The Sky Isn’t Falling

One of my favorite stories is Chicken Little, who warned his town that the sky was falling after he was hit by a “piece of sky.” Everyone in town derided the child for a year until it seemed that UFOs were invading and vaporizing the town’s people. It turns out that Chicken Little was hit in the head by a panel of the alien spacecraft populated by a family touring Earth. This family wasn’t vaporizing citizens but transporting them to their spacecraft until they found their lost son.*

Many morals can be found in this story. One that comes to mind about the Advent Christian Church in North America is that events can indicate a situation. Still, sometimes more indicators are needed to understand the whole picture. Chicken Little could have saved a lot of heartache for himself and his family had he not reported the original incident. However, that report was a critical piece of information as the town tried to figure out what was going on. 

As a relative newcomer to the Advent Christian Denomination (I’ve been part of the denomination since 2015), I dove head first into denominational involvement. Most of my pastoral friendships are Advent Christian pastors and leaders. I’ve served at the conference level as Vice President and am the Ministry Training Institute’s Ministry Year Coordinator. I’m in my second year teaching at the Berkshire Institute of Christian Studies and have served two Advent Christian Churches. Over the last eight years, I’ve been wrong about a few observations. However, I’ve been right more often than not. I seek to provide you with my perspective as situations continue to develop within our network.

Recent events have caused some to think the sky is falling for the Advent Christian Denomination. Most prominently, Dr. Matt Larkin’s recent resignation as Coordinator of Leadership Development and discontinuing the Maranatha Daily Devotional. I’ve decided to write this article because several people contacted me as an MTI employee to gain a greater perspective on Dr. Larkin’s resignation. The recent article from David E. Dean about the Maranatha Daily Devotional has garnered attention as a sign of decline. Although on the surface, it seems like we are in a difficult position, some even might suggest the sky is falling, I do not believe that to be the case because of ongoing signs of life, and I trust that God’s plan for the Advent Christian Denomination far exceeds our understanding.

Why It Might Seem Like The Sky Is Falling

Four key events and issues could make it seem like things are dire. The situation may be critical. You be the judge. However, I’d caution you that God is at work even in the worst situations. If Jesus overcame the grave, then he can undoubtedly overcome our dilemma. These four issues include Dr. Matt Larkin’s departure from MTI and his role as Coordinator of Leadership Development, the discontinuation of the Maranatha Daily Devotional, the ongoing pastoral shortage, and the deficit of quality leaders for denominational leadership positions.

Dr. Matt Larkin’s Departure

By now, you’ve likely learned of Dr. Larkin’s departure from MTI by accepting a Senior Pastorate in Charlton, MA. If not, you can read the announcement here. Before moving on, I want to provide the following caveats: (1) It is not my place to share details, so I will not. (2) Matt is a good friend whom I’m privileged to have known since 2015.

The reason this is such an important event is multi-faceted. First, Matt was integral in the creation of the Ministry Training Institute, which is the first effort to my knowledge in equipping local church leaders for vocational ministry since the closure of Berkshire Christian College’s on-campus operations. [Although the Berkshire Institute For Christian Studies (BICS) has served as a first step for many pastors today, it is not the goal of BICS to train pastors.] As an organization, MTI has several students finishing their final courses and numerous graduates over the last few years. Under Matt’s leadership, MTI has undoubtedly seen success and promise. To that end, Dr. Larkin’s leadership and work should be celebrated and appreciated alongside other key leaders in its establishment, such as Dr. Glenn Rice, Berkshire Christian’s President, Dr. Jack Mumford, Dr. Adrian Dixon, and Josh Alves.

Second, Dr. Larkin is an insightful leader. He is one that other leaders would turn to for guidance and counsel. Matt is well-read and a critical thinker. We need more leaders who think critically inside and outside the box. Losing such a force in an already small denomination is challenging and unfortunate.

Further, the optics of MTI’s head honcho to accept the call to a pastorate outside of the denomination isn’t great. As one person asked me through Facebook Messenger, “I understand accepting a call to a local church but to another denomination? That hurts.” Why does it have to hurt, though? Can’t we celebrate God’s call on his life? Can’t we appreciate his service to our denomination? We need more pastors and high-quality denominational leaders, as do other networks and denominations. 

Lastly, when considering Dr. Larkin’s impact through MTI, it is impossible to ignore the importance of other leaders who helped establish this program. This proves that the program does not rise and fall with one person. If it does, if we do not have other leaders who can step into his shoes and take MTI into the future, then these efforts over the last few years were doomed from the very beginning.

The discontinuation of the Maranatha Daily Devotional

As previously linked, David E. Dean recently expressed his “sadness over the loss of our heritage of publications…” I genuinely understand how losing a person or thing can leave us with negative feelings. The Maranatha Daily Devotional is a product of the ACGC Publications Department that includes Biblical musings written by Advent Christian leaders, pastors, and laymen from across the denomination. Dean shared his desire for this product as it was a key component of his daily life and connected him with people from around the world whom he only ever saw at denominational gatherings. I appreciate that.

This event certainly indicates a downward trend in some areas. As stated at the most recent Triennial meeting, the decision arose because of a rapid decrease in subscriptions and authors. This could indicate a few different things. First, people could be receiving spiritual nourishment from other sources. Second, the downward trend in authors could indicate a decrease in quality writers in our denomination. Third, the modes and methods of receiving such material could be changing. I’ve never used Maranatha because I have other resources I prefer. I use Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship, which includes song, prayer prompts, Scripture reading, Creedal statements, and a choice of catechisms. 

However, based on my perspective, Dean’s premise that we’ve lost or are losing our heritage of publications is misplaced. David is publishing reprints and books under his own authorship at a rapid pace. You can find those on Amazon under his author page. I published two books in 2020, and retired pastor Bob Copeland is publishing at a pace similar to Dean’s. Additionally, Pastor Tom Loghry established Advent Christian Voices in 2016 as a place for Advent Christians to share their thoughts, blog posts, and articles to encourage conversations on almost any topic. It seems to me the legacy of publications is strong and continues.

Ongoing pastoral shortage

According to raw numbers and statistics provided by ACGC, the average age of an Advent Christian Pastor is 63 (Looking at Senior Pastors). The national average, according to LifeWay Research, is 54. Lifeway points out the following about U.S. Protestant Pastors: 26% are 18-44 and 23% are 65+. The same demographics for Advent Christian Pastors in North America show a much more significant disparity, with 13% 30-44 and 53% 65+.

According to these statistics, an Advent Christian Church is more than four times as likely to have a pastor past retirement age than a pastor under 44. For All U.S. Protestant Pastors, that is not the case. Instead, those opposite ends of the age spectrum are within a statistical margin of error.

We must find a source for pastors. These numbers indicate that most of our pastors could retire today, and we do not have enough pastors waiting. We have at least 81 Senior Pastors out of 199 that could retire right now. We currently have four students in MTI’s preaching course in the pastoral track. At that rate, it would take us over 20 years to train enough leaders to replace the current crop of retirement-age pastors. Although the program has made significant progress, it is essential to understand that MTI is a product of our churches. MTI trains people identified by their church leadership to prepare for vocational and lay ministry. In other words, the local church is the frontline of identifying leaders, and MTI comes alongside that church to equip those with a sense of calling.

Ongoing leadership deficit for denominational positions

Since 2015, when I joined the denomination, one theme has been clear: we don’t have enough called and qualified people to serve at the conference, regional, or denominational level. This leadership deficit is manifested through the lack of candidates on ballots and the recycling of leaders. Rarely, at any of these levels, is more than one candidate presented. I’m not attempting to place blame on anyone but simply pointing out that we don’t have a lot of people to choose from. I commend those who continue to do their best and step into positions when no one else will.

Some attempts were made at the 2023 Triennial when Nathaniel Bickford and Tom Loghry sat on a panel with current and former denominational leaders to point out the need for restructuring, partly because of this specific issue. Many of us observed as each person shared their perspective, with most agreeing that some form of restructuring is needed even if we use a different word.

Why The Sky Isn’t Falling

The success of MTI

The Ministry Training Institute continues to train dozens of people called to vocational and co-vocational ministry. We have six students in their final phase of MTI: the ministry track. Additionally, over ten applicants were seeking admission into the program in January. At least two of those students routinely preach and lead in their local churches.

Although questions remain about MTI’s future, it has proven effective and valuable. If the mission of MTI is to train and equip potential church leaders, that mission continues to be accomplished. Those churches that utilize MTI in their local church continue to pioneer ACGC’s efforts to assist local churches. One question remains: will more churches collaborate to solve our collective leadership problem?

Establishment of the Church Planting Department

Dr. Adrian Dixon is the current Church Planting Coordinator and oversees church planters’ selection, assessment, and preparation. He led a church planting team in the early 2000s that is widely held as the most successful Advent Christian church plant in North America over the last few decades.  

Dixon’s experience and giftedness are tremendous assets to the Advent Christian church as he seeks to plant churches in North America. Efforts continue to streamline the process of selection, assessment, preparation, and funding. Some of those efforts continue through our partnership with Converge Worldwide, an MTI track in church planting, and denominational/regional/conference funding.

Increase In Young(er) Leader Involvement

Several years ago, Pastors Andy Rice and Derek Irvine invited over a dozen pastors under 40 to meet in Alton Bay. These pastors met for prayer, fellowship, and discussion of denominational matters. Andy and Derek challenged us to participate in our local conferences, region, and ACGC whenever asked. The challenge could easily be summed up as bringing our time, talents, and energies to improve wherever we are asked to serve.

This challenge saw an increase in younger pastor involvement. Presently, two of these pastors serve on the Executive Council, two on the Eastern Region Board, and several in local conferences.

God’s Sovereignty

Luke 24 recounts the disciples seeing Jesus for the first time after his resurrection. It’s said that after Jesus showed them his wounds, they rejoiced even though they still didn’t fully believe it was him (Lk. 24:41). Despite Jesus regularly teaching his disciples that he would suffer crucifixion and be raised to life, the early disciples didn’t fully understand. To the disciples, their situation was bleak. After traveling with Jesus for three years, their Rabbi died, and their purpose was uncertain. That is until he was raised back to life.

The history of God’s people is one where God continues to cause them to persevere despite an earthly perspective that would cause most to grow disheartened. That is the hope God bestows upon his people. He is sovereign, and all things are in his care. Do things look bleak for our conference of churches? They would if it were not for God’s strength and power that sustains us.

The above indicators could warn us that the sky is falling for the Advent Christian denomination in North America. However, like with Chicken Little, maybe the sky isn’t falling. Instead, something we don’t fully understand is going on that far exceeds our imagination.

*This illustration is from the 2005 cinematic version of the story