Thanks for the clarification. I think it can easily be said that there is no link between methodology and scandals that take place in the church. This seems to be something that happens across the board in the church. Baptists, PD, Emergent, contemporary. It seems like there is no shortage of church scandals in all denominations.

I agree that this situation was not the right context to refute PD. I think that what your wife wrote is happening on a larger scale all over the blogsphere. People have a preconceived notion about PD, emerging, charismatic, etc, and find articles that could support that. Rathet than talking with leaders of these movements, or pastors of these methodologies, people simply feel free to write whatever they please.

There is no consequence, you never have to see the person you just hurt face-to-face, there is no personal interaction. Sometimes I think technology has allowed the worst in humanity to surface along with the best.

First, I’m in the process of moving content over to the Blogger account; what’s there now, including this article, was a test run. I can’t tell from my backups whether I accidentally removed an attribution for the article quoted or whether it was never there. Paula’s usually pretty good about that sort of thing, so mea culpa. Regardless, I’ve edited the post to include a link and a comment to that effect.

Second, I may not think that this particular story about this church (though destructive in its own way) is the right context in which to refute PD. But I do think it needs to be questioned very strongly, starting with its own definitions and statements about whether it’s a methodology or a theology, and the ramifications of that distinction.

I just hope no one thinks pointing out lack of source attributions is any sort of defense of PD.

You guys must get a lot of exercise jumping to conclusions.

Why, I have my jump to conclusions mat right here!

Furthermore did you ever consider that maybe the Pastors stealing 3 million dollars from the church may have caused the split?

This was shoddy posting/reporting on the part of Paula at the bare minimum. It was spiteful, mean, and irresponsible at the maximum.

Oh well…It doesn’t really matter.

You guys must get a lot of exercise jumping to conclusions.

Have you ever read A.M. or CRN or Slice? If what we are doing here is “jumping to conclusions”; then they must be doing “double-dutch” (jump rope with multiple ropes) over there.

If only I had a dime for every time I had to note the following truth:

Correlation is not causation

There are constantly churches in the midst of splits for stupid, petty reasons – whether it is a perceived weakness of the church staff, petty members looking for reasons to nit-pick, or a fight over the color of the carpet. To this date, there is no proof that PD has anything to do with causing or preventing church splits.

At the center of PD ‘methodology’ is the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments – both of which should be at the core of any church. Churches are made of fallen people, and it is normally the fault of the people – not the methods – for church failure…