“What can you do, thought Winston, against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself; who gives your arguments a fair hearing and simply persists in his lunacy?”
-George Orwell, 1984
Hello and good afternoon Reader Units. This is the Writer Unit bringing you a quick update on some double top-secret information from TVC.
I was conducting some research Tuesday – watching the recording of the Sunday worship service at TVC. The first few minutes of the service were not shown; instead the viewer saw the blue screen below.
To my amazement, on the same page of the TVC website, right below the video was the announcement of a “Goer Commissioning.” The “two units” who were commissioned in Sunday’s service were named and a link was provided for each to their independent missionary web page. The linked page provided a photo of each “missionary unit” as well as some biographical information.
So much for the information blackout to protect the identity of the Goers!
I phoned TVC Tuesday afternoon to let them know about this situation. They had a recording that said they only answer their phone from 11:00-3:00, but I could leave a message and they would call me back. I left a detailed phone message and, although I never received a return phone call, the announcement you see in redacted form above has been removed.
You’re welcome TVC.
(Note from editor: I received a phone call today – September 27 -from a woman on staff at TVC. She was responding to my voicemail left last week. She said she was having trouble finding the page with the missionary units names mentioned. I told her that the page was removed the day after I left the message! She thanked me and said goodbye!)
One would think with all the Staff Units on payroll (generously salaried by the Giving Units) they could do a better job, but with Leader Unit Chandler on a paid vacation maybe the Working Units are slacking off!
1
So they’re Unitarians now?
Well played!
Todd
Are we 2 blogger units?
XXX name redacted,
Yes, I think so. In fact, in moving forward, you should be referred to as blogger unit 1 and I will be referred to as blogger unit 2. Our identities will be protected and we will be safer!
https://thewartburgwatch.com/about-tww/about-us-dee/
Congratulations Steve! You are Wart Unit #1!
There is no lower life form on planet earth – even lower than worm sweat – than an excommunicated unit from a NeoCal church. You better sign those membership covenants folks and stick to the terms and conditions … don’t become an EU.
In his YouTube interview with John Piper about the beauty of complementarity, Chandler called female members at TVC “our girls” … “units” is not quite as condescending, I suppose.
Face palm…
Methinks this is a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing.
And that Orwell quote is so appropriate for the world in general. Church, politics, international hijinks… my cats’ opinion about the new cat food.
It doesn’t appear to be a new idea
https://www.brnow.org/news/churches-fund-missionary-units-through-lmco/
To my mind, “units” has something of a military “feel” to it, as opposed to, say, “families.” The military has strict discipline, too.
High drama with eerie music and smoke machines, to keep the simple-minded Giving Units attending, entertained, and emptying their wallet$.
Ah, a stage production of “church” delivers once again. Chollywood and the churchpeople get played for their money.
There should be awards for thus stuff, Oscars … best drama, biggest intake of revenue. Ratings, metacritics, reviews. Who can play the pewpeople the best.
In the end, church is so Hollywood, the stage productions so casino-esque, with a true nightclub feel.
Evangelicals prolly even have their own ratpack and bratpack. The greasy graying old guys drunk with power, the fresh-faced slimey conniving young dudes (think Savage driving a young teen in his truck down a dark road into a forest) as god’s gift to women (young girls, youth group units).
So cool? NO. NOT. NEVER. EVER. Church, stop gettin’ played.
It’s hard to not believe that this is the subject of significant research by companies selling consulting services to churches. The thought that what local congregations are doing has been skillfully engineered to manipulate attendees is, to me, a deterrent to in-person participation.
There is a huge church growth consultation business entangled in the Christian Industrial Complex. How-to-have-a-mega is the name of the game! Attracting and keeping giving units is front and center in church business strategy. Faithful preachers used to proclaim the precious Gospel of Christ and God added to the church … evidently, this has fallen out of favor in the 21st century church – replaced by charisma and gimmick.
The SBC church I left a number of years ago became untenable for me after they changed direction based on hiring Auxano. My questions and observations about the process were not well received. I stayed for a few more years, which was a few years too long.
https://auxano.com/
That group should be investigated.
“MIssionary Units”?
Like “Population Units” in North Korea and/or Nuclear Targeting Calculations?
Just like BASH’s “The Algorithm! The Algorithm! The Algorithm!” in Don’t Look Up…
Ken F (aka Tweed),
How could you object to Visionary Planning for REAL church growth?
You must not be a good fit for their Generosity Culture. Otherwise, you’d recognize that the vision God has for your church needs a custom campaign design!
*end sarcasm*
Gah. They’ve come up with something worse than Christianese- Christian marketingese.
It’s pretty sick. After perusing a few of their pages I feel like I need a shower.
Actually the term “Missionary unit” is common across the boatd and used in many organizations and churches. It is used to denote a couple versus a single; A couple being one unit, a single being one unit.
Someone with more time than me can dig and find out where this term came from but I suspect it was because in some organizations the wife wasn’t expected to be a full serving Missionary. She was just there to support her husband.
Contrast that to the “Bible women “who served under Hudson Taylor in the early days of the China inland mission. Taylor released pairs of single women to some of the remotest areas of China including Tibet. Later on when adventure seekers showed up in those places they were shocked to find single Christian women happily living and thriving in those communities.
Please don’t read what I am about to say and get caught up in whether or not women should work outside the home. That is not the issue. I want to tell you the first time I heard “tithing units” in a church business meeting.
Now, first off, yes, it was many years ago and I don’t think anyone today would get hung up on the issue they were discussing. That issue is not THE issue. But here goes:
That particular SBC church had long held to the idea that “most” women should be full time homemakers. Exceptions made for teachers (they could work when kids were in school) and nurses, as that is a caring profession vitally needed. As to the rest, the assumption was that the married woman “should” stay home and hubby “should” support them, and that this is clearly taught in Titus 2:5. Stay with me. Don’t get in a kerfuffle over that issue. It isn’t the point.
Here is the point: new preacher pointed out that meant a family of two parents and their kids was really one “tithing unit.” And he said if we “re-examined the issue in Titus” we might find a work around by using Prov. 31 we could quickly turn that same family into TWO tithing units by PROMOTING married women as “supposed” to work outside the home or be unBiblical. And just think, two tithing units without having to do any evangelism. Win win. No evangelism expense and yet another tithing unit just by changing our mindset.
Again, hang with me. The issue is not should married women work outside the home. The issue is not a church reexamining scripture and changing a stance or doctrine. The REAL issue is changing that stance or doctrine based ENTIRELY on increasing “tithing units.”
Made me want to puke then, and still does.
It will be hard to hide your identity
Well stated.
I was wondering if this had something to do with it. A unit doesn’t have to be a single person, it can be a group of people.
I’m just grateful that they’re sending the Missionary Units to non-Christian countries for a change, instead of sending them to Latin America to “save the Catholics” who supposedly have never heard of Jesus before.
“WE ARE UNITED BEHIND THE VISIONARY!”
— Pastor Furtick Sunday School Coloring Sheet
In the words of the prophet Alfred Yankovic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyV_UG60dD4&t=114s
You would think a group that is promoting their expertise would realize that one of their listed clients Life Way Christian Stores has permanently close all the stores. Are they implying you may get the same wonderful results if you utilize them?
Ken F (aka Tweed),
If my old memory serves me right, TWW did a piece a couple years ago on a prominent pastor who bailed out of his church citing burnout and immediately showed up in a cushy job with the “A-Team” … can’t remember his name or the circumstances surrounding his exit from ministry.
Max,
“even lower than worm sweat”
++++++++++++++
whoa, that’s low!
Max,
“TWW did a piece a couple years ago on a prominent pastor who bailed out of his church citing burnout and immediately showed up in a cushy job with the “A-Team””
+++++++++++++++
the words Pete and Wilson came to mind. Combine those with TWW and this is what turns up:
http://thewartburgwatch.com/2016/10/06/pete-wilson-is-so-exhausted-and-burned-out-that-he-became-the-president-of-the-a-group/
elastigirl,
Thanks. That’s the fellow I was thinking of … right guy, but wrong “A” company.
Auxano was founded by Will Mancini. I just now discovered why he is no longer featured on the Auxano site:
https://churchleaders.com/news/424760-will-mancini-resigns-from-future-church-co-due-to-infidelity-seeking-restoration.html
Here we go again. The problem is his business model has been followed by a huge number of churches and ministries across multiple denominations. I personally believe he has been singing the Siren’s Song that is ruining Christianity in America.
Auxano used to list all of the churches and ministries who bought their services, but they only list a few, such as Lifeway. For anyone following the money Auxano is likely involved.
Chandler and Mancini are found together on the internet in various venues.
From the article:
“The Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) North American Mission Board (NAMB) has terminated most of their agreements with Mancini’s companies due to his resignation. NAMB had used Future Church Co. and Denominee to help equip SBC pastors, state conventions, and local associations.”
I like “Wart unit”
That was the point. I was spoofing what TVC did – secret, not secret.
As a current missionary, I would agree with the posters I saw who said that using the term “unit” is pretty standard across many organizations and churches in the mission world. It’s just a lot easier than saying “single person, couple, or family” every time. I have never met anyone who feels disrespected or dishonored by this term.
I guess if you leave one of these churches you become an X-Unit (not to be confused with one of the X-Men).
This discussion brought to mind 3 statements by prominent Christians, which have implications that might trouble those with a sensitive conscience. First from Dr Chitwood, Platt’s successor at the IMB.
“Simply put, more missionaries means that more people hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and spend eternity in heaven rather than in hell.”
Conversely, if I’m a giving unit and indulge in a couple lattes each week at the expense of funding missionary units, it may be MY fault someone never hears the gospel and has to endure ECT. (Eternal conscious torment)
It’s an honor to be a “Wart”burger
They have a long standing distaste for Catholicism.
Years ago, when I was a good little Calvary Chapel robot, Papa Chuck never missed a chance to diss the RCC.
Some of my family members have told me things about Catholic worship that are untrue. They supposedly learned about it in their church.
He also never missed a chance to diss Star Wars.
I remember that from Christianese AM radio of the time.
And be the target of every paranormal boogie from the X-Files.
That way lies the madness of Wretched Urgency:
https://imonk.blog/2016/04/07/64264/
And during the Bork Confirmation Circus in the Eighties, I got telemarketed by American Life League using exactly that threat – “AND GOD WILL HOLD! YOU! ACCOUNTABLE!”
i.e. Couldn’t keep his pants zipped, like so many others.
Ken F (aka Tweed),
Wow. That Auxano website is truly shocking. That is the most blatantly unchristian approach to church. Doesn’t anybody ever hold up those statements to what the Bible says? Apparently not. That is even more shocking.
Have pondered whether to post this. Am uneasy about covert missionaries. In 2006, I went to Shanghai and stayed with US-ians at a university there. Their visas said,’TEFLteachers’ but they’d been sent by a Church of Christ as missionaries. One couple lived next-door-but-one to a Church of Christ pastor-guy and both used their campus apartments to invite students in for dinner which included bible-teaching. In between their 2 apartments, was another US-ian, a non-christian gay guy. One of the Church of Christ teachers had to go into his chinese boss’ office and inadvertently saw on his desk, printouts of all his emails and those of his fellow christian US-ian ‘teachers.’ There were none of the gay guy’s. IOW, he was the only one with integrity, he just did the job his visa said he could do in China. The fact that the christian teachers had lied to get their TEFL jobs, didn’t seem like a good witness to the chinese authorities to me. Shoot me down….but I’m still uneasy about lying to get into a closed country. I also know someone whose visa to a closed country says ‘veterinary college lecturer,’ but again, her church has posted her there. (Does she witness for Jesus to her students whilst demonstrating some of the icky things vets have to learn to do to their animal patients, I wonder?) I can’t square this deceit with my conscience…just me maybe.
I am convinced Auxano is a huge contributing factor in the transmogrification of Christianity into the Christian Industrial Complex. I am not aware of any investigation of Auxano. Here is an example of a church that blew apart that seems to have been caused by Auxano:
https://julieroys.com/excommunicated-baptists-say-megachurch-smeared-them-as-racists-and-so-did-sbc-leaders/
Auxano is mentioned in the middle of the article.
Here is another article related to Auxano, but from “a featured writer on Auxano’s Vision Room, ChurchLeaders and MinistryBriefing.”:
https://www.xpastor.org/strategy/leadership/14-leadership-principles-from-amazon-and-how-they-apply-to-your-church/
Many hundreds of churches have purchased Auxano services. This article explains a lot…
Brings to mind the work of Brother Andrew et al smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe.
Christians themselves are covert Christians in closed-to-Christianity countries.
Some family members, in free societies, are covert Christians in closed-to-Christianity families.
In the book of Acts, the disciples were told to stop preaching the Gospel.
Jesus was told by religious leaders to stop performing miracles.
The dilemma of what to do, when and where. Ego trip in breaking the law? Or deny yourself, take risks, and do the work? Is it God’s work?
Jim Elliot and friends were martyred as missionaries. Some missionaries familiar with the context, claimed that Elliot et al were misguided and that Elliot in particular set up a dangerous situation, led by his big ego.
More recently, an American went to a dangerous and prohibited island near India. Didn’t end well.
Matilda,
“Shoot me down….but I’m still uneasy about lying to get into a closed country. …I can’t square this deceit with my conscience…just me maybe”
+++++++++++++
i feel the same.
a bait and switch.
like the time(s) i’ve been invited to a ‘party’ but i was only invited to fill a quota of people to sell to who would potentially buy (jewelry, cooking things,…..)
or a multi-level marketing scheme.
i felt totally used. it wouldn’t matter if the product was a life-changing one. i was tricked and i was used.
Like the Chick tract I mentioned before, where Chick’s friend forgot to pray for a man, and that man and his girlfriend plunged to a Christless eternity. Imagine the friend now in heaven, trying to rejoice, but thinking about the man and girlfriend suffering eternally because HE forgot to pray for 3 weeks.
Is that the panel with the car going off a cliff with “AIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!” sound effects?
(In my grade school days in the Sixties, that particular scene was called a “Silent Night” because of one first- or second-grade kid who liked to draw car crashes. One Christmas season the teacher asked the students to draw “Silent Night”. Said kid drew “a car on fire going over a cliff”. Henceforth, that sort of Thelma-and-Louise finale was called “A Silent Night”.)
Headless Unicorn Guy,
And since the Sixties was also the heyday of Slot Cars (world’s least expensive motorsport, at least at the beginning), I’m sure somebody pulled 1/32 or HO-scale “Silent Nights”.