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The Dimming of a “Bright” Idea?

From the website for something called the “Billion Soul Initiative,”

Dr. James O. Davis writes, under the headline, “Birth of a Vision”:

“It was 2001, and Dr. Bill Bright (founder of Campus Crusade for

Christ) was about to make the first public announcement of a brand

new goal. To get to Springfield, he had flown on a private plane

because of a debilitating illness. As he climbed the stairs, wheezing

through oxygen tubes…the Presbyters broke the silence with a

standing ovation for the greatest soul-winner of the modern era.
“Just six months earlier…, I left a meeting in that same building with

a prayer in my heart for God’s vision to be fulfilled. During the short

drive home, the Holy Spirit whispered, “Call Bill Bright now and

tell him what I have put in your heart.” Grabbing my cell phone, I

placed the call… Within an hour, Dr. Bright called and asked, “James,

what is on your heart?” I told him my burden for pastors worldwide.

Through my evangelistic work, I had learned that more than 90% of all

ministers worldwide have no formal education. Tens of thousands

drop out of ministry each year. And nearly every week, I was with

another great pastor, listening to the challenges he faced. This helped

develop my love for pastors that I have to this day.
“Dr. Bright and I worked hard, building a network for a billion soul

harvest. Long before we organized a corporation, we traveled

nationwide together, challenging leaders to take the long look instead

of the short look. When we weren’t traveling, we were in Dr. Bright’s

home, hosting “Breakfast with Bill” meetings, casting vision with

pastors from every state and stream of Christianity.
“…After we prayed together, I looked into his eyes for the last time and

told this great leader that when I saw him next, in Heaven, I would

testify that I was faithful to the vision and that more than one billion

people were saved. Eight days later, Dr. Bright graduated to receive

his eternal reward.”

EYE-OPENING SUNDAY BREAKFAST

I was at a breakfast in Irving, Texas last Tuesday, June 19, 2007, and

heard Dr. Davis speak. He introduced the keynote speaker, Pastor

Sunday Adelaja, a Nigerian-born pastor of a Ukrainian church with

35,000 members and 500 “daughter” churches all over the world.

As a 25-year marketing veteran, having worked with DFW Ad-Agencies

and two award-winning Chambers of Commerce, I was not surprised to

see how Pastor Sunday was drawn immediately (and vice versa) to

America’s MegaChurches, our high-profile ministries, and to the Trinity

Broadcasting Network for the official “roll-out” of his “product”;

HOWEVER, I was saddened to see how the nation’s burgeoning House

Church/Simple Church movement was not represented at all among the

ministries who are aligning themselves with Pastor Sunday’s mission.

I am very active in strengthening and discipling those within the House

Church/Simple Church movement – as well as those throughout the Body

of Christ worldwide - with an online ministry that has reached millions

since 1999. Regarding this movement, Researcher/Sociologist George

Barna says it includes 43 million affiliates each month, NOT including

cell groups. Over 70 MILLION Americans claim to have taken part in

House Church. That’s alot of Christians!

Since attending Pastor Sunday’s breakfast, I have been speaking with

several men whom we in the Simple Church would call the “leaders”

of our movement (trust me, you WOULD recognize their names), each

of which informed me that they had actually attended the initial

meetings of the Billion Soul Initiative. Though I refer to these brothers

as “leaders,” they would surely acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the

ONLY leader within The Church. These men were incredibly easy to

access and are wonderful examples to multitudes within the movement.

Each man expressed to me a willingness to NETWORK and brainstorm

with Pastor Sunday and any other high-profile leaders within the

Institutional Church. What is the Institutional Church going to do with

the willingness and wisdom of these incredible men? Though these

godly individuals are well worth talking to, each one expressing a

willingness to gather with Pastor Sunday or any other MegaChurch Pastors,

I fear that, because there are no names or faces associated with the

impressive House Church/Simple Church numbers, some folks don’t tend

to take this “movement” quite as seriously as they should.

My advice?

Take it seriously.

What may still be below radar today will be the Church most Americans

will be a part of in 10-15 years.

Count on it.

I met at least 10 House Church attendees at Pastor Sunday’s breakfast

that day. In fact, a man I had not previously met invited me just the night

before the breakfast. He was looking for a House Churcher in Texas

and contacted House2House Ministries when he was directed to me.

I had no intention of attending the breakfast - too short of a notice -

until the Lord spoke to me later as I was getting ready for bed, “I want

you to go and meet your brother.”

Frankly, I’m STILL wondering WHO that “brother” was/is.

FAITHFUL TO WHO’S VISION?

Following are excerpts regarding Dr. Bright and what he had to say

about the Billion Soul Initiative in relation to the house church model.

Please read them, ponder them and pray. As I read them myself, I could not

help but wonder what Dr. Bright meant by his use of the term “house

churches” and why his vision seems to have evolved to referring to

MegaChurches - a model that is statistically failing - and the “Christian

elite” - a common tendency resulting from our habit of equating large

numbers with success - that fails time and time again leaving a trail of

shipwrecked faith in its wake. We should know better yet, it’s our

Adamic nature to react this way.

My second concern? The comment Dr. Davis made about how, “…After

we prayed together, I looked into his eyes for the last time and told this

great leader that when I saw him next, in Heaven, I would testify that I

WAS FAITHFUL TO THE VISION…”

Faithful to the vision?

Here are two articles concerning “the vision” from Dr. Bright’s

perspective:

ARTICLE #1:

July 1, 2003
Dear friends:

As I write this, I am confined to my bed and am on supplemental oxygen
24 hours a day.
In October, 2002, I celebrated my 81st birthday. Approximately three
years ago, I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung
disease…the past two years have been among the most productive of
my life, as I have been able to keep a vigorous schedule of writing,
editing, producing teaching videos, some traveling and speaking, and
even the co-founding of the Global Pastors Network, a strategy to
help start 5 million house churches worldwide.
See more at:

http://www.sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc02/newsroom/newspage.asp?ID=265
ARTICLE #2:

Sad state of American churches is ’scandal,’ Bill Bright tells SBC
Thursday, Jun 13, 2002
By Mark Kelly
ST. LOUIS (BP)–The sad state of America’s churches is one of the
great scandals of Christian history, and American Christians must repent,
live in the power of God’s spirit and pray for revival, Bill Bright told
messengers during the closing session of the Southern Baptist
Convention June 12 in St. Louis.

“One of the great scandals of the centuries is the condition of the church

of Christ in America today,” said Bright, founder of the worldwide
evangelistic organization Campus Crusade for Christ….

But Bright has not been content with those achievements. He is deeply
involved in the launch of a new project, the Global Pastors Network
(www.globalpastorsnetwork.org), which intends to train 5 million
lay pastors to start 5 million house churches around the world.

WHO’S IN CHARGE AROUND HERE?

You see, the current “Church model” with which America is so familiar

is simply NOT working and certainly isn’t the standard to which we

should aspire. Frankly, if it were a business, it would have filed

bankruptcy long ago. Sure, there are big churches like Pastor Sunday’s,

but as experience has shown us, if we cut off the spider’s head, it dies.

In contrast, there is no head to cut off where the starfish is concerned.

Chop of an appendage and it will grow into another fully-formed starfish.

I contend that we should embrace the many great things coming out of a

MegaChurch like Pastor Sunday’s, but we must resist the usual tendency

to rally around the charismatic personality or spiritual gifts of any

individual. Sadly, like the Jews of 1 Samuel 8, everybody seems to

actually WANT a leader other than God Himself.

Your thoughts?

Every blessing,
Michael Tummillo
A servant of God
www.YourTown4Jesus.com