The Holiness Movement: Dead or Alive?

 Is there a Holiness dichotomy here? asks Joe Noland

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‘ve been thinking a lot about holiness lately, simply because often our theology doesn’t seem to jive with the way we treat each other internally - administratively, officially and otherwise. I detect a holiness divide, separating the internal from the external. “Others” is reflected in our compassion toward “the last, the lost and the least,” those being exploited on the outside, whilst there is little patience or consideration for those not living up to our standards on the inside. There appears to be a holiness dichotomy here.

Social justice is big now, whilst injustice within sometimes gets lost in the translation. Leeriness of the holiness messenger, oftentimes makes the message suspect, unfortunately.

Keith Drury tackles this subject in a paper titled, The Holiness Movement: Dead or Alive? (Link: http://www.crivoice.org/hmovement.html) He lists eight factors contributing toward its death, with number seven perhaps capturing the reason for the ambivalent feelings expressed above. 

1. We wanted to be respectable.
2. We have plunged into the evangelical mainstream: “Holiness people” became “evangelical people.”
3. We failed to convince the younger generation.
4. We quit making holiness the main issue.
5. We lost the lay people: “We have generals without armies. Strategy, but no soldiers.”
6. We over-reacted against the abuses of the past: “While the abuses of the old holiness movement were glaring (and perhaps responsible in part for our own overreaction), the abuses of our own generation have been no better.”
7. We adopted church-growth thinking without theological thinking: “Pastors became CEOs. Ministers became managers. Shepherds promoted themselves to ranchers.”
8. We did not notice when the battle line moved: “The doctrine at risk in many holiness churches is not entire sanctification but “transformational conversion.” We may need to stand at Luther’s side awhile before we can rejoin Wesley.”

One needs to read this paper in its entirety in order to grasp the full essence of his message. Whilst not agreeing with all that he says, most of it makes perfect sense. And those of us claiming to be part of a holiness movement should sit up straight and take notice.

Writer: Commissioner Joe Noland’s ministry can be summed up in three words: chaos, creativity and controversy - three elements implicit in any successful innovative endeavor. Cecil B. DeMille, renowned producer of Biblical epics, once wrote, “Creativity is a drug I cannot live without.” Joe’s mantra reads, “Creativity is my drug of choice.”  Access Joe Noland’s complete bio, among other things, by clicking into his website.

4 Comments to The Holiness Movement: Dead or Alive?

1. Amen, Joe. We are called to be a holy people; a Christlike people. The reality is that, as with all churches, families, clubs, political parties, professions and institutions - all activities undertaken by human beings - power is wielded by the powerful.

   The abuse of power leads to the disillusionment and departure of the disempowered.

   If, in the case of the Army and our fellow Christian bodies, we fail to pay heed to Christ’s riding instructions (’a new command I give to you - love another’; ‘the greatest shall be the least’; ‘let me wash your feet’ etc; see Matt 20:28, John 13:5-1 among many passages) then we’re going to fall off our high horses.

   It really is quite simple - if we are not holy ourselves then we cannot practise holiness. If we are not Christlike ourselves then we cannot promote the cause of Christ. Holiness, wholeness, means integrity - a fully integrated person knows that she or he is beloved of God and knows God through loving God and his/her neighbour.

   This is not hard stuff to grasp; we teach our kids this in Sunday school but we do not (always) live it; at headquarters, in corps, in Bible study groups, on the sports field… If we do not love each other and treat each other with respect and dignity, especially those whom we hold power over, then we do not know God. Strong words, harsh perhaps, but biblical and true words. (1 John 4: 7,8 and Galatians 6:2 would tend to back the servant leadership practised by Christ, as would his sacrificial living and dying.)

   God help us, and those who work for and with us, or live with us, when we think to act in God’s place by judging others. God help us all when we forget that Christ called us to be servants; regardless of the role we perform.

   Barry G
Barry Gittins on March 10th, 2010

2. Keith Drury was one of my favorite profs. at Indiana Wesleyan University. In fact, his book, “Holiness for Ordinary People”, was required reading for anyone considering entering the ministry in the Wesleyan Church. I believe that this book was very helpful to me in helping me flesh out what Holiness looks like in everyday life.

   The dangerous trend that I am seeing is a breaking away from the Wesleyan Quadrilateral tool for interpreting scripture to allowing “Experience” to be the driving force that shapes doctrine. The dangers of this are many, but in regards to Holiness, it means that justification or rationalization must be given to alieve the guilt of lacking this experience. Therefore, doctrine is reduced to explaining experience or lack there of, away rather than teaching what it Holiness is and how it can be experienced.

   As far as, Internal Social Justice goes, I believe we have a long way to go. The likelihood of this beginning from the top down is highly unrealistic. Just this week I was being critical of someone in heirarchy only to see later that I had done the same thing on a smaller level. Therefore, I am determined to make sure I am just, with those I have been given watch over.

   Robyn B
Robyn Bridgeo on March 11th, 2010

3. Has anyone in TSA written on Holiness Theology from a biblical studies or exegetical perspective recently? I know authors outside the army have written on HT that way, but I’d be interested in reading that angle from in-house. Any suggestions?

   Dave

   We’ll get back to you on that Dave (ed)
David Witthoff on March 12th, 2010

4. In addition to #7 resonating deeply with my own train of thought and frustration with our direction during the last 10-15 years, I have to admit that #2, #4 and #5 jump out at me. #2 and #4 go hand-in-hand, don’t they?

   In moving away from being a “holiness people” to an “evangelical people” we’ve changed our focus. We tend to preach and work to get people saved, but all to often that’s where we slow down, or even stop. And then that leads directly into #5, where we don’t have the “soldiers” who will follow. We haven’t really done justice to discipleship or moving our converts to sanctification (granted, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that does the work, we’re simply the agents).

   Lately, I’ve felt a pull away from being labeled as an evangelical. It seems that the big push among evangelicals is to get people saved, but the follow-through is severely lacking. The result is that we have churches full of baby Christians, sometimes being led by toddler Christian leaders at best. Without holiness, maturity is hard to find.

   Rob R.
Rob on March 16th, 2010

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