United States (III)
The Christian Church is not impacting the nation as it should. The USA needs revival, yet the word ‘revival’ has been debased to mean slick mass evangelism and theatrics. The need of the hour is a true revival with conviction of sin, repentance and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These are some of the prayer challenges for the 21st Century Church:
a) The need for biblical holiness in a time when Christians display little difference in values and lifestyle to non-Christians. Superficiality and materialism are more characteristic than dedication and passion for Jesus and doing His will. The succession of high-profile failures of televangelists, Christian leaders in the church and in politics and the high rate of divorce among church-goers all underline the need. Pray that Christians may repent of carnality, be revived and help to change rather than mimic culture.
b) A deep commitment to the authority and veracity of the Bible. Effective expository preaching and solid teaching on the basic doctrines of the faith are not widely evident. The prevailing tolerant pluralism has brought widespread loss of certainty about the Bible and a creeping universalism which cripples vision for evangelism and missions.
c) Spiritual unity. The Church in the USA is seriously divided on several key issues and needs prayer. A number of Christians in mainline denominations tilt towards the politically-correct left in supporting pro-choice (abortions) a feminist agenda and gay marriages. Many Catholics, Orthodox and most conservative Protestants would oppose these. Numerous Bible-believing denominations wage war over issues such as eschatology, gifts of the Spirit, definitions of biblical inerrancy, length of the days of creation, etc., while issues of world evangelization are sidelined. Pray for repentance, a seeking after God’s priorities and that, through love and grace, a sensitive and balanced handling of divisive areas might be found.
d) Christian withdrawal from, or involvement in, public life is an ongoing unresolved tension. The public school system has deep failings — not least the elimination of anything Christian or religious. Massive networks of Christian-run school systems have emerged. Some would consider this separation as a retreat. A spectrum of evangelical groups are working for social change in the USA which include such as Mission America, WVI, Prison Fellowship, Promise Keepers and Christian Community Development Association, Evangelicals for Social Action, Concerned Women of America, the Christian Coalition, etc. Efforts by the Moral Majority and the Religious Right to influence the political world have not been entirely successful. Pray for balance, wisdom and long-term involvement of Christians as salt and light in society.
e) A crisis of leadership and church structures demand a revolutionary re-think. Common expectations are for a pastor to be a media star at the apex of a pyramid with a performing leadership and spectator laity. Pray for the wider development of a servant leadership that enables the led to be active as biblical apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in a participatory fellowship structure.
f) Leadership training possibilities abound. The variety and number of theological training possibilities defies full analysis! There are 644 recognized institutions that award theological degrees. The American Association of Bible Colleges includes 89 accredited evangelical colleges. Pray for a deeper level of commitment to Christian service and especially to world evangelization among professors and students alike. Pray also for flexibility and innovation in leadership training which is fitted for the times in which we live.
