Editor’s Note: Desiring God asked D.A. Carson, “Do you find that the thrill and euphoria of being part of something that feels like revival may serve to dull the senses in some? Has the ‘success’ of this movement some call ‘Young, Restless, Reformed’ blinded many of us to ministry’s true nature? Has the perceived fruitfulness clouded the vision of some (many?) to the things that matter most?” Dr. Carson was kind enough to tackle the question as the lead editorial in the newly released issue of Themelios. Here is his answer in five brief reflections.
1. Some Failures Are Common to All Movements
The failures that have taken place during the past few years were not the sorts of things that could happen only when a movement is flourishing. Flawed leadership, immorality, bullying and dissensions are frequently found in churches and organizations with no history of remarkable growth, with no sign of extraordinary blessing from God.
Long before the “Young, Restless, Reformed” movement started, I witnessed churches that had to dismiss their senior minister because he had committed adultery. I saw a dear friend abandon his wife of 29 years and his highly influential expository ministry because he chose to “come out” and declare himself a homosexual. Certainly I observed some remarkably sad and barren church splits.
During the lean years in Québec before 1972, before the Lord began to pour out remarkable blessings on the church, it would not have been true to say that although the churches were small and struggling they were all mature, sanctified and passionate about the gospel. We did not have to wait until the period of growth and vitality (growing from about 35churches to just under 500 in eight years) before we witnessed moral failures.
In at least some cases, it may be that the growth in numbers of serious Christians brings with it a corresponding growth in the number of moral failures, without the proportion of failures being any higher. We do well not to talk ourselves into an assumption that revival must have an ugly underbelly that would not exist if the revival were not there.
2. Blessings Can Create an Underbelly
The scope and intensity of the blessings of a fruitful movement nevertheless do frequently have a bearing on this ugly underbelly, whether in perception or in reality, and this in at least four ways:
First, when many good things are happening, a calamitous failure stands out and draws attention to itself. In a time of spiritual declension and no growth, should a minister embezzle funds or sleep with someone other than his spouse, he will draw local attention to his failure, but the failure will not attract national comment. But if the minister is publicly identified with an expanding and vital ministry, not only will his failure draw much more widespread attention, but inevitably some pundits will start speculating (or pontificating!) on the intrinsic weaknesses of the movement.
In South Korea, the church saw spectacular growth during much of the 20th century, attended by such things as the “prayer mountain movement.” Many, many leaders had suffered for Jesus, and their constancy and faithfulness won a great deal of admiration. Twenty-five years ago, when citizens were asked to rate the three principal religions—Buddhism, Catholicism and Protestantism (a large majority of the latter being Reformed evangelicals)—the preference, in order, was Protestantism, Catholicism and Buddhism. Nevertheless the very success of the movement led not a few to substantial triumphalism. All it took was a handful of public scandals, and the damage was done. Today church attendance has shrunk by about 15 percent, and in recent polls Buddhism comes first, then Catholicism and Protestantism ranks last.
