A Consequential Agenda

THE AGENDA IS… There have been many descriptors following those words over the past few assemblies. This time, I hear things like “straightforward” and “not controversial,” almost as if that is a disappointment. It has even been posited that other than electing a department director and new Executive Council, “there isn’t much on there,” and perhaps it would be a great time to take in the sights of Orlando. However, while there may be increased interest when the Agenda has a point or two of controversy, I would submit that what we have before us is something altogether more important than CONTROVERSIAL; we have a CONSEQUENTIAL agenda, and maybe much more so than we realize.

The weight of a church council is not forged by the fiery exchanges over the most recent culture war issues. Those have their place and are often unavoidable. Nonetheless, while necessary polemics and doctrinal purges are indispensable in defending our borders, they will rarely expand them. Thus, it is arguable that the deeper work happens when we build and perfect infrastructure to move us forward. In many ways made possible by some of the difficult work done in recent assemblies, the 80th General Assembly’s General Council Agenda is poised to be an incredibly consequential moment for the church, offering an opportunity to define our identity, reframe the grammar of our theology, and shift our institutional mechanics.

Those who feel there is a lack of engagement on the cultural battlefield are missing the reality of the moment. When the church gathers to refine its path to credentialed ministry, designate the future of leadership boundaries, and establish moral postures on topics of existential proportion to civilization, be careful not to mistake the perceived silence of the artillery for a retreat from the battlefield. This assembly is an opportunity to sharpen training, ready the equipment, and shore up the supply lines. The Church of God has a great opportunity to emerge from this week more ready than ever to impact the world for Christ.

Among other significant items on the agenda which could make for a series of articles in their own right, a few highlight just how consequential this week will be.

We begin with a comprehensive statement on the Global Harvest, refined by a committee following the last General Council and developed in collaboration with missions leaders from around the world. This statement moves beyond treating missions as a budget line-item and reanchors the church in a proactive, Pentecostal pursuit of the Great Commission.

The agenda takes this commitment to soul-winning seriously and offers an opportunity to position the church for greater impact by updating the nomenclature of our entry-level “Exhorter” rank and expanding the scope to ministry classifications that will encompass a greater number of ministers and ministry scopes, formally recognizing specialized callings, and increasing our institutional strength through continuing education. While there are many details to be ironed out, this conversation is much needed and could result in great improvements for our structure and ministry preparedness.

The agenda also includes a substantial conversation regarding ministerial leadership and how the church will define the operational boundaries of general elected officials. While many conversations have occurred regarding secondary issues of compensation and capacity, a further discussion includes the separation of powers, the impact of this decision on our leadership development pipeline, and whether our ecclesiology is trending toward more or less centralization, and if that is a net positive or negative. Regardless of how delegates vote on this issue, its being on the agenda reflects a willingness to engage in hard conversations and to answer the difficult questions about modern leadership and how our church can assume the healthiest administrative posture for the future.

Additional conversations regarding the use of AI, a statement on immigration, and a commitment to biblical worldview are all moments that cannot be overstated in measure of import. Each of these conversations is vital and timely. Further, the move toward statements is in and of itself a tremendous opportunity for our church to create a library for use in providing clarity about who we are and our official positions on a variety of issues. This library will be invaluable as a reference in the local ministry context, as a body of intellectual and theological work becomes more accessible to shepherds and saints alike. By preserving the statements from this assembly and those in the future, the Church of God is making clear that our children will not be left to absorb morality by cultural osmosis.

When the final gavel falls, the Church of God will not have wasted its efforts over the week. On the contrary, despite the lack of “controversy” in the agenda by strengthening our credentialing, clarifying leadership expectations, confronting the realities of AI, Immigration, and other issues of the hour, and further moving to codify our theological vocabulary, this Council and Assembly are doing the solemn work of stewarding God’s church for the next generation. We are not passing time; we are ensuring that the Spirit-empowered faith we have will be handed down, not only intact, but structurally prepared for the harvest.

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