A great book on church growth.

Last night I read Dr. Jack C. Whytock’s book, Continental Calvinian Influences on the Scottish Reformation. You can purchase it from here http://www.haddingtonhouse.org/

Yes, as you probably guessed from the title this is a scholarly work on how the continental Reformers, particularly John a Lasco, Valerand Poullain, and the French Reformed Church impacted the 1560 Scottish Book of Discipline. So, it is about how church discipline was formulated in the old days. Sound dry and boring? No it is not.

Dr. Whytock shows that the Reformation was no monolithic affair. There were similarities (Calvinian similarities), but there was also great adaptability as the church grew. The Reformation Church sought to apply the bible to ad hoc situations and this brought with it both similarity and diversity. Dr. Whytock brings this out and then gives a dynamic conclusion. The conclusion is worth the book.

For the church to grow she needs to be growing; that is reforming. Dr. Whytock shows that the Reformation Church was not “institutionalized” but was growing as she grew. She sought to be a healthy church, organically alive for the sake of the gospel. The fact is we need in our day a healthy ecclesiology where we "define the church within God's mission." (Pg, 104). And to do that we must keep the church the body of Christ; not make it our institution by our institutionalism. We must keep on reforming.

When it comes to church discipline Dr. Whytock gives sound advice both to the libertines who would reject its practice, and the legalists who would abuse it. In the church he writes, "We are struggling with a new spirit of libertinism in much of the visible Christian community. The practice of discipline is to be undertaken in love; but a love which offers no restraints, correction, admonition and discipline is no love at all….A household cannot function well and for the good of all concerned with limitless libertine practices….Yet, at the same time a balance must be found between freedom and regulation – total freedom leads to problems; total regulation leads to problems” (Pg, 101). This is applied to the church. If there is no discipline and order; what will happen to the gospel? To put anther way, if there is no theology what will happen to the gospel? Our modern church needs to judge herself in this regard.

But on the other hand there is legalism. Dr. Whytock warns against this too. He correctly writes, “a legalistic spirit in the application of church discipline...leads to abuse." This legalism seeks to institutionalize discipline and then we make a machine out of the church. To institutionalize church discipline, "can lead to a fossilization of uniformity rather than a careful consideration of cultural context, providential circumstances, growth in wisdom and balanced diversity in the body of Christ" (Pg, 102). I think this can be applied to methods of preaching, church order, patterns of worship, or even a specific pietism. The church is different in different places after all.

This book helped me to realize that the Reformers were not institutionalized! They regulated themselves to the Scriptures in regards to the gospel, Christ, etc., but at the same time were free to incorporate methods needful to spread that gospel and help the church grow. The 16th century Reformers practiced semper reformanda in its study of Scripture and church life.

So why is this a good book on church growth? It is a story about the church in the 16th century which had one goal…to spread the gospel of Jesus by upholding it’s truth, helping it to be lived out in the lives of the people, and by setting the church as a place of organic growth where ministers, people, and church discipline are practiced in truth and love for the sake of the gospel.

To accomplish this multi-faceted goal the Reformers didn't box themselves in to their culture or another culture. They were flexible as they served to get the unchanging gospel to the people. That is why this book is helpful for us.