Urban Leadership Foundation

In cities where there are older denominations, sustaining and renewing them is a high priority which is often misunderstood or rejected by younger churches. To overlook this is to suffer the loss of hundreds of thousands of believers, as has happened for example across many of the cities of North India, or within the mainline denominations of most of the Western nations.

Don Douglas in Seattle has been developing the Millennium III Project, a plan to look at the issues facing the church into the 21st Century and define the nature of the church needed to respond to those issues. This looks at restructuring church life based on the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. Many renewal ministries focus on the renewal of the Holy Spirit, without always giving thought to the restructuring needed to sustain such moves.

Revivals last for a season - often 7-10 years historically. The fruit of revivals is dependent on the structures and theology put in place to sustain ongoing momentum and Leadership development from them. They say the Welsh revival of 1904 died in the endless singing of magnificent Welsh hymns. Meshing the human and divine is an art, and an obedience.

This generally exists in some format. Sometimes it is a bishops gathering. They often are the "official" voice of the church on major moral issues that surface in the city. On the other hand here there are decaying denominations, often those elected into such positions are far from any commitment to the scriptures. At times they are active proponents of homosexuality or an anti-Biblical feminism.

Yet the role of this group can be redeemed. In one city, at the very meeting where I was presenting a vision of what processes could be developed in the city, the leaders of Pentecostal denominations were included in this gathering. A group that had been traditional, and quite liberal became suddenly infused with Biblical enthusiasm.

An issue that recurs in city after city, is the role of the remnant of Leadership from twenty years ago. Often there is a group of very godly men and women, who many years ago were effectively leading the city. Over time they have stayed in formalized roles as leaders, some functioning effectively and some losing their way. They are godly men and women of the word of God.

Inclusion of such men and women into the process is extremely important if unity is to be sustained. Their blessing needs to be secured, advice considered. But generally it is men and women in their thirties, forties and fifties who will be leading the advance. They need the freedom to do so, without having to work according to older paradigms and structures. Often the emergence of new Leadership threatens the existence of older structural groups like this. Gracious and sensitive handling of negative reactions is important if unity is to be attained.

Marches for Jesus, Concerts of Prayer, Easter Celebrations and other events will develop separate committees, but there needs to be a harmonious meshing together of the ebb and flow of these activities through a relational dynamic among the leaders as they seek together to perceive how their ministries mesh together across the city.

Sometimes more formalized organizational partnerships over more extended periods of time may form, but they are rare and difficult to sustain relationally. Often these will occur between two organizations.

Cities survive economically by import-substitution, imitating imports and creating new ones. In the same way, appropriate use of visionary or symbolic figures from outside can spark off a transference of ideas and new models into the city.

Clearly many of the networks mentioned above draw their dynamic and structure. from national or international movements, past and present. This is a positive, life-giving dynamic. However if the national or international movements come in to the city imposing their programs according to their vision and timetables, the process can become very difficult. The city Leadership team needs a filtering system at times and discernment of the times and peoples.

Citywide crusades, by invitation of the city Leadership, involving the whole church, and at appropriate points in time in the battle for the city, may rapidly advance Christian unity and the impact of the gospel on the city, creating an environment for public declaration.

But in many cities, the major evangelists that come through, appoint their committee and have their crusade. In these situations there is rarely a concerted thinking through by the city Leadership as to what crusade, and at what points in time crusades would help in the progress of the warfare for the city. Hence often there is insignificant impact on the growth of the city churches. Discernment by the Leadership in unity can mean effective use of a crusade at the right time and with the right person.

Alongside the Church/ pastors/ evangelism and the Transformation webs of networks is a third major grouping - the linking together of the pastors and leaders of the minority ethnic communities. There must be restoration in the city. Christ is the reconciler of all things. The church is the key to the reconciliation of the nations. The Leadership of a city must pay attention to the issues between the peoples and make sure there is a team working on these issues, bringing down the walls. A first step in the process is a welcoming , uplifting, affirming process to these gifted leaders of migrant cultural groups who feel oppressed, rejected and marginalized, and whose people experience the same dynamic on a daily basis.