Bishop Payne lectures on fulfilling the scripture

Retired Bishop of Texas lectured at Christ Church, MI on Tuesday. He lectured about how the church needs to return to a mission centered church. Much of his ideas can be found in his book, Reclaiming the Great Commission- A practical model for transforming denominations and congregations. Basically the idea is to get people into the church by giving them something to do once there.

The great commission (discipleship) is revealed in Matthew 18:16-20 and is fulfilled through evangelism (good news). Bishop Payne suggests that we seek to understand the process, message, reason, benefactor and beneficiary of evangelism. Evangelistic process is concerned with how the good news is conveyed. Evangelistic message is the content of the good news. Evangelistic reason is the motivation for the good news. Evangelistic benefactor is who shall be responsible for the good news and evangelistic beneficiary is who shall receive the good news.

Bishop Payne emphasized the early church’s evangelistic mission and how the church has abandoned that mission for one of church maintenance. The bishop spoke of the many years of evangelistic activities of the early church before and without the creation of the New Testament in its present form. Today’s scripture dependent Christianity is most likely different from the scripture less world of early Christianity. As the church evolved Christianity became more complex and overly involved itself in the complexity leading to the move away from evangelistic mission to maintenance of the status quo. The church has lost its mission and Bishop Payne believes that loss has resulted in decreasing numbers of practicing Christians.

The Bishop has successfully reinstated the church’s great commission in Texas and a vibrant church has been the result. Fulfillment of the mission results in the clergy and laity in a cooperative partnership. Laity has participatory roles in a missionary church. The non churched are actively sought and fully engaged in an inclusive community. Good works are received and given within the congregation and without. And a missionary church becomes an active member in the community of which it serves.