Window on the World

From Randal Dick,
superintendent of missions

Tomatoes and churches

I received the following from Charles Fleming, regional director for the Caribbean and Latin America.

By Charles Fleming

What do tomato plants and churches have in common?

Structure! They both need to be supported by well-chosen structures that allow them to grow and bear fruit.

Years ago, one of my hobbies was planting tomatoes. I soon found that as each plant grew it was important that I strategically place a few sticks to support it. Those plants that I took the time to support with sticks bore more tomatoes than the ones I left to their own devices.

Too often the fruit on the unsupported plants would weigh so much that the plant would bend, the fruit touch the ground and then either rot or be eaten by bugs. Taking the time to put proper support structures was both effective and efficient. Structure made the tomato plants more fruitful.

In a similar manner, churches are better able to bear lasting fruit when they take the time to set up structures that protect the fruit and promote the growth of the church. Pastor General Joseph Tkach’s desire is that we restructure in such a way that our new structure becomes an effective means whereby we may live out the grace of God in everyday life.

In this column I wish to share with you just a few of the things the regional directors have been doing to answer this simple question: How does a church scattered in countries across the globe work together in unity so as to fulfill the mission of living and sharing the gospel?

First, a little background may be helpful.

As you will recall, nearly a decade ago our loving God challenged us to correct our doctrinal errors and to change our ways of relating to him. That challenge led to the radical doctrinal transformation that has dramatically changed us individually and as a fellowship.

With God’s blessing we are becoming a fellowship that is Christ-centered, Spirit-sensitive and even more surrendered to the Father than ever before. Increasingly, we are seeing the fruit of this approach: more and more of our members around the world are taking the initiative to serve, not passively waiting to be asked; more and more members are involved in evangelism, in discipleship programs, in outreach activities and in small groups; more and more of our members are actively involved in worship, which has become more heartfelt and transformational; more and more of our members are effectively working together with Christians in other denominations and so bringing great glory to our God.

The increasing spiritual growth in our congregations shows that, in more and more congregations, we are well on the way to becoming a true priesthood of all believers—a church in which our members are actively involved in the mission Christ has given his church. But such a church requires a different organizational structure than we have had in the past.

As we look at what God is doing it is obvious is that we are becoming a family of national churches. As a result, we have made a commitment to ensure two things. First, that each national church has the flexibility to fulfill God’s mission to us. Secondly, to ensure that each national church will be accountable to the denomination for living true to our doctrines and values, and according to our Code of Ethics.

As members of the WCG, we all share the same goal and all desire the same key results. However, as a worldwide church, we live in different situations. Dr. Tkach envisions a structure where we would all be held accountable to the same Lord, the same gospel, the same results, but where there is the flexibility to determine the best way to preach the gospel. Here are some changes in approach that will make this desired outcome possible.

This process of empowering various national churches means that we must design new structures as well as train and appoint leaders to take on this increased level of responsibility. This is made even more challenging by the fact that different countries have different cultures and different legal traditions. We need to be flexible in designing the structures, because what will work in one country may not work in another.

We ask for your prayers that God would give us the wisdom to design governance and administrative structures that are appropriate for each country but which, at the same time, allow members to effectively live and share the gospel.

We also request your prayers for discernment in selecting, training and appointing national leaders. In each country we seek to empower a core of leaders at the national level who are what you might call the stewards of the ethos of the denomination. That is, men and women who deeply believe our doctrines, share our values, promote our mission and live true to our ethical commitments.

Pray with us for leaders who are fully equipped to take the denominational vision and refine it by determining the best strategies for success at the national level. One way of understanding the authority granted to national leaders is to remember the six questions that journalists ask those they interview: who, what, when, where, why and how?

When it comes to taking the gospel to all the world, denominational headquarters is authorized to answer the what, why and some of the how questions. National leaders are authorized to answer the when, where and some of the how questions.

Let me explain. Denominational headquarters is responsible for answering the following: What do we as a church believe (our doctrines)? Why do we do (what are our core values and what is our sense of mission—what are we all about)? How do we live out our beliefs and values (what are our ethics)? Our denominational leadership has provided answers in our Statement of Beliefs; our overall Vision and Mission statements; our Core Values; and our Code of Ethics.

National leaders have no authority to change these. As I mentioned before, they are to be people who deeply believe our doctrines, share our values, promote our mission and live true to our ethical commitments. Their responsibility is to be the custodians, within a nation, of these beliefs and values.

As promoters of our mission, they are authorized to answer these all-important practical questions: When and where do we do kingdom-building activities? How do we best present the gospel to the people in our nation? How do we best teach our members to be more Christlike?

To help you in your prayers I have prepared a summary in the box below.

In Ephesians 2:22 Paul stresses that we are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ultimately, it is the indwelling presence of the Triune God in each of us that enables us to work together in unity. But, as humans—with a life to live and a gospel to share—we must take Spirit-led steps if our efforts are to be as fruitful as God would want them to be. Taking the time to let God guide us into a new structure is crucial to our future fruitfulness. Please pray for God to arrange "the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he want[s] them to be" (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:18).

Prayer List for Restructuring

Specifically, pray:

• For God’s guidance as to the structures we set up in each country—that they would represent cultural and legal needs while enabling our leaders to live out our values and beliefs.

• For national leaders who will feel personally moved to respond to Jesus’ challenge to take the gospel to unbelievers and to make disciples, who, in turn, make disciples.

• For our leaders to be truly Christlike, servant leaders, who have the maturity to operate with the level of authority that goes with their responsibilities.

• For us to set up appropriate levels of accountability within each nation and between the national churches and the denomination.

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2003