Unity – when we’re pulled in too many different directions

24 Feb, 2025 Unity – when we’re pulled in too many different directions

AllTogether Insights, enCOURAGEment word by Dave Mann 0 Comments
Sometimes there are too many expectations in the unity space for a busy person or pastor. Some of this is justified – but some of it needs wisdom.
This article highlights one of those cases where wisdom is needed. For my own experience of this. I learnt the hard way that it is impossible to have enough energy to attend the unity meetings of a city – and nation – and internationally – each believing itself to be doing God’s work. For example, there are many international ‘unity’ initiatives. Every one of these wants a piece of our nation. New unity movements will keep arising too – each wanting to be the ‘centre piece’. It just can’t work!
If you can see the problem – here’s how we can resolve it.
Once we see the problem – then we’re ready for this brief article, because efforts to ‘bring unity’ can even be divisive, if they then result in ‘unity talk’ and ‘unity prayer’ – with no energy or time left for anyone to consider what is most needed: Which is united effort! 
As a current example, consider the calls going out in some places for potential allegiance to FIVE DISTINCT united prayer gatherings for the harvest.
  1. ‘Open Heaven’ – February / March
  2. Global Day of Prayer  – Friday 7 March this year – to unite the global church in prayer for the harvest
  3. Gather25 – brand new, being on 1st March – to unite the global church in prayer for the harvest
  4. GO Pray (at the end of April) – which is about prayer for the harvest…
    • …sitting just prior to ‘GO Month’ – which is the month of May as a focus-month on outreach as part of the ‘GO Movement’
    • …while builds up to GO Day (Global Outreach Day) on Pentecost itself – with literally tens of millions globally united in this, going out to share the gospel – though this one is mostly beyond the West.
What are we to do?
All of these are great initiatives! Clearly we cannot participate in all!
5. Then consider the pastors in a town who’ve met for combined church services and prayer meetings for many years without need for any of these. Are they in disunity with the rest by ‘doing their own thing’? (Or should their initiative be applauded – or maybe better subjugated under one of the other four?)
> A first suggestion: I suggest the solution is in choosing to view all  unity initiatives through the lens of their purpose – not their name, brand or organisational structure.

Every one of these is about (a) unity (b) in prayer (c) for the harvest.

    • The date, name and brand matter nothing in contrast to the purpose.

Expanding the principle – How do relate to attempted or claimed international unity movements?

I’ll put this bluntly. International (and even national) unity movements can divide the Church if they call for allegiance and we give it.
When invited to a first international unity movement, a leader is maybe flattered. They see the purpose – unaware there is a lot of duplication going on.
> There is a lot of duplication going on!
Unity movements can also undermine the FUNCTIONAL unity of the Church by busying leaders with endless meetings talking and praying about various things – without an anointing to catalyse action.
  • Faith is most truly expressed in action – not only in our talk and prayer!
> A second suggestion: I suggest it is LOCAL / HOME GROWN pioneer leaders that deserve our greatest allegiance. 
This is principally because I suggest the ANOINTING for God’s work in any location sits with those living in that place – not someone living far away!
The anointing for pioneer gospel work across New Zealand, as an example, likely rests with people living in NZ – not with the wisdom or guidance coming from someone living overseas, even though that can be useful in a moment.
The implication upon ‘membership’
I suggest we are wise to therefore be VERY CAREFUL to never actually ‘belong’ to a unity movement from outside of NZ – in the sense that we’d then be obligated to do what they suggest. Agency (initiation / cause) needs to rest with people who are innovating on THIS SOIL.
  • They are not us, not here and cannot therefore lead us. At best they can share an idea.
  • If an idea is good, we need to check whether or not the idea ALREADY EXISTS – WHICH IT USUALLY DOES! We then serve the person or group initiating that idea – rather than participating with a duplication, dividing the ‘call for loyalty’ going to NZ churches.
  • This is a vital perspective.

The only unity movement we should ever actually belong to is, therefore, God’s Church within our geography.  And it has no name other than being the ‘Church or Tauranga’ (or wherever you are).

It’s not called ‘City by City’ or ‘City to City’ or ‘Movement Day’ and affiliated churches,  or ‘Gather’, or ‘HOPE Together’, or…  – as useful as ideas or encouragement from each of these might be.

Some principles

In God’s Kingdom leadership is defined geographically.

God’s strategy is to raise up men and women who will initiate different things at different times in a place. Each will do so imperfectly.

 

Our ‘branding’

The only naming of God’s Church that actually matters is to recognise ‘JESUS’ as the sole leader – while the GEOGRAPHY is the only other word possible. E.g. The Church (gathering) following Jesus in Tauranga.

The point is, God doesn’t see or care about Baptist, Presbyterian or any other brand. Nor does he care about our distinctions – like C3 City Church 20m from where I sit, while Otūmoetai Baptist is across the road 60m away. While these are like ‘families’, God doesn’t see or care about the distinction or identification.

Together we are the ‘Church of the Otūmoetai Peninsula’ – which is a subset of the Church of Tauranga, and the Church of the Bay of Plenty and the Church of Aotearoa-New Zealand.

  • These are the only distinctions that matter
  • These are the distinctions that need our allegiance!
  • We serve in a city knowing GOD WILL RAISE UP DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO LEAD IN DIFFERENT AREAS AT DIFFERENT TIMES EACH OF THESE ‘CATEGORIES’ (even though our church funding strategies fund NONE of the above definitions of who we are).
  • We therefore look at suggestions for our unity coming from outside of our own city with eyes of discernment – to ‘read’ the principles, not the brand or name or specific idea.

 

In summary

‘Submitting to one another in love’ is therefore an overarching principle.

  • We surrender ambition
  • We affirm others
  • We work as teams
  • We avoid competition and unnecessary duplication

When we do lead we are ever-ready to step aside to affirm the leadership of others – because there never will be one leader. There will instead be different people raised up by God in different seasons for different things.

By this means the united Church finds its necessary function!

May God help his people to understand how the united Church works!

For further reading:  I note some other articles written especially in 2023 and 2024 on dynamics / the culture  within pastors’ groups. I’ve selected a few links here – with a fuller list below.

Other articles by Dave Mann on functional unity

View full list (including previews) HERE or topical list below from newest to oldest.

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