a brief introduction of the participants and a video report from the first consultation, project director Dr. Steve O’Malleyrecounted the background for the discussionon revitalization.

Two lectures followed, featuring Dr. Howard Snyder, currently professor from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, and Dr. Michael Rynkiewich, retiring professor from Asbury Theological Seminary. Their reflections alone indicate the diversity involved, not only in the revitalization movements themselves, but in the manner in which reflection on them is taking place. Snyder’s lecture presented a models-based approach, arguing that revitalization can be interpreted in accordance with the synthesis of various ecclesiological strains, such as the Catholic/Orthodox, Evangelical, Pentecostal/Charismatic, and Anabaptist traditions.

Rynkiewich focused on the concept of revitalization from a social science vantage point. Citing the work of Anthony F. C. Wallace and the patterns of renewal according to categories of steady state, increased individual stress, cultural distortion/breakdown, and the ensuing periods of revitalization, he suggests that new categories are needed to understand social movements in a context that Wallace could not have imagined a half-century ago. While nuancing certain aspects of the models-based approach, Rynkiewich likened the problem to a GPS navigational system, pointing out that the tendency to get lost or misguided increases the closer one gets to the destination. In this sense, maps/models can often be confused with the terrain, and since the terrain is constantly changing, they cannot always predict in advance what one will find.

The Sunday evening program featured a lecture by one of Scotland’s pioneer missiologists and elder statesman – Professor Andrew Walls. Dr. Walls is considered one of the leading authorities on the transformation of Christianity from a Western to global movement, and his eloquence was only surpassed by his gracious presence and humor throughout the consultation. His address focused on the life of Desert Father, Anthony the Coptic,who is acknowledged for spreading the concept of monasticism during the time when the Christian faith was transitioning from a counter-cultural movement to the religious guardian of the Roman Empire. In an agewhere Christian alliance with political powerwas altering the DNA of the church, Anthony’s flight (not retreat!) to the desert inaugurated a movement that would maintain spiritual encounter and vitality as the true life-signs of Christian living. As Europe became coterminous with Christendom, the seeds of authenticfaith were proliferated by remnant movements that often were at odds with the wider culture, such as monasticism, and their legacy inspired subsequent revitalization movements, such as the Wesleyan revivalwith its emphasis on both personal and social holiness. It is the memory of the revitalization movements of the past that influence ensuing movements – a point that Walls connected with the centennial celebration of the Edinburgh Missionary conference, which likewise was indebted to the life and work of the desert missionary and evangelist, Anthony.

During the following days, a variety of lectures were held on topics considered ancillary to revitalization study. Professor William Abraham, from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, challenged listeners to understand revitalization as an issue of spiritual formation. His address linked the lack of vitality among primarily mainline churches with the breakdown of catechesis. Noting shifts in educational strategy that have moved away from memory learning in favor of a childcentered approach, Abraham provocatively asserted that the results have been disastrous. Without internalization of the basic doctrines and central concepts of the church, there is a knowledge deficiency which impedes spiritual development. His primary statement, “some things can be said only after other things have been said,” struck at the heart of formation as an important prerequisite to renewed vitality in the church.

Professor Judith Kubicki, Fordham University, New York, honed in on the sacramental life of the church – or more correctly, “the church as sacrament.” The idea of sacramentality implies openness to mystery and imagination – to being attuned to the presence of God in the mundane experiences of ordinary life. As a living sacrament, the church should understand itself as a sign pointing to that which it fully participates, that is, the presence of God within the mundane and ordinary. Professor Song MeeChung, Sabah Theological Seminary, Malaysia followed Dr. Kubicki with a report on revitalization within the Lutheran Church of Malaysia. Her presentation was particularly enlightening, given the widespread assumption that renewed vitality among church gatherings is noticeably scarce among mainline denominations. The strength of Lutheran ecclesiology, according to Dr. Chung, resides in the freedom it allows for contextual expressions and needs-oriented ministry, as well as the church’s unity on a global level. The depiction of Lutheranism in a non-Christendom setting as a vibrant and growing entity provides an intriguing contrast to the state and national church contexts of Western Europe, thus demonstrating the role of social location in the process of revitalization.

Other lectures provided a concrete nexus between Christian vitality and the church’s reaction to socio-political malaise, including oppression. Professor Catherine Wanner, cultural anthropologist from Pennsylvania State University provided a detailed glimpse into Christian renewal movements in the Ukraine. In a country that experienced decades of coercive attempts to eradicate religious expression, followed by the onslaught of secularism, Christian revitalization is currently having a profound impact on the larger society by confronting social problems, such as rampant addiction, and then framing them as spiritual crises. Wanner noted that this strategy is giving the church a widespread sense of relevance, which in turn is reversing the pejorative perceptions of Christianity from recent history. Noteworthy examples include the ministry of Nigerian pastor Sunday Adonijah, who has amassed thousands of converts through the healing of addictions; Hillsong churches, which continue to reach younger congregants through the use of contemporary music forms in English; and an intentional missionary strategy that sends missionaries abroad to more affluent countries whose converts pledge financial support back to Ukraine in order to facilitate evangelistic efforts where financial resources otherwise are scarce. Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, from Trinity Theological Seminary, Accra, Ghana, presented an equally compelling account of the growth of Indigenous Charismatic Churches. The astounding growth of congregations throughout much of the continent and the rise of Africa as a major force in worldwide Christian renewal is, according to Dr. Asamoah-Gyadu, attributable to none other than the work of the Holy Spirit. Against the backdrop of colonialism and subsequent Western missionary ventures into the continent that largely disregarded the spiritual worldview of sub-Saharan Africans, indigenous church expressions reintroduced the importance of religious experience, including “signs and wonders.” This emphasis had often been subverted by the more cognitive approach of Westerners, and the recovery of emotion and experience in worship, as well as the legitimization of itinerant charismatic evangelists has been a catalyst in attracting Africans of all walks of life into a more vibrant and contextual Christian expression.

The consultation was intrigued by the presentation of Dr. Todd Johnson, from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, who provided a detailed quantitative analysis of the spread of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements into the global South. His graphic depiction of Christian growth beyond the Western world cogently illustrated how much the religious landscape has changed in the 100 years following the Edinburgh Conference. We were also graced by presentations from our host culture on Celtic monastic communities. Professor Ian Bradley, from the University of St. Andrews, and Graham Booth, from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, in turn offered deep insights into the nature of pilgrimage and monastic life.

Much of our time was also spent on table discussions. Consultation participants were divided into four groups, according to fields of study, and the criteria for discussion centered on three specific topics: 1) models of the church, 2) extant models of revitalization, and 3) what revitalization means in the context of our discipline. The summaries of each group reflected creativity and intensity, and though various metaphors were employed, the groups were in agreement on a number of key issues. Each group, for example, maintained a certain optimism regarding the possibility for revitalization in all ecclesial structures. Group D captured the sentiment of all with a quote from St. Irenaeus: “Where the church is there is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is the church and all Grace.” There was likewise consensus regarding the likelihood of opposition by institutional elements in the church and in society. Revitalization presupposes its absence, and resistance to change and threat to power often result in efforts to stonewall the work of the Spirit. This is profoundly true in areas of the world where Christian congregants have experienced oppression and persecution – issuesthat several consultation participants were uniquely equipped to address. Conversely, each group expressed concern that all revitalization movements not be uncritically sanctioned and that discernment is always needed.

Group D contextualized the notion of “dissatisfaction” by stating: “An authentic revitalization movement will bring the Church to acknowledge its own poverty.” It is the power of the Holy Spirit that engenders surprising and refreshing impulses that bring the reconciling presence of Christ to people who experience brokenness and spiritual hunger – a point that achieved consensus among the body of consultation participants. The work conducted around the four tables will hopefully add to the roadmap that is under construction for future consultations.

Besides lectures and discussions, the gathering in Edinburgh will be remembered for informal conversations, networking, worship, and laughter. Morning worship was conducted by Dr. Swee Hong Lim, and the worship songs were often reflective of developments in another form of revitalization - the global praise movement. The relevance of music and mission was well-represented by the presence of Dr. Roberta King, Dr. Jeremy Begbie, and several others, who were able to bring unique perspectives to the impact of music and musicology on renewal studies. Participants were energized by personal conversations held during meals, on breaks, and during informal walks through the city of Edinburgh. The gathering dispersed with the general sense that the consultation successfully addressed issues vital to the global Christian movement, and that the byproducts of our meetings will constitute both benchmarks and signposts for subsequent deliberations surrounding the transformative and revitalizing work of the Triune God.

Mark W. Lewis, correspondent

CONSULTATION TWO: LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD

To highlight a leading impression received by participants in consultation two, it may best be described as “synergy beyond expectations”. Our theme was “Exploring the Dialectic Between Revitalization and Church,” building on the descriptive data gathered at consultation one in 2009.

Most participants arrived a day early, to catch their breath from travel and to become oriented to our engaging context at the New College of the University of Edinburgh. That orientation was provided by Dean Larry Hurtado. The three-day consultation was launched by a keynote presentation from Professor Andrew Walls, arguably the most influential voice of Christian mission in our time, who focused on the mission of St. Anthony of Egypt as a model for perceiving Christianity in its engagement of culture as a revitalization movement.

Forty participants gathered from five continents and seventeen nations, and represented a wide spectrum of church ranging from Catholic to Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist to indigenous Celtic, Pentecostal and a wide spectrum of the non-Western and newly emerging expressions of church embodying the Global South. With such a mix, the heart of the consultation was in the way these participants engaged in table discussions. The mix of participants had been designed to ensure each had distinctive theoretical disciplines, and had practical experience within representative cultural and ecclesial contexts.

Each table team was asked to do three tasks: provide a definition of revitalization, construct or reconstruct a model of church for revitalization, and explain what revitalization means for the internal and external life of the church. Three resources were brought to bear upon this discussion: (1) the data from consultation one,transcribed in over 700 pages and sent in advance to each team member, (2) the experience and training of our participants, and (3) presentations of four key models of church deemed critical for discussions of forms of revitalization.

We heard exposition of a sacramental model from a leading Catholic liturgist, an evangelical model from the dean of a Malaysian Lutheran seminary, a model reflecting revitalized “communities of the converted” in the secular setting of contemporary Kiev, and a Ugandan Pentecostal model that interfaced with indigenousAfrican Christianity. The definitive demographic study of global Pentecostalism, a five-year project headed by Todd Johnson of Gordon Conwell’s Center for Global Christianity that was unveiled at Edinburgh 2010, provided depth and breadth to the shape of global Pentecostalism in relation to other world religions. Participants also engaged in presentations on two ancillary themes related to the larger theme of the consultation: the role of catechesis in revitalization (Professor William Abraham) and the lessons of our host culture. The latter consisted of presentations on Celtic monastic communities by living representatives of those communities: Professor Ian Bradley of St. Andrews and Graham Booth of the Holy Island of Hildesharne (the Community of Aidan and Hilda).

Each day began and ended with vibrant worship and preaching, led by Professor Swee Hong Lim of Singapore, and the noted Scottish lyricist John Bell.

Our teams completed their monumental tasks in a grand way, completing their reports on the last day and identifying key contemporary revitalization movementsthat embody aspects of the criteria for revitalized communities of faith developed in this consultation. The substance of these reports will be delineatedin a forthcoming publication. The third consultation at Toronto (October 2011) will be oriented to engage a cluster of contemporary expressions of culturallysignificantand transformative revitalization movements. They will be interpreted and facilitated using the criteria developed in this second consultation.

I am grateful to our hosts at the University of Edinburgh for making this event possible.

It was encouraging to observe the interest generated in this consultation among members of the Edinburgh 2010 Centenary Conference, which followed our event. All of us who participated are enormously grateful to the support of the Henry Luce Foundation for this remarkable gathering and the larger project of which it is a critical part. Those of us responsible for the project and who have been able to see it unfold from the beginning are all the more grateful.

Steve O’Malley, Director

Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements

Asbury Theological Seminary

REFLECTIONS ON THE EDINBURGH CONSULTATION: ”EXPLORING THE DIALECTIC

From May 29 – June 2 the Center for the Study of World Christian Revitalization Movements held a consultation in the historic city of Edinburgh, Scotland. Thirty-eight representatives from across the globe convened as a follow-up to the October 2009 meeting on Revitalization held on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary. The topic of the current consultation focused on “Exploring the Dialectic between Revitalization and Church,” and thus provided a timely precursor to the
centennial celebration of the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh, which commenced on June 2.

Following a brief introduction of the participants and a video report from the first consultation, project director Dr. Steve O’Malley recounted the background for the discussion on revitalization.

Two lectures followed, featuring Dr. Howard Snyder, currently professor from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto, and Dr. Michael Rynkiewich, retiring professor from Asbury
Theological Seminary. Their reflections alone indicate the diversity involved, not only in the revitalization movements themselves, but in the manner in which reflection on them is taking place. Snyder’s lecture presented a models-based approach, arguing that revitalization can be interpreted in accordance with the synthesis of various ecclesiological strains, such as the Catholic/Orthodox, Evangelical, Pentecostal/Charismatic, and Anabaptist traditions.

Rynkiewich focused on the concept of revitalization from a social science vantage point. Citing the work of Anthony F. C. Wallace and the patterns of renewal according to categories of steady state, increased individual stress, cultural distortion/breakdown, and the ensuing periods of revitalization, he suggests that new categories are needed to understand social movements in a context that Wallace could not have imagined a half-century ago. While nuancing certain aspects of
the models-based approach, Rynkiewich likened the problem to a GPS navigational system, pointing out that the tendency to get lost or misguided increases the closer one gets to the destination. In this sense, maps/models can often be confused with the terrain, and since the terrain is constantly changing, they cannot always predict in advance what one will find.

The Sunday evening program featured a lecture by one of Scotland’s pioneer missiologists and elder statesman – Professor Andrew Walls. Dr. Walls is considered one of the leading authorities on the transformation of Christianity from a Western to global movement, and his eloquence was only surpassed by his gracious presence and humor throughout the consultation. His address focused on the life of Desert Father, Anthony the Coptic, who is acknowledged for spreading the concept of monasticism during the time when the Christian faith was transitioning from a counter-cultural movement to the religious guardian of the Roman Empire. In an age where Christian alliance with political power was altering the DNA of the church, Anthony’s flight (not retreat!) to the desert inaugurated a movement that would maintain spiritual encounter and vitality as the true life-signs of Christian living. As Europe became coterminous with Christendom, the seeds of authentic
faith were proliferated by remnant movements that often were at odds with the wider culture, such as monasticism, and their legacy inspired subsequent revitalization
movements, such as the Wesleyan revival with its emphasis on both personal and social holiness. It is the memory of the revitalization movements of the past that influence ensuing movements – a point that Walls connected with the centennial celebration of the Edinburgh Missionary conference, which likewise was indebted to the life and work of the desert missionary and evangelist, Anthony.

During the following days, a variety of lectures were held on topics considered ancillary to revitalization study. Professor William Abraham, from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, challenged listeners to understand revitalization as an issue of spiritual formation. His address linked the lack of vitality among primarily mainline churches with the breakdown of catechesis. Noting shifts in educational strategy that have moved away from memory learning in favor of a childcentered approach, Abraham provocatively asserted that the results have been disastrous. Without internalization of the basic doctrines and central concepts of the church, there is a knowledge deficiency which impedes spiritual development. His primary statement, “some things can be said only after other things have been said,” struck at the heart of formation as an important prerequisite to renewed vitality in the church.

Professor Judith Kubicki, Fordham University, New York, honed in on the sacramental life of the church – or more correctly, “the church as sacrament.” The idea of sacramentality implies openness to mystery and imagination – to being attuned to the presence of God in the mundane experiences of ordinary life. As a living sacrament, the church should understand itself as a sign pointing to that which it fully participates, that is, the presence of God within the mundane and ordinary. Professor Song Mee Chung, Sabah Theological Seminary, Malaysia followed Dr. Kubicki with a report on revitalization within the Lutheran Church of Malaysia. Her presentation was particularly enlightening, given the widespread assumption that renewed vitality among church gatherings is noticeably scarce among mainline denominations. The strength of Lutheran ecclesiology, according to Dr. Chung, resides in the freedom it allows for contextual expressions and needs-oriented ministry, as well as the church’s unity on a global level. The depiction of Lutheranism in a non-Christendom setting as a vibrant and growing entity provides an intriguing contrast to the state and national church contexts of Western Europe, thus demonstrating the role of social location in the process of revitalization.

Other lectures provided a concrete nexus between Christian vitality and the church’s reaction to socio-political malaise, including oppression. Professor Catherine Wanner, cultural anthropologist from Pennsylvania State University provided a detailed glimpse into Christian renewal movements in the Ukraine. In a country that experienced decades of coercive attempts to eradicate religious expression, followed by the onslaught of secularism, Christian revitalization is currently having a profound impact on the larger society by confronting social problems, such as rampant addiction, and then framing them as spiritual crises. Wanner noted that this strategy is giving the church a widespread sense of relevance, which in turn is reversing the pejorative perceptions of Christianity from recent history. Noteworthy examples include the ministry of Nigerian pastor Sunday Adonijah, who has amassed thousands of converts through the healing of addictions; Hillsong churches, which continue to reach younger congregants through the use of contemporary music forms in English; and an intentional missionary strategy that sends missionaries abroad to more affluent countries whose converts pledge financial support back to Ukraine in order to facilitate evangelistic efforts where financial resources otherwise are scarce. Professor Johnson Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, from Trinity Theological Seminary, Accra, Ghana, presented an equally compelling account of the growth of Indigenous Charismatic Churches. The astounding growth of congregations throughout much of the continent and the rise of Africa as a major force in worldwide Christian renewal is, according to Dr. Asamoah-Gyadu, attributable to none other than the work of the Holy Spirit. Against the backdrop of
colonialism and subsequent Western missionary ventures into the continent that largely disregarded the spiritual worldview of sub-Saharan Africans, indigenous
church expressions reintroduced the importance of religious experience, including “signs and wonders.” This emphasis had often been subverted by the more cognitive approach of Westerners, and the recovery of emotion and experience in worship, as well as the legitimization of itinerant charismatic evangelists has been a catalyst in attracting Africans of all walks of life into a more vibrant and contextual Christian expression.

The consultation was intrigued by the presentation of Dr. Todd Johnson, from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, who provided a detailed quantitative analysis of the spread of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements into the global South. His graphic depiction of Christian growth beyond the Western world cogently illustrated how much the religious landscape has changed in the 100 years following the Edinburgh Conference. We were also graced by presentations from our host culture on Celtic monastic communities. Professor Ian Bradley, from the University of St. Andrews, and Graham Booth, from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, in turn offered deep insights into the nature of pilgrimage and monastic life.

Much of our time was also spent on table discussions. Consultation participants were divided into four groups, according to fields of study, and the criteria for discussion centered on three specific topics: 1) models of the church, 2) extant models of revitalization, and 3) what revitalization means in the context of our discipline. The summaries of each group reflected creativity and intensity, and though various metaphors were employed, the groups were in agreement on a number of key issues. Each group, for example, maintained a certain optimism regarding the possibility for revitalization in all ecclesial structures. Group D captured the sentiment of all with a quote from St. Irenaeus: “Where the church is there is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is the church and all Grace.” There was likewise consensus regarding the likelihood of opposition by institutional elements in the church and in society. Revitalization presupposes its absence, and resistance to change and threat to power often result in efforts to stonewall the work of the Spirit. This is profoundly true in areas of the world where Christian
congregants have experienced oppression and persecution – issues that several consultation participants were uniquely equipped to address. Conversely, each group expressed concern that all revitalization movements not be uncritically sanctioned and that discernment is always needed.

Group B worked out three models for church revitalization, expressing them in terms of the metaphors “body ” (each part working for the good of the whole), “tree” (interconnectedness, concern for societal ills, persecution, etc.), and “family” (community, concern for youth and all age groups, and leadership), which work together to promote renewed life on personal, communal, and societal levels. Group A’s contribution was very succinct, defining a model for church revitalization as: “… making a collectivity of people (i.e. a congregation) more the corporate locus of God’s presence in the world (i.e. the body of Christ) than it had been.” Group C, worked with the concept of revitalization according social science theory, adding that the interplay of the call to radical discipleship, dissatisfaction with the
church/society in their current states, and the capacity to adapt renewal forms and innovations are determinative in the process toward new vitality. Group D contextualized the notion of “dissatisfaction” by stating: “An authentic revitalization movement will bring the Church to acknowledge its own poverty.” It is the power of the Holy Spirit that engenders surprising and refreshing impulses that bring the reconciling presence of Christ to people who experience brokenness and spiritual hunger – a point that achieved consensus among the body of consultation participants. The work conducted around the four tables will hopefully add to the roadmap that is under construction for future consultations.

Besides lectures and discussions, the gathering in Edinburgh will be remembered for informal conversations, networking, worship, and laughter. Morning worship was conducted by Dr. Swee Hong Lim, and the worship songs were often reflective of developments in another form of revitalization - the global praise movement. The relevance of music and mission was well-represented by the presence of Dr. Roberta King, Dr. Jeremy Begbie, and several others, who were able to bring unique perspectives to the impact of music and musicology on renewal studies. Participants were energized by personal conversations held during meals, on breaks, and during informal walks through the city of Edinburgh. The gathering dispersed with the general sense that the consultation successfully addressed issues vital to the global Christian movement, and that the byproducts of our meetings will constitute both benchmarks and signposts for subsequent deliberations surrounding the transformative and revitalizing work of the Triune God.
Mark W. Lewis, correspondent