WITNESSING TO
THE
"WHOLE GOSPEL"
by Gene TeSelle
[fall 2000]
The
Witherspoon Society is committing itself for the next three years to an
in-depth exploration of what it might mean to be a "whole
Gospel congregation." This understanding will reach beyond
the popular tendency to split "evangelism" from
"service," and to reduce our faith to an individualistic way
of "salvation." Board member Kent Winters-Hazelton writes
about plans for a consultation in May of 2001, moving toward larger
events later on.
Responding to the false
dichotomy of "evangelism versus social advocacy," the
Executive Committee of the Witherspoon Society has given priority to
defining and promoting the "whole gospel" -- not just an
individual and private gospel, not just a "social gospel," but
a gospel that takes all dimensions of human life seriously.
You'll be hearing more about this as we try to fill
out a definition of the "whole gospel." In the process we seek
your insights. Especially valuable will be your experience with
"whole gospel congregations" which have combined evangelism,
service, and advocacy. We know that there are many such congregations in
the PC(USA). We also know that there is great variety among them. We
would like to recognize these congregations and develop as full a
description of whole gospel activities as we can.
In the meantime, here are a few reflections on why
it is important to preach the whole gospel.
First, it was what Jesus preached. He
knew about the "Solomonic ethic" of his own day, the notion
that those who are wealthy and powerful have been rewarded by God for
their piety and virtue, and he didn't have much good to say about it. He
healed the sick and forgave sins; he ate with tax collectors and
pronounced judgment on those who were too comfortable. It was what Paul
preached, too, first telling people about justification and new life,
then exhorting them to walk accordingly. And it is what our confessions
teach in a consistent way, most strikingly, perhaps, in the Confession
of 1967 when it says, "To be reconciled to God is to be
sent into the world as God's reconciling community" (C-9.31), and
goes on to say that Christ's life "involves" the church, his
service "commits" the church, his suffering "makes the
church sensitive," his crucifixion "discloses" to the
church, and in his resurrection the church "sees" the promise
of renewal and victory (C-9.32).
Second, it is what the church has experienced
over and over. It has never preached the gospel in isolation
from dealing with human problems, and often the church's deeds are what
make its words convincing. I have noticed that when Catholic bishops
speak about social and political issues -- in their letters on the
economy and on nuclear weapons during the 1980s, for example, or in the
response of Oscar Romero and many other Latin American bishops to
repression in their own countries -- they often begin with a statement
to the effect that "we as pastors cannot be unaware of or
indifferent to . . . " Presbyterian ministers do not see themselves
as "pastors of the flock" with quite the same authority, but
they often respond in the same way. And pastoral responsibility is not
simply for our own membership, either. It often involves service to the
whole community surrounding the building where the church gathers.
Third, we are all aware of bad examples and
negative possibilities -- of statistical soul-saving and
membership development which is indifferent to the conditions of
people's lives, of religion used to gloss over injustice and heal wounds
lightly. Often it is unconscious; perhaps there are circumstances beyond
anyone's control. But we always have the obligation to be aware of the
consequences of our actions. Anyone who has been to Latin America, for
example, has seen the way North American money can change the dynamics
of a local community, disrupting efforts at self-sufficiency and
introducing new kinds of economic advantage which also carry dependency
with them. That is why the policy of Worldwide Ministries is to work
with indigenous churches, respect their priorities, and watch out for
unintended consequences of North American largesse. That is also why the
policy of the PC(USA) in both national and global ministries is to
encourage self-development. All of this, as it turns out, is part and
parcel of the responsible preaching of the gospel. Shortsighted concern
with budgets and efficiency and measurable results could undo the
insights of generations of faithful stewards.
