A NEW CRITERION FOR SUCCESS

Many of us sense that the church is in between one thing and another. We are in a period of transition in value systems. Ego-based ministry is collapsing. Our culture had its stars -- Madonna, Michael Jackson, and O.J. Simpson. We had our own stars too. In fact, the church became literally star struck in the 80's. We had our own big men and big personalities. Their personalities filled up a room, or conference center, when they entered or spoke. And we rewarded them with power, wealth and honor. They became the church's totems, representing our highest values.

But, while they were great men, they were not always good men. We assumed that an inner character supported all this external success. We figured that God would not permit such success, so many converts, such growth, such size, such influence, unless these great men were also good. Now we know better.

For these and other reasons the church is in the process of adopting some new beliefs. We never called a conference. We never published a findings report. We did not publish a declaration. But there is a new creed emerging nonetheless. We are learning from our experience of the 80s. Through all the pain, the church is increasingly believing these three propositions: (a) External success and internal character are either unrelated or only loosely related. (b) It is possible to have great external success without inner character. (c) It is also possible to have a good inner character without great external success.

We now know that numerical and financial success is not a reward f