Most communities of any size will have a local Ministerial Association. Throughout our experience we made it a practice practice to participate. As most pastors are aware, the nature and function of such groups can vary widely.
Given the fact that most our our experience has been in areas of the upper Midwest, it logically followed that such organizations tended at times to largely reflect the mindset and values systems of traditional mainline denominations. This could prove frustrating at times, particularly when causes related more to contemporary liberal thought than biblical agenda tended to set the tone in terms of purpose and objective.
We recall one occasion when, upon our objecting to sponsoring the representative of a particular organization typically committed to the promotion of "safe sex" and other related interests, matters became a little tense. To our proposal that the Church's sense of cause in such matters should relate to moral integrity, one prominent pastor's response was that "we have to be realistic about these things."
Fortunately, we were privileged to also live in areas where there were associations of conservative, biblically committed pastors. Not that there was always a total absence of ecclesial politics, personal ambition or need for recognition, but at least one could usually experience a degree of shared interest in serving the spiritual needs of the community and in finding time to pray together for such ends.
It all serves, I believe, to underscore the fact that not only are we in a day of increasing polarization in terms of the professing community of faith (in both pulpit and pew), but that we should anticipate intensifying religious division as determined by personal commitment to Jesus Christ, fellow believers, the cause of righteousness and spiritual viability - or, despite religious trappings, the absence of such.
The prophet Daniel speaks of an end time polarization in these terms: "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand" (Dan. 12:10). We would suggest that in few areas will this become more evident than in realms of the religious and ecclesiastical.
Just thinking.
Burl Ratzsch
