The Purpose-Driven Transition

Last week's article (Suzanne Sataline, "Veneration Gap: A Popular Strategy for Church Growth Splits Congregants," Wall Street Journal, front page, September 5) on the trouble some churches are facing as they transition to a purpose-driven format was illuminating for what it said about church discipline. 

The organization Church Transitions Incorporated runs seminars to assist churches in following a Saddleback methodology for worship and ministry.  According to the Wall Street Journal, a session entitled "Dealing with Opposition" advises pastors to "speak to critical members, then help them leave if they don't stop objecting. Then when those congregants join a new church, pastors should call their minister and suggest that the congregants be barred from any leadership role."  When questioned about this approach, the president of Church Transitions said, "There are moments when you've got to play hardball. You cannot transition a church . . . and placate every whiny Christian along the way." 

While I am sensitive to the difficulties of dealing with whiny Christians, and while I recognize that there are times when Christians need to go separate ways for ministry, I also seem to recall that there are biblical guidelines for dealing with differences in an open, honest, and charitable way. . .