Life, March/April 2015, pp. 147-152) He said that although they are seldom
mentioned in formal General Church strategic plans, the principles of our
founders form the underlying strategy of the General Church, or its “DNA.”
He described these approaches as “brilliant,” distinguishing the General
Church from every other New Church organization worldwide.
After reviewing the de facto strategies that prevailed in the General
Convention as it evolved in the 1800s, he pointed out that the Academy
movement was a reaction against those strategies. They wanted to reform
the organization according to principles taken directly from the Writings,
beginning from two principles: first, that the Writings are the Word of God,
and secondly, that the Christian Church has come to an end.
They sought an educated clergy that would take a scholarly and scientific
approach to the Writings. They also valued New Church Education as a means
to growth, and government by a priesthood that was both accountable to
the Word and answerable to superiors. As a measure of the success of these
strategies, Mr. Simons pointed out that from the year the General Church
separated from the General Convention, the latter declined steadily to the
present, while the General Church has had slow but steady growth decade
after decade – most recently especially in Africa and Asia, as the founders
expected that it would.
Today, however, strategies critical of today’s North American culture
are increasingly viewed as unacceptable, while Convention’s strategies are
increasingly touted in the General Church.
He concluded with the conviction that the original strategies of the
General Church have been a powerful force in creating a strong and loving
church, and that we should resist efforts to return to Convention’s strategies.
In the discussion, it was evident that Mr. Simons’ broad generalizations
had provoked thought both about things the General Church has done well,
and about what improvements and adaptations are needed for the present and
future.
The New Christian Bible Study Project
After lunch, both sessions were set aside for electives. In the first, Rich Daum’s
topic was repeated; the Rev. Pearse Frazier led a discussion on New Church
education and learning, including a sharing of favorite related passages; and
Steve David introduced people to the New Christian Bible Study Project (www.
newchristianbiblestudy.org).
There are billions of Christians in the world. This project’s aim is to serve
the hundreds of millions of people going to Bible study websites and offer
them the real meaning of the Word as revealed by the Lord. The project team
has gathered 82 Bible translations, to which they have added and cross-linked
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