{"id":25738,"date":"2020-06-22T04:00:51","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T10:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baonline.cog7engage.net\/?p=25738"},"modified":"2023-08-29T11:28:18","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T17:28:18","slug":"why-be-a-leader-in-the-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baonline.cog7engage.net\/why-be-a-leader-in-the-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Be a Leader in the Church?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you answer the call to be a leader in your church denomination, you will find your place among others who serve Christ. This article is focused on the denomination of the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day) or COG7, but the points of the article that focus on serving in your church and the challenges Christian churches face today may be applied to all Christian denominations.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,\u201d[1]<\/a> are words many Christians have heard throughout their years attending worship services. Most could even recite the words of Jesus from memory. Unfortunately, these words could remain only words without a total surrender of one\u2019s life to God\u2019s will, that calls people into service. This call to be His leaders<\/a> within our circles of influence is both universal and unique.<\/p>\n

Add your name to the list of valiant men and women<\/h3>\n

Today, the attractiveness of Christian leadership is on a decline along with religiousness in the American culture. But like many of the great leaders found in the Bible, who stood up for the truth in the middle of adversity, Christians today can add their names to the list of valiant men and women in the Book of Life by becoming a leader for Christ<\/a>. Fortunately, all who desire to answer this call will find room to serve in the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day) in which they will never find themselves alone in this spiritual battle.<\/p>\n

\"Families
Families become leaders in the church<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since its beginnings, leaders of the General Conference have fought, figuratively, to seek and maintain the truth found in the sixty-six books of the Christian Bible<\/a>. In the first issue of The Hope of Israel<\/em>, published on November 15, 1863, Enos Easton outlines ten biblical principles that began defining \u201cthe Bible and the Bible alone\u201d as the final authority for believers[2]<\/a>. It is important to note the willingness of the founders of the Conference to swim against the strong doctrinal currents at the time.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Since its beginnings, leaders of the General Conference have fought, figuratively, to seek and maintain the truth found in the sixty-six books of the Christian Bible. – Daniel Aleman”]<\/p>\n

Willingness to step up when it counts<\/h3>\n

Although Easton would only serve as publisher for the first issue of the Hope<\/em>, in this temporary assignment he would begin to shape the Statement of Faith of the Conference today. Even though Easton would not see the full extent of his influence on the world, he displayed the willingness to step up when it counts, a quality needed in contemporary leaders. Today, the Bible Advocate<\/em>, a successor of the Hope<\/em>, is distributed by the thousands worldwide.<\/p>\n

The desire to defend the truth is in the DNA of Conference leaders since its conception. The ten principles published by Easton stated the very reason Gilbert Cranmer, the founder of the first CoG7 state conference, severed his ties with the Seventh Day Adventists over the heresy of Ellen G. White\u2019s visions. This decision by Cranmer, who was a respected minister of the Seventh Day Adventists, could not have been an easy one.<\/p>\n

A Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind<\/h3>\n

In this decision, one can see how God has given us a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind that will empower those that seek to listen to God\u2019s will through His Word, the Bible. Today\u2019s leaders can learn from Cranmer\u2019s leadership in making unpopular decisions, desiring to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.<\/p>\n

Like Apollos who watered what Paul planted[3]<\/a>, leaders over the years have watered what Cranmer planted. Over its more than 150 years, the Conference has grown both as an organism and an organization. As an organism, the church has diversified. The General Conference, which started as state conferences in Michigan and Iowa, has expanded to 36 of the contiguous 48 states and 3 Canadian provinces.<\/p>\n

This expansion has brought with it ethnic and cultural diversity into the Conference. For example, today the difference in number between English and Spanish speaking congregations has vanished. To harmonize the efforts of an increasingly diverse group, the Conference has also grown organizationally.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”To harmonize the efforts of an increasingly diverse group, the Conference has also grown organizationally. – Daniel Aleman”]<\/p>\n

Organization of the Conference<\/h3>\n

Through its bylaws, the Conference outlines its structure and organization to effectively promote the gospel of Jesus, receives members who believe in the gospel and express faith in Jesus, and receives funds and holds property to support its objective. Additionally, roles and responsibilities are outlined for the many entities within the Conference, which are composed of members serving at the local, district, and national levels.<\/p>\n

In this organization, the district superintendents and local pastors serve as the link that connects the local members to the national Board of Directors and ministries of the Conference.<\/a> To help achieve the vision set forth by the president of the Conference, the pastor-district superintendent link promotes synergy among churches residing in one of seven districts in the US and Canada.<\/p>\n

Statement of Faith and doctrinal unity<\/h4>\n

To maintain its beliefs relevant to the national membership, the Conference and its ministers continually review and update the Statement of Faith via the North American Ministerial Council. Within this council, pastors and evangelistic programs are developed, doctrinal studies are initiated, and ministerial documentation extended to candidates who qualify. This body works in conjunction with the International Ministerial Council, which coordinates the evangelistic effort of the church and promotes doctrinal unity among its members.<\/p>\n

Bylaws<\/h4>\n

More than just polity, the bylaws of the Conference are employed to create synergy and an organization with healthy checks and balances. Composed of many small churches, the Conference can achieve its objectives through the combined contributions of the many congregations it serves. For example, resources such as the Bible Advocate<\/em>, which has been around since the beginning of the Conference in the late 1800s, is feasible only through a joint effort to fund the ministry.<\/p>\n

Biblical Literature<\/h4>\n

Additionally, congregations benefit from biblical literature available by the Conference, some even free of charge. Finally, through the structure and organization of the Conference, leaders can join forces in battling national issues. Through the creation of a Conference vision, counterproductive trends to the Gospel can be identified and a plan created to address them.<\/p>\n

The vision of a Vibrant 21st Century Church<\/h3>\n

With the increasing number of congregations in the Conference over the years, there has been a need to develop a common vision for the Conference to help congregations be more impactful. To this end, former Conference president Whaid Rose developed a ten-point vision of a Vibrant 21st<\/sup> Century Church (V21CC) in the 1990\u2019s. With these ten points, president Rose refocused the attention of the membership on Christ as Lord and Savior, the Great Commands, and the Great Commission.<\/p>\n

Turning Vision into Reality<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, after 17 years of implementing this vision, the Conference did not make the progress it sought. In 2015, president Rose\u2019s successor, brother Loren Stacy built on this vision by proposing the three-step Turning Vision into Reality (TVR) process. Starting in January 2017, the Conference began this new journey. It first focused on the church\u2019s identity in Christ in a stage titled Justification.<\/p>\n

In the first stage, Justification, the church sought to find its identity in Christ. The second stage, Sanctification, built on the first by challenging the church to build the harmony of grace and truth, becoming more like Christ. Finally, in 2019, the third stage, Loving Obedience, the vision was implemented into the everyday lives of congregants, focusing on sharing the love of Jesus by living the Great Commands and Great Commission.<\/p>\n

Biblical Foundation<\/h3>\n

Although it has taken many years to implement, the V21CC vision has made large strides in recent years with the help of the TVR process. While not all congregations made the same progress, those that embraced the vision and the process benefitted the congregation and the community it serves. What made this vision and process most impactful is its biblical foundation. Additionally, a great deal of work was done to create a plan that would address the religious decline America is facing.<\/p>\n

Throughout the years, congregations and leaders in the U.S. and Canada were empowered by the material provided to them by the Conference, describing the vision and outlining the process. Sabbath School quarterlies, posters, brochures, and national tours rolling out the plan were provided for leaders that chose to join the battle against religious decline.<\/p>\n

Neither rigid nor restrictive<\/h3>\n

While the plan was robust, it was neither rigid nor restrictive on the congregations or leaders it served. Instead, leaders were able to preach and further develop the material provided by the Conference. This helped leaders realize many of their issues were not unique and others were on their same journey.<\/p>\n

Analysis of contemporary American religious culture shows a slow but steady religious decline. To best serve the community, religious leaders must be observant and in tune with cultural trends in America. The trend a local leader observes in one part of the country is likely the same trend observed by another leader elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Analysis of data shows the challenges America is facing<\/h3>\n

For example, an observant leader with time in the ministry may notice the decrease in religiosity in America over the last fifty years. Data, collected by sociologists like Mark Chaves, also proves this point. Analysis of poll data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and the National Congregations Study (NCS) shows the following challenges:<\/p>\n