Some people asked me what is going on in Toledo UBF. I told them I don’t know because it is a closed group, and I am outside that group. But apparently, there is nothing going on; it’s all under control. Things go on just as they always have, except now there is an official Leadership Council.
But much can be learned from the messages posted publicly.
“During the past several months, we have had chance to critically examine ourselves with questions, “What is going on in this ministry? What is wrong with us? Is there any hope for Toledo UBF? Should we keep being a part of this ministry?” While our leaders asking these questions, several student leaders took a specific action for reaching out fellow students. Last Friday, these student leaders organized Praise and Worship. The previous week, these students helped CBF Bible School. They were all united for this. This united effort our students is very inspiring for all of us.”
“This Friday I met with Pastor Abraham Kim, a new UBF General Director who will serve his four year term. We discussed several things. In this meeting I said, “Four years go very fast. Thus, please do not try to do too many and too soon. Pray very carefully and focus on one or two big things.” I apply this advice to myself as well. As Toledo Leadership Council is now organized. All six leaders (Mark Gamber, Russell Kille, Jim Paul, Greg Lewis, Mark Ohashi and Bruce Kwiatkowski) are very wonderful. They are humble and sincere. They will discharge many of the responsibilities in this ministry. As pastor I can now focus on one or two main things. What would that be? God’s message is clear. Focus on God. Therefore, pray. Be united in prayer. By God’s grace we will all learn from this persistent widow, humble tax collector and little children. In view of this passage, Toledo UBF will again have many praying people who are persistent, humble and trusting.”
Apparently…according to the quotes above from a recent message in Toledo UBF:
The leaders in Toledo UBF are not doing God’s work and just wasting time questioning issues about the ministry.
Only the young students are doing God’s work and are the only ones demonstrating unity and inspiration.
We should just forget about the more than 30 people who just left, and hope for persitent, humble and trusting people to be raised again.
What about truthful people who question things and have a different viewpoint? I guess we are all supposed to just forget everything that happened the past 5 months and move on.
Original public link:
http://www.utchristians.com/message_detail.php?id=244
A PDF screencapture in case the link above disappears:
Toledo UBF message 2011-08-21
What is most disturbing to me about the 8/21/2011 message in Toledo UBF is the statement to “focus on God”. Jesus gave us TWO things to focus on. A fundamental declaration of Christianity is that all the law and prophets is summed up as “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:34-40). Why should a pastor (and those listening to this message) focus only on God? Are we all supposed to forget our neighbor, and persistently be united in prayer, humbly trusting our leaders?
It is also disturbing to see the focus (yet again) on the ministry of prayer. The ministry of prayer is not primarily what is needed now in Toledo UBF. People there need the ministry of the Spirit, of reconciliation and of healing.
Why does the messenger gloss over verses 6 and 7, then jump quickly to quoting only the last part of verse 8? “Look at verse 8: ‘However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’ Certainly, this does not seem a positive conclusion. Jesus seems to be saying that in the time of his Second Coming, not many people live by faith. Yet, the opposite is true. Will Jesus find faith on this earth when he returns? Yes! Yes!.”
Perhaps Luke 18 has other meanings. Doesn’t even an unjust judge grant justice to outcast people who keep crying out to the Lord day and night?
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Actually, it’s not so suprising. In the Korean UBF, which is rooted in Confucianism, the person who is older, or has a higher academic title or is from a more prestigous university automatically must be right. In that regard, Paul Hong is probably above any reproach in UBF. He can give advice to everybody, but nobody can advice him. Younger non-Korean people like you or anybody from the “Leadership Council” completely rule out.
Rational arguments and facts do not count much. For example he reminds Abraham that “Four years go very fast.” Normally, you would expect the conclusion “Thus, hurry up and quickly launch the necessary reforms.” Instead, he comes to the illogical conclusion “Thus, please do not try to do too many and too soon.”
“Rational arguments and facts do not count much.” I have found this to be so true. Such arguments and facts only count if they support one of the fundamental values UBF holds to. I finally realized recently one big reason I had so much difficulty writing messages in UBF: I was trying to reconcile Scripture with Confucian values! My mind was rebelling against doing this, but I had to suppress it by developing my own reality and ideology.