Critic of New Wineskins undergoes a conversion
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, June 21, 2005
Jim Henkel, pastor of North Benton Presbyterian Church in Ohio, went to the June 15-18 New Wineskins Convocation in Edina, Minn., with an attitude and came back as a convert.
Henkel acknowledges his change of heart in his 10th letter about the New Wineskins since February. The first nine letters were rife with sarcasm, criticism, skepticism and goadings, but No. 10 – with a posting date of June 21 – was a ringing endorsement of the New Wineskins movement.
Henkel’s first nine letters were not all critical. If fact, he urged others to attend. And he held out hope that the movement might bear fruit.
But his 10th letter included none of the previous zingers. “I am convinced that the New Wineskins (NWI) is our best hope for remaining faithful to Jesus Christ together,” Henkel wrote. “Any confessing, conservative, evangelical … congregation … should give serious consideration to signing on with the good tugboat NWI.”
After seeing and hearing for himself, Henkel used the tugboat metaphor to describe what the online Miriam Webster defines as a “strongly built powerful boat used for towing and pushing.”
In previous letters, he likened the movement to yet-another-likely-to-become-adrift renewal effort:
- He warned that the New Wineskins movement would find it difficult to muster more than a ripple in the denomination.
- While suggesting that denominational leaders maintain that, “The rumors of our death are highly exaggerated,” he declared that “some within the New Wineskins Initiative hold to this party line.”
- He complained that the New Wineskins’ “essential tenets” and “ethical imperatives,” as well as the rest of the draft constitution, needed extensive revision. (That was done at the convocation.)
- He bristled over the thought of having to attend more meetings of renewal groups. “Nice dream, where will we find time to make it a reality? Brother, my cup overflows from supporting the denominational bureaucracy that I’m already saddled with.”
- “It’s a hard sell, my NWI friends. Don’t be surprised if the buyers are few.”
- He complained that the agenda for the convocation did not leave ample time for delegates to respond to the theological tenets, ethical imperatives and the rest of the draft constitution. (Extra time was allowed, and delegates were led through the 48-page document paragraph by paragraph, with changes, before they voted overwhelmingly to approve it.)
- He expressed his dismay at the lateness of his receipt of information about the convocation – too late, he said, to save money by sending an “early bird” registration.
- He criticized the literature – “Very polished, very professional, very permanent, it hardly speaks to the espoused party line that the documents produced to date are tentative, temporary and to be perfected … Once again, I am left wondering if NWI is truly open to the ideas and input that I and others will bring to this Convocation.”
Nonethless, Henkel, probably the NWI’s sternest critic, did write a letter stating his intent to attend the convocation and added, “I pray that God will bless this step toward learning his will.”
Apparently, his prayer was answered.