Journal: Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society
Volume: JOTGES 22:43 (Autumn 2009)
Article: The Evangelistic Message Of The Emerging Church
Author: Robert Vacendak

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JOTGES 22:43 (Autumn 2009) p. 55

The Evangelistic Message Of The Emerging Church

Robert Vacendak

Senior Pastor,
Ridge Pointe Fellowship, Dallas, TX

I. Introduction

Describing the Emerging Church (designated as EC hereafter) is difficult.1 This is due to the fact that the EC movement is a somewhat recent phenomenon (most say it began in the 1990s) and is fairly diverse in most theological categories. In 2007, the Myers Professor of Ministry at Northern Seminary, Robert Webber, said that we must: “keep in mind that the emerging church is too young to have produced a full-orbed theology.”2 While this may be true, there are enough books in print to at least get an idea of what EC writers believe about what a person must do to be born again.

II. The Emerging Church Defined

Before listing any specific definitions, it would be wise to say a few words about a subset of the EC that is called “emergent” or the “emergent village.” This is the more theologically liberal group in the movement and would include pastors and authors like Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, and Doug Pagitt.3

Based on research done in the US and UK, Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger assert:

JOTGES 22:43 (Autumn 2009) p. 56

Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.4

Ed Stetzer, research team director and missiologist at the North American Mission Board, recognizing the diversity of the movement, sees three distinct groups with differing characteristics. First, the “Relevants” are:

...often deeply committed to biblical preaching, male pastoral leadership and other values common in conservative evangelical churches. They are simply trying to explain the message of Christ in a way their generation can understand.5

The next group, the “Reconstructionists:”

...think that the current form of church is frequently irrelevant and the structure is unhelpful. Yet, they typically hold to a more orthodox view of the Gospel and Scri...

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