The Convergence Movement
The Convergence Movement
The Convergence Movement
"Therefore, every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the
kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his
storeroom new treasures as well as old." - Mat. 13:52.
This Scripture summarizes the insight and discovery which has led to a fresh
stream of thought and renewal throughout the wider Body of Christ.
Described as the Convergence Movement, or "Convergence of the Streams,"
this emerging movement appears to many, both observers and participants,
to be another contemporary evidence of God's continuing activity in history
to renew, replenish and unify His people in one heart and purpose in Christ.
Arising out of a common desire and hunger to experience the fullness of
Christian worship and spirituality, the Convergence Movement (also referred
to in the remainder of this article as "CM") seeks to blend or merge the
essential elements in the Christian faith represented historically in three
major streams of thought and practice: the Charismatic,
Evangelical/Reformed and Liturgical/Sacramental. An increasing number of
local congregations and leaders from many backgrounds are finding
"treasures old and new" in the spiritual heritage of the church universal.
Paradigm of Ministry
What some have called the "Third Wave" or "Signs and Wonders Movement"
began about 1978 with the emergence of the ministry of John Wimber and
the Vineyard Churches that arose through his influence. James Robison, Jim
Hylton, Ray Robinson and other Southern Baptist leaders witnessed a Third
Wave explosion in the "Fullness Movement," primarily impacting the SBC.
Peter Wagner and others from Fuller Theological Seminary formalized the
movement through their writings and acted as a filter and focal point. The
Third Wave has been described by some as an epilogue to the Charismatic
Renewal, bringing together Charismatic elements of worship, experience and
practice with the Evangelical tradition.
The other key influence upon CM has been the Liturgical Renewal Movement,
which arose originally out of France in the Roman Catholic Church and the
Oxford or Tractarian Movement in the Church of England in the 19th century.
The Liturgical Renewal caused a resurgence of interest in recapturing the
essence, spirit and shape of ancient Christian worship, as practiced and
understood by the early Church of the first eight centuries. Particular focus
was given to the apostolic and Ante-Nicene Fathers of the ancient, undivided
Church up until about 390 A.D. The discoveries and enrichment of the
theology and practice of worship and ministry from that fertile era overflowed
into the mainline Protestant churches and began to have major impact upon
them, as well, from the 1950's, on.
A common component in the current CM, which came from these earlier
movements, is a strong sense of and concern for unity in the whole of Christ's
Body, the Church. While not associated with the official Ecumenical
Movement of the World Council of Churches, those involved in CM seem
broadly gripped by the hunger and desire to learn from traditions of worship
and spirituality other than their own and to integrate these discoveries into
their own practice and experience in the journey of faith. Indeed, many
leaders in the fledgling movement describe their experience as a compelling
"journey" or "pilgrimage." Many times, in very unsought-after ways,
"sovereign" events, relationships, books or insights gave rise to an
understanding of the church that was quite different from their previous
perspectives and backgrounds. One case-in-point is Richard Foster, a Quaker
by background, whose personal pilgrimage led him to write the classic
Celebration of Discipline, in which he unfolds an integrated practice of
spiritual disciplines drawn from five basic traditions of spirituality in the
Church through history. As a result of his developing focus, Foster convened
a conference called "Renovare", which gathered in Wichita, KS. in 1988. The
conference and intended renewal were direct precursors to the "Convergence
of Streams" concept.
Robert Webber has written a number of key books on the history and practice
of Christian worship, such as Worship Old and New, Worship Is A Verb and
Signs of Wonder - The Phenomenon of Convergence in the Modern Liturgical
and Charismatic Churches, all of which have been highly influential on those
involved in the movement. His book, Evangelicals on the Canterbury Trail,
describing a trend of Evangelical Christians moving toward liturgical churches
and the reasons why, was one of the first discoveries for many who are now
clearly operating in a convergence perspective.
Greater public awareness of the new movement came through Stan White, a
young fourth generation Assembly of God pastor from Valdosta, Georgia, who
caused a major stir when he took his entire independent Charismatic
congregation into the Episcopal Church. The story was written up in
Christianity Today in September of 1990 entitled "Why the Bishops Went to
Valdosta" and Charisma Magazine, the major voice for the Charismatic
movement, followed in April of 1991 with a similar article on White's
remarkable journey toward a church that was fully Charismatic, fully
Evangelical, and fully Liturgical and Sacramental.
Peter Gillquist, a former Campus Crusade for Christ leader in the 60's, left the
campus movement with a number of other fellow leaders, searching for the
real New Testament Church. Gillquist's book, Becoming Orthodox - A journey
to The Ancient Christian Faith, chronicled their fascinating journey of over 15
years of seeking, studying, and researching the early church. Their
discoveries led them into full reception and inclusion by the Antiochian
Orthodox Church. Two thousand Evangelical/Charismatic believers from
various backgrounds who made up the membership of the fifteen
congregations they had founded were also received into the Antiochian
branch of the Orthodox Church.
As news of these events and key materials began to circulate, others on the
"journey," as many began to identify it, caught wind and took heart that God
was indeed at work. Various leaders and participants were, in fact,
increasingly relieved to discover they were not the only ones thinking this
way or being compelled by this vision. In a quite unexpected way God
seemed to be confirming His call and initiation towards a vision of unity in the
Body of Christ in conformity with the spirit of Jesus' prayer in John 17 and His
statement in John 10:16, "I have many other sheep that are not of this fold; I
must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one
flock and one Shepherd". It seemed to be a unity that would not only leap
boundaries, but one that would lead to an enlargement and enrichment of
the faith, vision, worship and practice of the fullness of Christ in the fullness
of His Church.
Two key clusters of local congregations that represent and reflect the vision,
values and developing practices of CM are found in the metropolitan Kansas
City area, in the heart of the Midwest, and in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Hosanna Church of The King, founded in 1988 in the Kansas City area as an
independent, Third Wave/Charismatic congregation, was instrumental in
stirring interest and building relationship, locally and translocally, based on
the convergence of streams awakening. Planted by Wayne and Stephanie
Boosahda , the church is now pastored by Randy and Sandy Sly , who have
worked together with the Boosahda’s to foster awareness of this fresh-work
of God's Spirit. Others in the K.C. area being influenced in the convergence
direction represent Episcopal, independent Charismatic, Evangelical holiness
and mainline Protestant congregations and leaders. Pastors Ron McCrary of
Christ Episcopal and Randall Davey of Overland Park Church of the Nazarene
represent two others in the metropolitan area impacted by convergence
thought and practice.
In Oklahoma City, pastors Mike and Beth Owen of Church of the Holy Spirit,
originally a "Third Wave" Vineyard Christian Fellowship, and Dr. Robert Wise
and wife Marguerite of Community Church of the Redeemer have, along with
their congregations, made a formative impact on the OKC area, as they have
shared their journeys with other congregations and leaders, especially within
liturgical and Charismatic circles. They have developed strong ties with those
in Kansas City, formalizing the national and transdenominational focus on the
movement's essential vision and values. These churches and leaders,
together with a number of others across the wider Church of Jesus Christ are
convinced they are involved in something of historic significance and promise
for the "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" of Jesus Christ in our time.
Those who are being drawn by the Lord into this convergence of streams are
characterized by several common elements. While these are not exhaustive
or in any order of importance, they seem to form the basis for the focus and
direction of the Convergence Movement.
From a more sacramental view, these two expressions of church life are seen
as holy and sacred unto the Lord, a symbol with true spiritual meaning used
as a point of contact between man and God. The Lord's presence and power
is released in these acts as the worshiper encounters Him through the
elements.
For many Christians, a vacuum has existed between the pages of the New
Testament and the contemporary church. This has left a disconnected Body
with no historic heritage. Like a boat adrift, the church can no longer explain
who she is, where she came from, or why she exists. A recent shift in
perspective has sent her searching for her roots, in order to find a common
connection to the greater whole in God's Kingdom.
Studying the early church has given many an opportunity to see New
Testament church principles being applied by those who were discipled by
the Twelve, and their subsequent followers. These writings provide a window
into an earlier time, explaining how the early church approached faith and
practice, how they worshipped, and how they gave leadership to a growing
movement. The bloodline of the Body of Christ can be traced through
succeeding generations - seeing both the successes and failure in faith.
3. A love and embrace for the whole church, and a desire to see the church
as one.
The various expressions of Christianity have remained very distinct for many
years through sectarianism and denominational separatism. Convergence
churches are looking beyond these artificial barriers to encourage,
appreciate, and learn more about the uniquenesses found in the various
bodies of faith. Jesus' prayer in John 17 was for the church to become one...
one as the Body of Christ, not through compromise of doctrine and dogma,
but unity under the person of Jesus Christ - unity among our diversity. This
sense of oneness does not require any church to dismiss their unique
expression as Christ's Body, but calls them to appreciate and embrace the
variety and beauty of the church worldwide and throughout history.
4. The blending in the practices of all three streams is evident, yet each
church approaches convergence from different bases of emphasis.
A church does not necessarily have to change its identity when it becomes a
part of a convergence movement. Most convergence churches have a
dominant base -- one particular expression of' the church that regulates the
others. They can still look very Episcopalian, Orthodox, Baptist, Nazarene,
independent Charismatic, etc. while expressing additional elements of
worship and ministry from other streams.
As God's Spirit continues to move powerfully in the world, new wineskins (or
structure) are required to contain the power and potential of His new wine.
While most Christian futurists expected these new wineskins to be composed
of more open and spontaneous churches with a de-emphasized structure, the
spirit of independence present, especially in North American Christians,
underlines the impression that this would be like pouring wine into a fish net.
God's holy fire is now being kindled in furnaces of faith where structures such
as liturgical forms are allowing power to be imparted in churches without the
fear of moving into error. Liturgies are being reintroduced into the church in
order to bring a balance in worship among all the elements Scripture reveals
as necessary for worshipping God in spirit and truth. The word "liturgy"
literally means the "work of the people." Through the implementation of
liturgical elements, worship becomes the work of the body in praise,
repentance, the hearing of the Word, and the celebration of Christ's death
and resurrection. Within these forms room can always be found for
spontaneous moves of the Spirit. The historic creeds of the church - the
Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, etc. - are once again giving the Body of
Christ the foundational roots of orthodoxy. The Book of Common Prayer and
other liturgical resources are also being blended with spontaneous praise and
worship in convergence churches. The Lord's Table is being celebrated with a
greater understanding of the sacredness of the event, and churches are
following the Christian year and church calendar more consistently as a
means of taking their people on an annual journey of faith. All of these
expressions give local fellowships a greater sense of connection with the
church worldwide and the church through history.
Some pastors are now wearing clerical collars and vestments in various
services, worship settings and celebrations of the church. The collar serves as
a sign of spiritual reality in being yoked with Christ, identifying with and
speaking to the church as a whole, prophetically saying, "Be one!"
Some who watch this "new direction" from the Evangelical or Charismatic
sidelines are still skeptical. They are concerned that convergence churches
are abandoning their heritage, and that the value of Biblical infallibility and
personal conversion will be lost or compromised in the pursuit of the
liturgical/sacramental side of the church. Often, this concern arises out of
negative prior personal experiences with certain expressions of the church or
an inaccurate stereotype. Those watching from the liturgical / sacramental
side are usually as concerned about their churches embracing more
conservative or fundamental expressions of faith and practice.
The Church's rich and vital Biblical heritage in the power and primacy of the
Word has been more completely undergirded as churches give more time in
worship to the corporate reading of the Bible. This fulfills Paul's admonition to
Timothy to "devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching,
and teaching." Ironically, on Sunday mornings more Scripture is usually read
in a traditional liturgical service than most Evangelical or Charismatic
gatherings.
Conclusion
Formal and informal educational tracks in the various streams can become
much broader in scope, addressing issues that may be found in other
sections of the church, such as sacramental theology and practices, rites of
initiation, the work of the Holy Spirit, etc.
The final verses of the Old Testament close with a promise that the spirit of
Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the
children to their fathers. While these verses have been used in recent days to
characterize the need to return to family values, the hope also exists that a
new spirit in the church will turn the hearts of this generation of believers
back toward the apostolic fathers and others who formed and fashioned vital
faith in the centuries following Christ's ascension. They had envisioned and
worked for a Christianity that was orthodox and durable, generation upon
generation, operating in strict adherence to the revelation of Christ for His
church. The church of the twentieth century is now eagerly looking back to
these fathers of faith and discovering new life in the forms and structures
God built in their midst.