Denominationalism has a future, says missiologist

There is a future for denominationalism but Christians should not assume that denominations are necessary for the mission of God, says Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research in the US and member of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Speaking at a conference at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee on Tuesday, he said it would be a mistake to assume “denominations are necessary or even an integral part of the mission of God".

"This is not to say that they are not, but, lacking a clear biblical commandment, we cannot assume that they should be," he said.

Speaking ahead of his talk, he said a lot of people were asking questions about the viability and the efficacy of denominations.

"People have been swinging away at denominations like a low-hanging piñata on Cinco de Mayo."

The criticisms and questions are probably appropriate, Stetzer acknowledged. In fact, there are some who are too inwardly focused and consumed with the "denominational machine" which can distract them from the mission for the church.

But denominations are inevitable, he said.

"Like-minded people will always find ways to associate with one another," he pointed out. "The positive side – missional cooperation."

"Denominations have been networking and partnering for decades, even centuries ... for the sake of the Gospel. Denominations tend to be the tools used by local churches to get the global work done."

He added, "Independent churches can learn much about kingdom-minded cooperation from the denominations that they frequently criticise."

But denominationalism is unavoidable in the negative sense as well, he lamented. "Sometimes denominationalism leads to a perpetuation of a tribal, insular identity."

A second reason Stetzer sees a future for denominations is the hunger he's finding among younger evangelicals. They are looking for "a sense of rootedness in a fragmented society", he said.

"In a rapidly morphing age, the sense of historical solidarity and theological and ecclesial stability offered by a denominational heritage are a great value," he said.

"Where some see age, decay, and obsolescence in denominations, many others actually find longevity, maturity, and wisdom."

Thirdly, churches that belong to denominations have confessional systems and accountability that ground them in orthodoxy.

"Today, evangelical denominations often are the bastions of orthodoxy, while independent congregations more easily shift in their theology," he pointed out.

That's one of the reasons Stetzer is a Southern Baptist. Well in tune with both the independent and emerging churches as well as the traditional ones, Stetzer said Southern Baptists most closely match his own convictions about Scripture and mission. He's a contemporary church pastor but he's also "an inerrantist, complementarian, cooperating Baptist", as he wrote recently on his blog.

"I’m really just a conservative theologian who loves God, His people, His Word, and the lost of the world," he wrote. "Being a conservative in doctrine and flexible in my method, I find a comfortable home with the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention)."

Although some believe Christians are moving into a post-denominational era and although being a part of a denomination has its challenges, Stetzer said that at the end of the day, "the SBC is a tool that God is using in powerful ways in the states and around the world."

"While I'm not impressed with denominations, I'm committed to mine."

The conference at Union University is being held in recognition of this year's 400th anniversary of the founding of the worldwide Baptist movement.

As Baptists look toward another century, Stetzer made clear that he is not necessarily arguing for denominations in the sense that he thinks they are God's answer for the world.

But he feels they are valuable and offered a denominationalism that he believes is desirable.

Denominations, he suggested, should be missional as opposed to tribal, be based on confessional consensus, and value methodological diversity.

He also insisted that they should assist local churches, not vice versa.

"God has allowed for the cooperation of churches in networks and denominations so that the greatest number of people in our darkened world can be most effectively reached with the one thing that brings true unity – the Gospel. I believe we can do more together than we can apart," he said.