An Open Letter To My Contemporary Church Friends

Back in the late 1980s I had the wonderful privilege of meeting and developing a great relationship with Dr. Frank Houston founder of the now famed "Hillsong" church movement.  Frank and Hazel Houston adopted my wife Andra and I and came several times to our home here in Annapolis, Maryland to visit us.  And for several years, in the early 1990's I had the privilege of ministering at Frank's church, Christian Life Center, in the downtown section of Sydney, Australia known as Waterloo.  Frank hated the association with Waterloo! Lol.   It was there that Frank taught me about the nature, function and mission of a spirit-filled contemporary church.  It was an awesome experience and for many probably still is... but it has been almost 10 years since I've been associated with the contemporary church model of church (except for a brief visit last year to a service in London).

For most church people, the contemporary church has been defined by casual dress, cafes' in the foyer, contemporary Christian worship music, and what some of my friends use to call "froth and bubble" preaching because of it's "pop-culture" lifestyle coaching approaches vs. more traditional biblical exegesis.  I think it's sad that this is the image that most people have taken away from the contemporary church experience.  Unfortunately, the model has been reduced down to an attractional, propositional, and colonial (starbucking) experience due to the lack of understanding of the denominational background from which Frank and Hazel Houston emerged.  First, let me be clear that Frank and Hazel were very dedicated members of the Australian Assemblies of God when I met them. However, they were dedicated to reforming and transforming their movement which has been accomplished in Australia through their son Brian and the myriad of leaders that Frank and Hazel raised up in their ministry.  Many of these leaders today have gone on and impacted our world in ways many church leaders wish about.  But, before Frank and Hazel became pentecostal they served as Officers and leaders in the Salvation Army Church founded by William and Catherine Booth; and if you examine the Hillsong churches worldwide you will find that it is a hybrid spirit-filled salvation army type church.  The entire model is totally a morphed version of William and Catherine Booth's vision. Here's why?

William and Catherine Booth were a part of the historical Methodist-Church in England.  In 1865, The Booths were dissatisfied with what they felt was an all too traditional approach to evangelism and he set out to form a group of evangelical street preachers with a focus to bring the poor, thieves, prostitutes, gamblers, and drunkards to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He preached hope and salvation with an intent to connect them with a church where they could be discipled.   Preaching to a small congregation in the East-end of London, their spirit was as militant as that of professional soldiers while battling an almost overwhelming impoverished situation in the slums. His congregation were desperately poor. He preached hope and salvation. His aim was to lead them to Christ and link them to a church for continued spiritual guidance and to empower them out of poverty.  The Booths had seven important approaches to reaching their world for Christ.

(1)   The Use Of Contemporary Music that was familiar to the unchurched.  William Booth knew how much people loved "Marching Bands." The primary purpose of all Salvation Army bands is to serve as an instrument to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Within the framework of the primary purpose, a brass band can be a powerful evangelistic tool.  Music for them was also a means to attract and hold members to the movement. Many individuals were originally introduced to The Salvation Army through the music programs. The judicious "salvationist" choice of music for a worship service also set the mood and enhance the message, preparing the congregation for the desired experience. 

One of the first aspects of "Hillsong" that impacted me was it's music.  Initially, before it became a Nashville formula and copied sound, former Hillsong leader Geoff Bullock explained to me, that their church worked at creating musical sounds that were familiar to the "pop" cultural radio sounds that ordinary Australians listened to around their city.  They would write worship music to bridge the unchurched of their region into their meetings that made their worship revelent to them... this is exactly what William Booth did.

My sense is that most contemporary churches outside "Hillsong's" context have reduced the use of contemporary music down to be the cool church in town.  For me, most churches do not carry the sense of music or worship as did the "salvationists" or Frank.  One question that needs to be cleared asked is, How are the words of the modern contemporary worship music scene proclaiming to Christ in meaningful ways that even atheist are gripped by it's proclamations?  What are these songs proclaiming about Christ or the majesty of our creator?  Most lyrics I have heard reduce God down to weather patterns... He's like the tree, He's in the wind, He's on the water.... very pantheistic!   William Booth's understanding of the marching band in his day provided the foundation in his generation to bring people into a sustainable understanding of God and the worship due him.

(2)  Social Justice. The second aspect of William and Catherine Booth's mission was their commitment to social justice.  The salvation army understood that a Christian Mission is a volunteer army that need to devote itself to women's social work, the first food depot, the first day care nursery, attending to those who needed medical care and other social services.  They also devoted themselves to addiction recovery in 1872 when they opened the Water Street mission in NYC.  The Booth's daughter, Evangeline, sent wagons out to pick up the drunk throughout the city and brought them to church. Some actually fell of the wagon - which has become the term now for people who have relapsed.  Two major groups that have emerged out of the Salvation army's mission are Volunteers of America and the American Rescue Workers.

Frank took me personally to Brian's work in the Western Suburbs know as "Hills-care" which was attending to the social needs of the poor.  CLC Sydney also had it's own rehabilitation ministry's during the week.  You will also find today a strong commitment to taking care of the poor in Africa, ending human trafficking, and a very strong commitment to social justice.... Not just a .50 cent paypal on an app commitment.  They are engaged in social justice.  Some of their main social works focuses at the time I met them were counseling, welfare, day care, camps for kids, rehabilitation programs, disaster relief programs - all similar to the salvationists understanding of the Christian faith.

(3)  Small Groups. William and Catherine Booth were raised Methodist who were committed to discipleship.  Anyone who has an understanding into the nature and founding of Methodism knows that it emerged from the Wesley's method of using a home group for spiritual formation, discipleship and accountability.  Small groups are were always a part of the Salvation Army's infrastructure.  Likewise, when Dr. David Yoggi Cho visited with Frank - Frank ensured that 100 home groups were firmly planted across Sydney to ensure these spiritual formation process were in place.

In fact,  Hillsong Church itself was birthed in a home group in the Western Suburbs of Sydney.  So here again is another proof that Frank and Hazel were only doing what they had done all their lives (as salvationists) before they joined the AOG of Australia. 

(4)  A Commitment to the supernatural. Apart from church historians, few people today are aware that the Army, in its early days, was considered to be among the most flamboyant of religious movements. Speaking in tongues, slaying in the Spirit, words of knowledge, prophecy, faith healing and ecstatic behaviour are part of the story of the Church from earliest times. Such signs marked the beginnings of Pentecostalism, as well as Methodism and the Society of Friends. The Salvation Army, as a child of Methodism, followed the growth pattern of its denominational parent, from these charismatic beginnings to a more controlled approach to church life.   Before William and Catherine Booth commenced revival meetings in the East End of London in the 1860s, they spent years as successful itinerant evangelists. Attendant signs and wonders marked their meetings.  

It's important to note, that all early twentieth century Pentecostalism emerged from the Methodist holiness movement.  So it is not surprising that both Frank and Hazel eventually made their way from their traditional "salvationist" experience into the early charismatic outpourings in 1968 in New Zealand, where they were citizens before moving to Australia to plant "Sydney CLC" now known as "Hillsong."

(5)  Other important aspects of "Salvationists" include:  Traditional pastoral care, Leadership Development (The term Salvation Army implies leadership terms, ie, After two successful years of training, cadets are commissioned as lieutenants, ordained as ministers, and assigned to active duty while continuing their education. Lieutenants are required to devote five years to additional studies),  and Bridge Events to attract the unchurched (like former Crystal Cathedral's "Glory Of Christmas).  Each of these components were unfamiliar to me when I first met Frank and Hazel but over my years getting to know them and my own educational background in church history provided me major evidence that Frank and Hazel were challenging the Australian Assemblies Of God to pick up the work where the "salvationists" left off.  I can't tell you how many times I met salvation army officers sitting in the services at CLC when I ministered there.  In fact, one young man who currently pastors "Hillsong" in Paris, Brenden White was raised in the Salvation Army.

So what does all this mean? and why have I taken the time to write about this model of church? So What?

I am writing this to "call" my contemporary church friends back to the roots and life of the so many "Contemporary Church" models cross-denominational.   This model has been reduced down to nothing more than an attractional, propositional, and colonial model.  Our music doesn't have the cool factor anymore.  In fact it isn't original and it all sounds like Hillsong.  Is your music and worship styles designed to minister to the unchurched or just designed to bring in the cool factor?  Too many churches have become a stage show and have relegated the Holy Spirit right out the door.  This contemporary movement will soon die if there is not a return to the foundation it was birthed in... It was birthed in a commitment to reaching people for Christ, introducing them to the Holy Spirit, and firmily getting people discipled, planted and active in the ministry outreaches of their local church.  It was not a center for "DEEP TEACHING" and apologetics to a world that doesn't darken the church door.  When I met Frank and Hazel Houston, their church was committed to  being a mission first and a church second.  As a result, of their own encounters with Jesus... God got into their story and incarnated himself into this wonderful couple's lives and family, then gave them a mission that began with 13 people in 1976, which in turn touched the lives and hearts of millions of people around the world (relational - and Australia's mateship culture is all about relationship).  So why is this important because the focus is the same whether is was the Wesley Brothers,  William and Catherine Booth, or Frank and Hazel Houston... God isn't interested in starbucking the church.  When we give ourselves to being a part of God's mission he gets into our story and draws people to the saving grace of the Cross Of Christ.  It's not ecclesiology first, missiology second, or Christology last... It all begins with our relationship to Jesus... finding out what he's doing and join hm in his cause.  

So when you think about this story remember wherever you live, no matter how big or small your village, town or city is... God can do it where you live to if you follow him and let him use you whether you emerge from a denominational background or have no background... God wants to write your history!  But don't expect God to work through some copycat model of a church.  God incarnates himself in diverse ways, in different time periods, in different cultures and speaks in languages yet to be understood... See Hebrews 1.  He's incarnational, relational, and missional... and he wants to use you like those who have gone before us like these mighty examples of faith I've talked about.  I am certainly glad God gave me the experience of knowing this great couple... I am forever grateful for them and their family who continues this great legacy and has expanded it to touch our world for Christ.  

Yours For The Kingdom,
Mike Berry

PS>  For Those who have sought to make a mockery of my friends story... here's a thought "God uses broken people to reach broken people."  I Corinthians explains to us that God chooses ordinary people of the world to confound the wise... Read William Booths autobiography and see if that is the case! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Booth