‘Borden’ is the name that gets dropped at WA Baptist pastors gigs everywhere these days. Are you using the ‘Borden’ model? What do you think of ‘Borden’? It seems we are infected with Bordenitis everywhere.
Today I met with ‘Borden’ – Paul Borden – executive minister with the American Baptist Churches of the West, a denomination that has resurrected over the last 10 years from dismal decline.
He is doing a review of our Baptist Union (denomination) and will be making recommendations for how we ought to function if we are serious about mission.
He has a very ruthless and at time disturbing approach to what he does. He gets the job done in a sense but I have had some reservations about his methodology. For some reason only two of us met with him today, and after he had finished asking for our assessments of the denonination he asked if we wanted to question him on anything.
You bet!
For twenty miniutes I was able to question, debate and discuss with him what he was really about. I wish we had longer because it was just starting to get interesting. He would say he is for seeing people who are lost being found however you do it – we agree on priority.
I’m not sure we would agree on philosophy (Christology informing missiology informing ecclesiology). I spoke with him about this, and while he affirms the need to think like missionaries, I sense theirs is still very much a funked up attractional Christendom model of church.
The thing is it seems to be ‘working’. It seems to be impacting communities, changing lives and producing disciples.
As of yet I am not convinced that they appreciated the cultural framework of Oz and the limited appeal of the attractional beast.
It seems we will be doing more of the same but more effectively if we embrace his ideas. I still ask what about those who will never come to any church no matter how funky?free goodbye lover movie download
The Paul Borden model is being used in South Carolina in my denomination with devastating results.
Our leaders have been marginalized, assets are being sold, churches are being closed, and there is a great sense of confusion everywhere.
That’s all I can tell you about my personal experience with Paul Borden.
For perspective, I am a senior pastor in my denomination, and have successfully pastored in SC for 20 years.
Hmmm, well I had a Paul Borden video class back in the days at CCU. No biggie. Interesting that I am out of ministry, I went to a church plant after growing a large student ministry and just got fed up with the lack of mobility from the people.
Never the less I guess I am a looser. No, I know I am a looser. I could never get hired by guys like Borden. Why? I’m not a CEO type, I think that church should not further the religious and churches that just “feed” people is not for me… so, I’m a looser.
Now, I still am looking for the right place, maybe it is not in the church so be it. But I’ll join the other 12 stooges that were written off when they started following the Christ.
Peace
Yes my church is doing the Paul Borden thing too. It have been a disaster and very discouraging. The money taken from assets has been plundered with virtually no acountability.
Yes this church in the past has been “inward focused” but also very “upward focused. Now there is no pastoral care. How can the body attract more memebers if it’s being neglected? I wouldn’t want to bring my friends or family to such a disfunctional place.
Sure there is supposed to be accountability through numbers….new members great! What about the retention of older members?
Certainly there is some success with the PB plan. But it’s for a very small few.
Paul Borden’s approach to being a Disciple is not Biblical. We need to spend more time in the “Word” and less time in books that are not of God. His methods have only caused confusion in our church. We’re going back to how Jesus instructs us to disciple and let “Jesus” as our Shepherd lead us, minister to us and equip us to go forward and witness for Him. Paul Borden’s method is totally against the Shepherd that Jesus instructs our Pastor’s to be. Why would anyone want to follow Paul Borden’s method confuses me.
Judgement starts in the house of God. Discovering Mr. Borden’s “Beastly” system is not the threat, It is our own sheep and leadersheep who endorse it that’s the problem. Seeing his tactics and rotten fruitbearing is the easy part, dealing with those who satisfy their own bellies and decive the saints so that if it were possible is the hard part. Pray, stay in the Word and get ready.