Lausanne Site

Poverty, Prosperity and the Gospel - Video

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Global Conversation Introduction Video

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:48:00 +0000

The Gospel of Greed

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:27:00 +0000

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s "Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?"

By Ruth Padilla DeBorst

To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation’s lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent Christianity Today magazine or the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.

“Is anyone here poor? No; surely not! We are children of the King of all riches! But I am poor, you murmur? Then, in the name of Christ, cast away all sin! Claim the blessing God has in store for you and you will prosper!”

Sunday after Sunday, in megachurches across Latin America, hundreds of thousands of Christians sit—or sway—through similar pep talks. Weekday after weekday, radio, TV, and Internet broadcasts harangue believers with a “name-and-claim” theology. Desiring, attaining, acquiring, receiving, and accumulating are the dispositions fostered. In these churches, one is forced to ask: are believers ever challenged to take up the cross and follow a Lord who gave away all he was and had, who renounced his divine prerogatives in order to serve and to reconcile his creation with its maker and people with each other? Renouncing, simplifying, denying self, giving, sharing—all core marks of the community of the King—appear to have no space in this gospel of greed.

The ‘apostles’ of prosperity

If in Africa the holy seal of approval to lust, greed, and consumerism is granted by Neo-Pentecostal

Redeeming Prosperity

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:25:00 +0000

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s “Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?”

By Peter L. Berger

The article by Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu represents a view of the so-called “prosperity gospel” that has become conventional in wide circles of mainstream churches as well as among secular intellectuals and media. This view has colored the overall perception of the huge Pentecostal community, which is by no means co-extensive with the “prosperity gospel,” but which has been the principal growth area of the latter, especially in the Global South. Its message can be simply stated: Material betterment will be the result of faith. Asamoah-Gyadu, along with many commentators in Africa and elsewhere, interprets this message as a distortion of Christian faith, an unholy mixture of Western materialism and traditional magic. As to those who preach the message, they are exploiters of the poor, latter-day successors of the salesmen of indulgences, whose excesses sparked the 16th century Protestant Reformation: “As soon as the coin hits the collection plate, a soul jumps out of purgatory.”

This interpretation of the “prosperity gospel” ties in with an important debate concerning the empirical consequences for development of the Pentecostal explosion: Is Pentecostalism to be understood as

Joseph Wore Designer Robes, Too!

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:22:00 +0000

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s “Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?”

By Amos Yong

In Africa, where neo-Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement are exploding, the Old Testament is central to the church’s spirituality precisely because of its narrative aspects. The first thing that came to my mind, then, in response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s essay, is the story of Joseph and his robe of many colors. Of course, Joseph’s wardrobe reflected his father’s favoritism and made his brothers jealous, which resulted in his being sold into Egypt. However, it might also be said that Joseph’s designer robe of his growing-up years foreshadowed his prosperity and the blessings of his later life in Egypt, to the point where he could bless his brothers and their families in return. How then does the Joseph story help us respond to the question in the title of Asamoah-Gyadu’s essay? There are at least seven levels of response.

First, prosperity advocates might simply say that Joseph’s wearing designer robes justifies our wearing them, period. Such an uncritical response is risky precisely because it results in the kind of haughtiness that got Joseph sold into Egypt. Any naïve and absolutistic embrace of the prosperity

Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?

Andrew Brumme — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu

The growth of non-Western Christianity across Africa is largely due to the New Pentecostal Churches. Upwardly-mobile youth are drawn to their dynamic worship styles and pursuit of wealth and success. The prosperity gospel has found fertile soil as it resonates with tribal religion. Prosperity promoters raise serious theological concerns. The gospel of Jesus Christ neither glorifies poverty nor prosperity.

For thousands of believers in Ghana, “Jericho Hour” is the place to be on a Thursday morning. Founded in 1998, this prayer meeting—where “giant solutions await your giant problems”—is hosted by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams in the Prayer Cathedral on Accra’s Spintex Road. Three thousand make their way there to pray for breakthroughs in business, for international travel, for a suitable spouse, and, when experiencing setbacks, for vengeance on those spiritually responsible.

It is part of a wider movement founded by Duncan-Williams in 1979. His African mentor was the late Benson Idahosa of Nigeria, who conferred upon himself the titles of “Professor” and “Archbishop.” Duncan-Williams’s personal transition from “Pastor” through unauthenticated “Rev. Dr.” to “Bishop” and now “Archbishop” is no less intriguing.

Duncan-Williams’s 26-year marriage ended in divorce in 2005 after much-publicized efforts at reconciliation mediated by the American pastor T. D. Jakes. In 2008 he married a wealthy African-American diplomat turned entrepreneur, and lives in Accra in a home which is widely described as palatial. Such lavish displays of wealth are usually the domain of politicians, who are believed to achieve their material success by stealing from the public purse. Rumor about the sources of the couple’s wealth is probably inevitable.

The marks of faith

The New Pentecostal Churches (NPCs) of Africa emphasize prosperity. In this new type of Christianity,

God’s Reign: An Invitation to Partnership

Noah Tullay — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:05:00 +0000

During the month of November members of the Word Made Flesh team share reflections on partnership and challenge us to move beyond our current understanding of what it means to be partners with one another to the glory of God and for the advancement of the Gospel in word and deed.

It is good to talk about partnership, because I believe that without true partnership we cannot participate in building the reign of God. In Sierra Leone, I have seen the love Christians share when they come together supporting one another. When they come and work together, they are able to build something beautiful.

I have been wondering what partnership means. A partnership is a company or firm with two or more members who share the risks and profits of the business. Partners have equal rights and obligations in running the business. A partnership creates ownership, because when you own something you put all your effort towards its success. In Christian partnerships we need our friends to know that they are an important part, and when they see their role in the partnership, they will put all of their effort into it.

What can be of a Christian community when we come together as partners? There are different scriptures in the Bible that talk about unity and equality. In Acts, when the Christians came together in one place they shared things together, they spoke with one voice and they did things equally to the point that other people couldn't tell who was the

What Do We Mean By Partnership?

Chris Heuertz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:38:00 +0000

At the very least the recorded history of modern missions has been largely read as a colonializing white enterprise of the Western (European and American) church. This version of mission has often under reported the role of partnership in service. It also fails to acknowledge the trending reality that Christianity in 2009 is no longer a Western religion, but one based among the Majority World.

Of course we know that most mission takes place locally and goes unnoticed and unreported. We also know that mission doesn't require organizational backing, but is often found in the slow and humble work of learning to love your own community.

The organization I am a part of, Word Made Flesh (WMF), falls into a traditional missional community as it relates to the international communities we've help nurtured all over South America, South and Southeast Asia, West Africa and Eastern Europe. However, rather than framing the organizational infrastructure after a franchise model where the USA office would control the international projects, we've opted for a federation. A federation of similarly named organizations that share vision, staff and sometimes funding. Each international Word Made Flesh community has a locally registered board of directors and a local Executive Director.

This model has been humanizing in its attempt to form a partnership around a metaphoric "round table"—one where each member of the federation has a voice that contributes to the development of the global movement. This is also placed within the recognition that in a globalized world, our realities may be flattening, but they are still slanted in the favor of the so-called Developed or Western World.

Working

Lausanne Connecting Point - October 2009

Andrew Brumme — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:37:00 +0000

In This Issue:

Towards 2010 Blog

By Gideon Para-Mallam, Lausanne International Deputy Director for EPSA

My heart leaped with a deep sense of joy and encouragement, when in February 2007, during a meeting with 65 Church and mission leaders in Abuja, Nigeria, Rev. Doug Birdsall (Executive Chair of The Lausanne Movement) confirmed that Africa would be the host Continent for Lausanne III: Cape Town 2010. In my mind’s eye I saw myself nearly hitting the ceiling as I leaped with so much joy inside my heart in thankfulness to God and the global Christian community for identifying with the Church in Africa with this hosting right.

The Church in Africa has been experiencing tremendous growth over the last 3-4 decades. We have seen an unprecedented commitment to personal evangelism by students on the campuses and Church members who are taking the challenge seriously, to share their faith in love. Today across Africa people are turning to Christ and churches are filled to the brim.

Join the Lausanne Global Conversation

The Lausanne Global Conversation (LGC) has begun online (www.lausanne.org/conversation)! Thoughtful Christians are engaging with each other around critical issues related to world evangelization.

We believe this is the first online conversation of its kind, and thoughts, ideas and comments will help shape discussions

Lausanne Site

More on the Topic - Poverty, Prosperity and the Gospel

Poverty, Prosperity and the Gospel - Video

Global Conversation Introduction Video

The Gospel of Greed

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s "Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?"

By Ruth Padilla DeBorst

Redeeming Prosperity

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s “Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?”

By Peter L. Berger

Joseph Wore Designer Robes, Too!

A Response to Asamoah-Gyadu’s “Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?”

By Amos Yong

Did Jesus Wear Designer Robes?

by J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu

God’s Reign: An Invitation to Partnership

What Do We Mean By Partnership?

Lausanne Connecting Point - October 2009

Towards 2010 Blog

Join the Lausanne Global Conversation