Sandwiched

by Greg Pulham

My wife and I are part of what some call “the sandwich generation” – one slice of bread is children we are still supporting; the other slice of bread is parents who require an increasing amount of our care. As the meat in this sandwich, we don’t always enjoy life in with the mayonnaise and mustard.

I am finding that I am also part of another “sandwich generation” – one that exists in the church.

One slice of bread in this sandwich is the traditional church of which I am lead pastor. With 125 years of ministry history, my church firmly belongs in the category which has been variously called “modern,” or “maintenance,” or most recently “attractional.” They are a wonderful, devoted group of believers, some of whom I’ve lived with as part this community for more than 25 years now as a lay person and a pastor.

The other slice of bread is the missional-incarnational impulse that is coming alive in me. For several years now (since I first heard the word “missional” from Gary Nelson at our 2004 Minister’s Conference), I have been trying to create (or awaken?) a missional identity in my church. It has been tremendously challenging work, and often frustrating. I have to confess that at times I have wanted to give up my traditional church and my traditional pastor’s job description to be part of something new, something cutting edge, something making a visible kingdom impact in the world.

I am part of a “sandwich generation” – pastors with burgeoning missional impulses who fill traditional pastoral roles in non-missional communities. The movement of the Spirit often conflicts with the expectations of the congregation. Pastoral ministry has never been easy, but I think for this generation, there are complex and thorny challenges.

Some in this sandwich generation will feel called to respond energetically to the missional-incarnational impulse. They will give up their traditional churches and pastoral roles and find genuine fulfilment in pursuit of God’s call in the hard work of birthing radical new missional communities. Others will remain, working hard and praying that the traditional churches they pastor will someday also be truly missional communities.

Alan Hirsch writes, “My great hope for the church is that in actual fact Apostolic Genius is not something that we have to impose on the church, as if it were something alien to us, but rather is something that already exists in us. It is us! It is our truest expression as Jesus’ people. And because this is so, we simply need to awaken and cultivate it.” (The Forgotten Ways, 244)

I share this hope, and so, while the urge to leave is sometimes strong, I believe that God wants me to stay behind to awaken and cultivate a missional-incarnational identity in the community of faith in which He has placed me. While the kingdom dream certainly needs visionary, entrepreneurial pastors who will blaze the trail of missional living, there is also a need for missionally-hearted pastors – pastors who would rather be trail blazing – to continue to work within traditional church communities to lead them out into missional-incarnational space.

Whichever road is taken will require sacrifice for God’s kingdom dream. I hope you will pray for this sandwich generation of pastors.

Free Methodists in Canada and Social Drinking

by Greg Pulham

There has been a great deal of conversation about what the Scriptures say about “social drinking.”  It is frequently a topic that arises when I teach our foundational course on FM polity.  Here is my take.

First, the Scriptures may indeed be read in such a way to allow for social consumption of alcohol.  But I’m quite sure it makes no prescription that we must or ought to drink socially. 

I think what the Scriptures say about this issue is well captured in the principle statement from para.630.2.6 of the Manual:

As Christians we believe that life is full, abundant, and free in Jesus Christ (John 8:35; 10:10). Therefore, we commit ourselves to be free from whatever damages, destroys, or distorts His life in us.

Following that statement of principle is a statement of how we, as FMs, think that principle ought to be applied. 

Because Christ admonishes us to love God with all our being and our neighbour as ourselves, we advocate abstaining from the use of alcoholic beverages (Mark 12:30-31). The abuse of alcohol, a legalized drug, is damaging to individuals, families, and society.  It is unpredictably addictive and its destructive effects cannot be fully measured.  Its abuse leaves a trail of broken marriages, family violence, crime, industrial loss, ill health, injury, and death. As concerned Christians, we advocate abstinence for the sake of health, family, and neighbours.  Moreover, we see the adverse social consequences as so pervasive that we seek by advocating abstinence to make a united social witness to the freedom Christ gives.

Clearly, “advocating abstinence” is the stated way in which we as FMs in Canada seek to handle this issue of social drinking. 

[I would remind that members of Conference and members of local churches have covenanted to live by these provisions of the Manual (see para.151.2 Requirements of Membership and para.161 The Questions for Membership #4).]

Here is my question:  How can I effectively advocate abstinence if I don’t abstain myself? 

How can I advocate for monogamy when I have multiple spouses at home?  How can I advocate for integrity if I don’t keep my promises?  How can I advocate for Jesus Christ if I bow down and worship idols?  It’s like saying, “Drinking is okay for me, but you ought not to do it.”  I’ve never found this to be a persuasive way to advocate. 

The Scriptures may well allow social drinking, but it certainly doesn’t command it.  For FMs in Canada, we’ve covenanted to advocate abstinence.  If we as a movement want to change how we apply the Biblical principles, then we need to re-articulate the statement “we advocate abstinence.”  I do not look forward to that discussion.