Word and Power

Is the Theology of John Wimber Compatible with Presbyterian Theology and Practice?

Stewart

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781630878764
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Historically, the Reformed and Charismatic streams have seemed to be almost mutually exclusive. In recent years, this exclusivity has been being challenged by a new generation of Reformed thinkers. This work aims at considering the contribution of John Wimber, the late leader of the Vineyard Churches, to contemporary theological reflection within the Reformed tradition. Taking into account John Wimber's unique theology of the "radical middle," which is somewhere between Pentecostal and Evangelical, this book asks whether Wimber may be a possible alternative source for the contemporary Reformed Churches as they approach ministry and mission in the twenty-first century.Written from a confessional Presbyterian context in Northern Ireland, Word and Power places Wimber in his theological context and asks whether Wimber's view of power evangelism, discipleship formation, and ministry training might be a model that Reformed Churches--and Presbyterians in particular--could adopt for their ecclesiology today.

The Theoretical Foundation

1

Setting the Scene

Introduction

Adrian Plass tells the story of an alien visiting St. Wilfred’s Anglican Church.1 If that same alien were to land a spacecraft in Ulster and travel along the roads of our cities, towns, villages, and hamlets, it would no doubt be surprised at the number of very odd and strange-looking buildings that seem, in some instances, very grand indeed, but are closed for the vast majority of the week. These buildings are Churches and, in Ulster, many of these buildings are Presbyterian. Not only are there a vast number of individual Churches, but there are also a significant number of Presbyterian denominations: The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), the Reformed Presbyterian Synod of Ireland (Covenanters), the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland (Unitarians), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland, the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, and even the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland!2 Practices in these churches may include credobaptism and exclusive psalmody.

PCI is the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland. John Dickinson notes that in 2008, PCI lost 1,994 people claiming connection, 1,223 fewer contributions to the funds of the denomination, 979 fewer people attending Communion, and 731 fewer on the rolls of our Sunday Schools and Bible classes.3 How these trends are addressed may lead the Church, according to John McIntyre, to reconsider the work of the Holy Spirit.4 These statistics suggest that there may be a need for a fresh approach to the way in which Church is practiced in Ulster. I want to suggest that one option may be to consider the theology of John Wimber. I chose to compare Reformed theology with an example of Charismatic theology because, as Greg Odgen notes, the Christian Church has been affected through the renewal of the Holy Spirit in recent years.5 This effect has happened through worship music and events, such as Spring Harvest,6 that have brought Charismatic theology and practice into connection with mainstream historical denominations.

Much of the writing on Pentecostalism and Charismatic theology has emphasized the Arminian, Holiness, Methodist, Revivalist and Premillennial influences, such as Cox,7 Dayton8 and Synan.9 Keith Warrington does not suggest any Reformed influences on Pentecostalism.10 Regarding the Charismatic Movement there have been some historical studies, such as those of Andrew Walker11 and Peter Hocken12, and some have touched on it in writing Pentecostal histories.13 Hocken, however, does not mention Reformed/Presbyterian influences on the Charismatic Movement or vice versa. There have been some polemical writings concerning the inaccuracy of contemporary Charismatic phenomena from a Reformed perspective,14 and even some attempts at harmonizing the differing views on the Holy Spirit.15 There has been, however, a paucity of reflection from a Reformed position that positively considers Charismatic issues.16 Considering this, I believe there is a need to re-evaluate the Pentecostal/Charismatic influence on the Reformed Churches and the Reformed influence upon the Charismatic/Pentecostal Churches. This has already been done regarding the Christian and Missionary Alliance and may benefit from being applied to a Reformed context.17

This would benefit, not only Reformed scholars and congregations, but also open up a new avenue of study within the Pentecostal/Charismatic world. This will improve scholarship by highlighting a gap in theological discussion, by demonstrating that being Reformed does not necessarily mean cessationist, and that the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement may share the same Reformation source as Reformed Churches.18 It will improve practice by allowing for a wider degree of freedom in the expression of worship in Reformed Churches by anchoring the supernatural in Word-centered Churches, and challenging the Arminian basis of much Pentecostal/Charismatic evangelism. Regarding ecclesiastical policy, this study will increase the ecumenical reach of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement and theology. It will aid understanding amongst Pentecostal/Charismatics and Reformed believers about why each Church has different and unique features, allowing both streams to draw on their theological resources and traditions. This will show the complementary nature of the two streams and, while their theological differences may not be resolved, something of each may be added to the other that would be absent otherwise.19

Dickinson’s statistics may also suggest a change in people’s attitude toward Church. Timothy Keller notes that many people today consider themselves non- or anti-religious, being wary of any institution that exercises authority over individuals, particularly on confusing moral issues.20 Objective truth may also be rejected, leading to narcissism and “signals the death of a culture based on objective truth and civic virtue,” as Philip Graham Ryken points out.21 With numbers leaving the Church, a desire to redress this is the focus of much thinking.22 This desire is for the Church to be “a sign of the true kingdom,” not just accepting of the way things are.23 The Church is not simply to reflect Ulster culture, but to be a sign of the kingdom of God, and to show the spiritual reason for the Church. I want to suggest that a charismatic understanding may aid this role.

Definition of Terms

In dealing with the theological and practical identity of Churches, defining the terms being used is important...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Part 1: The Theoretical Foundation
• Part 2: The Contextual Applications
• Conclusion
• Bibliography