2005 INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Douglas Jacoby (Athens, Georgia)

I’ve just returned from the 2004 International Leadership Conference in Chicago. Since the decentralization of the International Churches of Christ in 2002, every conference I have attended has had a different feel—a better feel. Chicago was no exception. This was a very positive time for many, and certainly for me!

Developments since Dallas

Last year I had the privilege of attending the International Leadership Conference in Dallas, which featured fine fellowship and a sense of togetherness in a “post-traumatic stress” situation. The 500 or so participants included staff and non-staff, men and women, North Americans and those from overseas. There was less of a demarcation between full-time staff and other Christians—to the joy of many. The Chicago I.L.C., meeting nearly a year after Dallas, benefited from 12 extra months of reflection and experimentation in a new era. As a result, the classes, forums, and messages addressed felt and actual needs even better. The overall feel of the seminar was different. 600 plus brothers and sisters converged from countless nations. For many, this conference afforded a much-needed time of refreshment—and for some, the kiss of life.

Worthy is the Lamb

The International Leadership Conference took place 23-25 September, and the theme was Worthy is the Lamb. Seminar speeches were delivered by Mike Taliaferro (San Antonio), John Louis (Singapore), Steve Staten and Tony Singh (Chicago), Wyndham Shaw (Boston), and Scott Green (Seattle). In addition, there were 19 classes and forums. For more information, see www.chicagochurch.org.

Worthy is the Lamb - A movement, though not an organization

For its affiliate congregations, the ICOC is no longer a corporate entity. No headquarters, structure, or hierarchy, internationally speaking. No single church is set up to be “over” any other church. (This was constantly affirmed in public and private meetings of the ILC.) Everyone is in agreement that we need one another’s influence and support; isolation is not healthy. Churches everywhere are learning to stand on their own feet, and establishing local leadership is a top priority. Yet even though we’re not a worldwide organization, we are more than just an association of churches. We’re a brotherhood—and yet more than just a brotherhood. What some 500-600 churches have in common is a strong commitment to the Bible, one-another relationships, and world evangelism. That makes us a true movement. Again, as was emphasized, not the movement of God, but definitely a movement of God. I agree with this assessment.

Perhaps we need to rethink the concept of “movement,” and particularly how a movement is different than an organization. Yet the fact remains that disciples of Jesus Christ are still outnumbered in this world by those who purport to be believers but have bought into the notions and theologies of the world. Christians connected to one another, going forward with common goals and convictions, collaborating internationally are by definition an international movement. This in my opinion is healthy, and must be preserved—not legislated, of course, but still the object of our passion and prayers.

As an international movement, we are aware that most of the nations on the planet lie in the developing world. Speeches, discussions, and private conversations often centered around the obligation we have to missions. As one of the brothers put it, “We sent them out, we funded them; let’s not drop them.” This concern for foreign churches, especially in the Third World, was highly emphasized during the Chicago seminar. And rightly so.

Structure of this report

This conference report consists of three sections:

I. Information: Updates on the state of the churches (a sort of “World Report”)
II. Connection: Updates on Discipleship Publications International and Disciples Today
III. Collaboration: Summary of the “Unity Discussion” (Who we are and what we agree on)

INFORMATION: World Report

In these days of reevaluation, recalibration, and recommitment, we want information. We want to know how other churches are doing. We want accurate real-time news about the state of the world. At the ILC we head a good deal of such news. During several periods of missions and church updates, facts, figures, perspectives, and hopes were expressed. All expressed gratitude to sponsoring congregations and missionary societies in North America.

I’ve arranged the updates, which were delivered intermittently throughout the conference, by the five continents represented at the ILC. Note: the bullet points below represent what the presenters said; these are not my words, but my rendering of their words. I have striven to portray accurately the things I heard; wherever I have made an error, I would appreciate your alerting me to any shortcoming. Please pardon the terse nature of the bullet points; conciseness was the goal in mind.

North America

• Mexico—4000 members in Mexico City church, and 30 other congregations in Mexico and Central America. 8 new churches have been planted in the past 2 years. Next month Mexico City celebrates its 17th anniversary, and will be sending out 4 more churches. The Bible School in Mexico City is flourishing; over 100 students have been graduated already.
• The Atlanta church has gone from 3800 to 2400 members (including the separation of the Athens group of some 400 members in May 2003). Atlanta is currently in a time of rebuilding, and the elders are very optimistic about future prospects.
• New York—In the words of one of the elders, “What happened there? We messed up... It’s a little more difficult when you mess up with 6000 people than with 600 people… Many young men and women who were overwhelmed are just trying to save their own faith.” NYC attendance has dropped from over 6000 to around 4000, while staffing has gone from 105 to 33 persons. There are 4 elders, working together with the evangelists. NYC church is still meeting 80% of the needs of the African churches, and also the Caribbean.
• Kingston, Jamaica will be hosting a Caribbean conference in October (with Sam and Geri Laing). The hurricanes have hit the Caribbean hard; your practical help and prayers are appreciated.
• Chicago hosted the I.L.C., and Tony Singh (evangelist) and Steve Staten (evangelist, elder, teacher) did a masterful job arranging the conference (and also speaking--see for example http://www.myconvictions.com/).
• All 10 New England churches remain unified. $750,000 in special missions contribution was raised for Europe and New England. In Boston, everyone is learning to be real, being honest about the good news and the bad news, working together.

South America
• Colombia was hit very hard in 2003. “This has been a time of great sadness. There is no excuse for many of things that have happened.” There is no full time staff in Bogotá. There are now 600 members in the Bogotá church, 30 in Cali, and 50 in Medellín.
• Caracas, Venezuela—97 members, with a number of baptisms and lost sheep returning.
• Bolivia—1 new congregation established.
• Ecuador—400 members in the Quito church, which just celebrated its 9th anniversary with 800 present. There’s also a congregation of 15 Christians in Guayaquil. 8 hours north of Lima, a church planting has taken place through 10 lost sheep returning to the fold. (This new house church has 20 attending every Sunday.)

Africa
• Ivory Coast—2 new churches: Yamossoukro (saw 400 at first service) and Douala (3rd city of nation), 400 also at first service.
• In 2004 Johannesburg gave a special missions contribution of $180,000.
• Nairobi: at Women’s Day (2003) 650 women saw 3000 in attendance—it was not possible to follow up properly. So this year they scaled down. Last weekend: 660 had 2056 in all. This was “more manageable.”
• Mombasa, Kenya—a Bible Talk is in progress and a house church has been established. “Please take your holiday there!” • There is also a new house church at Mt Kenya.
• Central Africa: Hutus and Tutsis meeting together. Bujumbura—war in progress, but Christians overcome ethnic rivalries and love one another.
• 20 churches in French speaking Africa. One entire 150-member charismatic church was converted!
• Abidjan, Ivory Coast gave US$94,000 in Special Contribution.
• Around Africa, campus students are returning to their tribes and starting congregations.

Europe
• Europe (apart from Scandinavia and the British Isles) has 26 churches. Most churches are 30-70 disciples, some over 100. Staff numbers: Eastern Europe—15, Central Europe—8, Western Europe—1. Again, this does not include the British Isles, the Baltic Region, or nations of the former CIS.
• Paris suffered much—around 100 meeting now; another 200 could come back and join them.
• London—there are over 1000 members in the 10 regions of the London Church of Christ, with one evangelist on staff churchwide (northwest London).
• Serbia and Macedonia are slated to be planted.
• Romania—the 2nd city has been planted.
• Some churches are stable and want to move ahead; others are “improving”; still others are without leadership or direction.
• Russia—there are new house churches in a number of places. Former students are returning to their native cities.

Asia
• Indian region—50 churches in 5 nations, 6000 members. 120 on staff, and 100 serving the poor through HOPEww. Visiting disciples from the west spent their summer vacation with Chennai members, serving lepers and AIDS children.
• China was very affected by internet news, yet this has been a “maturing time for all Chinese disciples.”
• Hong Kong went from 2400 to 2100 members, and is “now baptizing again.” Recently the teen child of the first conversion of the HK church was immersed. The HK and Taiwanese financial committees serving in an advisory role are very supportive to evangelists, and are working in harmony.
• Underground churches on the mainland, including a church planted earlier this year.
• Philippines: 16 churches, 4600 members. Staff shrank from 120 to 15.
• 2005: new church planting in the Philippines
• The Korean churches need to be more unified and strengthened
• Middle East: 450 members amidst a regional population of 430 million (mainly Muslim), in 17 churches.
• Jerusalem: Arabs and Jews worshipping together. New congregation in Bethlehem.
• Baghdad: re-started the Iraqi church. Some thought this was a crazy idea! But it’s the right time! They are doing well now.
• Sudan—a new church has been launched in the south of the country. (There was already one in the north.)
• Turkey—the church is legally registered now.
• Plan to begin congregations in Syria and Oman and Algeria.
• 12 churches in Indonesia (3000 members), 5 in Malaysia and Singapore (1500 members). New ways of ministry had been underway for several years; no f/t staff were lost in 2003.
• Singapore’s church building will open 15 October, and includes a new counseling center. Southeast Asian conference, first weekend in December.
• One more church is starting in Siberia (the Asian part of Russia, which is considerably larger than the European part).

II. CONNECTION: DPI and DT Developments

After publishing some 30,000 pages of written material (which has also been translated into 25 languages) and 50+ audio products, DPI may be on the verge of folding, for financial reasons. Still, their 137th title, Dare to Dream Again, by Jeff Chacon, will be published soon. In addition, a new Upside Down DVD has been released, with special features, behind-the-scenes interviews, etc. This DVD will be presented to Christian Book Distributors. There will also be an UpsideDown online release party Oct 9th at 5 pm PT. visit the www.DPIBooks.org website (webcam, streaming video, chat room). We are all grateful to DPI for many years of service in producing Christian literature and strengthening the faith of so many.

Late update from Sheila Jones: “We told you that we would be giving you updates as to how DPI is doing. At this point we have talked with the Boston elders, and we have decided to give another idea a try in order to keep going and growing. We will be telling you more later about this. So, don't count us entirely out yet!! Please pray that we might continue... we place DPI in God's hands."

It has become difficult in some cities to find the churches that were planted; directories have become out of date, and communication channels are a bit slow. As a result, several brothers volunteered to gather information from churches around the world to make it easier for visiting disciples to connect with their friends in foreign cities. These brothers will also try to make sure that mission points are connected with sponsoring churches in the first world so that needs may be met.

Disciples Today (DisciplesToday.com) currently has 1100 subscribers from 71 nations. (10,000 are needed to make this a financially viable ministry.) Roger Lamb urged that congregations “tell their own stories” for the Churches Today section of the website. “Tell the true story. Send in written stories AND video footage.” DT has raised about 50% of the support needed for 2004. At the November Board meeting it will be decided whether to continue or not, based on the 2005 commitments.

Certainly remaining connected is an important goal for Christians around the world. We want to remain in e-contact, publish ideas and share the results of Bible study, and know where the churches are meeting around the world. Let’s stay connected.

III. COLLABORATION: Summary of the “Unity Discussion”

Tony Singh and Steve Staten (as ILC conference directors) guided this discussion, which was attended by some 30 men. We talked openly about feelings, offered feedback, and affirmed our commitment to be a brotherhood, working together to evangelize the world for Christ. Salient points:

1. Foreign churches: We must help the non-US churches in difficult circumstances. Though most relationships of support are intact, we don’t want any congregation to struggle. It would be wrong to abandon the missions works we started, and we must be offer help to any foreign church seeking it.

2. Identity and philosophical differences: The ICOC name is a useful handle to describe who we are and what we are about. One-another relationships and a commitment to evangelism are what make us distinct. [Not that we are the only groups of Christians on the planet! Still, these emphases are what we have in common.] In this section of the discussion, it was suggested that someone maintain a central listing of congregations so that we can more easily (a) remain in contact and (b) identify needs.

3. Public communication: We must show the utmost respect for each other, building each other up. Our fellowship is bound to have differences in style and programs, many of which are already becoming visible. Be careful that our enthusiasm about our own programs doesn’t put down anybody else. It was also strongly agreed that we need to work hard to resolve any damaged relationships—not waiting another year! Reconciliation must be a priority in our hearts.

Finally, it should be emphasized that at this meeting no decisions were made, only observations. In no way was the meeting the equivalent of a central leadership group; it was just a group of brothers meeting to talk.

CONCLUSION

All over the world various conferences are being organized. I have visited quite a few of them in the past couple of years. These events remind me very much of the wholesome, salutary feel of the seminars in the “campus ministry days” of the 1960s-’80s. All are welcome, all agendas are manifest, and all admit that they are striving to find the way forward. Nor did the ILC claim to speak for all Christians worldwide. We are a movement of God, not his exclusive means of working among believers in the world today! Our network is voluntary, not mandated. It is based on mutual respect, not hierarchy. We are determined to learn the lessons of church history, to which our own brief history belongs. We are on the way; we have not arrived.

The mutual love and respect exhibited by all were truly uplifting. Had anyone asked, “Who’s in charge here?” the answer would probably have been, “Not us. Certainly no one person. No, we are looking to Jesus Christ. His word is the standard.” The unanimous implicit confession of the conference was that Jesus Christ is the head of the church; his is the supremacy; he is our leader.

There will be other leadership conferences. Seattle offered to host the I.L.C. in September 2005. As with the 2003 and 2004 conferences, anyone is welcome to attend, though the conference is especially designed to meet the needs of those serving in their local congregations in leadership positions. If you are able, I would encourage you to start planning or setting aside financially in order to be able to make the visit to Washington State next year. If it is anything like Chicago ’04, it will be time and money well spent.