Bullseye: Things We Agree On

Paul Borden’s philosophies on church health and growth are at the heart of the changes being pushed at Takoma Park and throughout the Potomac Conference, and consequently ought to be given a thorough examination. This post starts a new series devoted to doing just that. Paul Borden spells out his philosophies in his book, Hit the Bullseye, and we will be examining this volume in detail. We begin with the points he makes that we agree with, namely the need for accountability, honesty, and urgency. (Unless otherwise noted, all quotes in this series are from Hit the Bullseye.)

“In many denominational and congregational entities there is little counting (other than for budgets), few do ministry accounting, and almost no one is held accountable for anything” (p.36).

“We knew that we could not (and should not) measure conversions…However, we could measure the practices for which we can take more responsibility” (pp.36, 37).

“We have often confused the method of ministry with the nature of the message, and when there have been no results we have honored the faithfulness of the messenger” (p.38).

The Adventist Church in North America has become too forgiving of mediocrity and lack of follow-through from its leaders, both paid and volunteer. We need to get back in the habit of making plans to spread the gospel and be a positive influence in our communities.

“Would that we as a people might realize how much is pending upon our earnestness and fidelity in the service of Christ. All who realize their accountability to God, will be burden-bearers in the church. There can be no such thing as a lazy Christian, though there are many indolent professors of Christianity. While Christ's followers will realize their own weakness, they will cry earnestly to God for strength, that they may be workers together with him. They will constantly seek to become better men and better women, that they may more faithfully perform the work which he has committed to their hands” (Review and Herald, January 19, 1886 par. 5).

“Teach your children that nothing is to be withheld from God, that all their gifts are to be used to promote His glory. Teach them to cherish a sense of their accountability to use wisely their intrusted capabilities, improving and perfecting them by use. They are accountable for the judicious exercise of every faculty” (Signs of the Times, October 18, 1899 par. 6).

Once we have made plans we must follow through with executing them and evaluating the effectiveness both of the plan itself and those specific individuals tasked with seeing it accomplished. Ineffective plans should be abandoned and ineffective individuals either trained for greater effectiveness or given other tasks for which they are more suited. Accomplishing this accountability requires the use of another principle: honesty. Everyone has talents to use for God, but that does not automatically mean that they are using those talents to the best advantage in whatever position they might currently hold.

“Yet while listening and showing respect I wanted the pastor to observe that I did not back away from the truth” (p.112).

“Loyalty is important and valuable if people are loyal to the right cause. Also, a loyalty that is not critical of that to which the person is being loyal may be a human value but it surely is not a spiritual one. If my child commits murder, I will still love and support my child while recognizing that my loyalty to my child does not interfere with the legal system that seeks to bring justice to the situation” (p.73, bold supplied).

Love may be blind, but as Borden says, loyalty should not be. And it doesn’t cease to be loyalty when it is submitted to intellectual scrutiny. Desiring the best for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ should not prevent us from discerning what they are or are not skilled at, or when they are speaking truth and when error.

“Therefore, you discover what a group’s values are by looking at their behavior; how they spend money, how they treat people, what they do most consistently, what they fail to do unless forced. The values are best seen when the group faces some kind of stress, and then you see how people within the group behave and make decisions” (p.70).

It’s a simple enough principle. “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them,” (Matthew 7:20). What we do speaks far more loudly about what we believe or value than anything we say, and we as Adventists should be doing far more than we are in living out our belief in the nearness of the second coming.

“Yet the majority of people in our congregations believed that one’s informed faith in Jesus Christ did make an eternal difference” (p.138).

“The lack of mission urgency in North America means that denominational leaders think they still have time to develop modest, incremental strategic plans to tinker with polity, and time afterwards to then go about mission” (p.139).

“…the epitome of service in congregational life is leading ministries that equip new disciples to make more disciples and train them to become leaders” (p.142).

“Let not a day pass in which you do not realize your accountability to work for God, an accountability placed on you by the death of His Son in your behalf. Let not a day pass on which you do not try to heal the wounds that sin has made. Always be found working on the broad plan of God's love” (Pacific Union Recorder, March 13, 1902 par. 6).