Your Kingdom Come: Rebuilding the City
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings
(Isaiah 58:12).
The Kingdom of God cannot be divorced from the justice of God in a city. Often evangelicals have not perceived that proclaiming the Kingdom of God includes proclaiming his justice, and his judgments. Nor can righteousness be assumed to be a spiritual issue alone. Righteousness in the scriptures includes a right relationship with God but also a right relationship with man.
Hence all urban strategies have to deal with urban justice. Sometimes this requires the prophetic word. More generally it requires a slow, painful involvement in the transformation of the city so that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Earlier in this manual Genesis 1 and Revelations 21 and 22 were used to define a number of objectives in seeking the transformation of the city. Urban Mission Magazine regularly features articles on different ministries effecting change.
Isaiah 58 gives a framework theologically for rebuilding the broken walls. The book of Nehemiah gives a framework for "community organizing," the 20th century discipline of organizing communities at grass roots in order to deal with social conflict. Obviously some theological perspectives are more helpful to this kind of ministry. Many city theologies have emerged from Reformed or Presbyterian churches, for Calvin was a leader of a city.
But to apply such theologies, the church must be a reasonable size within the
city. There is some truth in the statement that if we save souls we will save
the nation. There is also a great fallacy. Salvation of individuals may go hand
and hand with the loss of society as has been graphically witnessed in the
decline of the godliness in culture and structure of many Western cities at a
time when the majority of people attend church.
Growth of the church must be accompanied by biblical theologies of how to be salt and light in society and culture.
Ongoing networks need to be looking at the issues of the Kingdom over the city and its impact on societal structures. Such a process requires looking at how the Bible relates to urbanization, city economics, political issues in the city, etc. Such theologizing is of use in speaking the scriptures into the context of the city elites and to those in power, and seeking conversion of the city Leadership and through them the city structures.
The Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation has given a preeminent model of a progression from evangelistic
ministry to a ministry that has impacted the structures of the central city including its renovation of inner city blocks. "Urban Ministry" in the U.S. has often been correlated with this kind of socio-political involvement, and this is a valid aspect of the impact of the gospel on society.
Bob Lupton has developed a model in Atlanta where an inner city community has been "saved", as all around the city has swept away viable communities. The sector of the church with these commitments needs to be part of the overall strategic thinking processes in the city.
One can consider 12 major sectors of society (or more) and look at a strategy for each one. Kuyper , a Christian theologian who became the prime minister of Holland earlier this century has done extensive thinking on the "spheres" of Christian influence, building off Calvin's work. YWAM have popularized his theology as the "7 mind moulders", looking at issues of how do you affect the mindset of a nation or city (for a nations mindset is determined in the city structures. An underlying concept is that "discipling the nations" involves bringing not just individuals but nations under the reign of the Kingdom of God. This is part of classical Catholic theology. Louis Luzbetak, a Catholic Anthropologist has been a reference source for missions leaders for decades in terms of the implications of the gospel as it penetrates cultures. Richard Neighbur has been a foundational figure in the Protestant theological circles establishing a philosophy of how the Kingdom impacts society.
Worksheet: Strategizing for 12 sectors of a city
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12 Sectors |
Vision of the Kingdom in this Sector |
Leaders of Sectoral Movement |
Institution to Bring Change |
Nature of Cadres Small Cells, Evangelism Discipling |
Ethical Issues to Be Addressed |
Public Forums & Publicatns |
Key Secular Leaders to Come Alongside Advise |
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Political/Public Policy |
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Educational |
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Ethnic/ Racial Harmony |
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Family/Youth |
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Law/Justice |
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Environment/ Forestry/ Land Rights |
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Business/Banking & Commerce |
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Manufacturing/Employers and Workers |
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Commerce & Media |
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Arts & Literature |
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Health & Dental |
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Social Welfare/Poor |
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Women in Leadership |
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For each of these sectors, at which points can the church have its most effective impact. For example we may break down into components the educational structure of a city-state. The policy (1) set by the governing parliamentary chamber (2), under the Leadership of a secretary of education (3), is then set into operating procedures (4) by bureaucrats (5), and implemented (6) by educators (7). At which of these levels are there personnel and issues that can be impacted by the principles of the Kingdom.
For example, Alice Callaghan, a tough worker among the poor in Los Angeles, twisted the arms of some wealthy professionals and businessmen to come on board a scheme to buy up the decaying downtown hotels. She realized that the city first had allowed them to decay, creating havens for vice and drugs and violence. Then they condemned them and put up expensive building developments. The stock of housing for the poor disappeared step by step, forcing more and more people onto the streets. They remodeled them, cleaning out the drug addict and dealers, and creating an environment where poor people could live with dignity. Over ten years she has bought up 40 hotels.
The Strategic Leadership Network of New Zealand has brought a series of public figures from around the globe to speak into the secular arena from a high profile Christian perspective. Men like President Chiluba of Zambia who has sought to found his government on the scriptures to speak to parliamentarians, Micheal Novak a world-renowned economist and theologian to speak to the Business Round Table on ethics in business, Micheal Cassidy a leader in reconciliation in South Africa to speak to leaders from both Maori and Pakeha communities on reconciliation at a point where there are tensions.
What should each sector of the city look like in each sector of the city look like if under the Kingdom of God - education, politics, business, trade unions, manufacturing, the arts, city planning etc.? What values are important in this? What structures are needed to effect change? What personnel are needed? What symbols are needed in the political arena, the architecture, the media, the publishing in the city to communicate these values for each sector?
In all of this activity of seeking to see His kingdom established on the earth, we have our feet firmly on the ground understanding the nature of sin and its impact on both individuals and structural formations and our eyes fixed firmly in heaven and that city which is to come.
Abraham "was looking forward to the city with foundations,
whose architect and builder is God...
[but] did not receive the things promised....
admitted they were aliens and exiles...
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared a city for them
( Hebrews 11: 10,13,16).
I saw the holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, perepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband....Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people
(Revelations 21:2,3)
Come quickly , Lord Jesus,
This vision drives us on....
© Viv Grigg
and the Encarnação Alliance Training Commission
For problems or questions regarding this web contact
web@urbanleaders.org
Last updated: 05/15/09.
