Immediately after the NACC I was somewhat positive about it. However, after reading what others have written, talking with a few people and some more reflection I am somewhat less positive about it.

Was it a move in the right direction or simple a slowing of the drift? A move in the right direction would mean that the convention truly wants to once again be an advocate of Restoration Movement principles. A slowing of the drift simply means that there was a realization that the NACC was moving toward becoming just a generic evangelical gathering too quickly and thus loosing too many people. The change had to be slowed down in order to keep enough attendees and support to be viable. Of course, a slowing of the drift is better than nothing but let’s not think the direction has changed because they have let up on the gas pedal.

It is actually more complicated than this but in the political world, we have liberals, moderates, and conservatives. Again brushing with broad strokes, the liberals are actually socialists and the conservatives are capitalists. The moderates don’t know what they are or simply can’t make up their mind. However, what they usually end up being is slow moving socialists. When it gets right down to it they don’t disagree with the direction of the liberals just the speed at which they travel. With the moderates you end up at the same place as the liberals it just takes longer to get there. Often times because they are trying to slow the liberals down they get lumped together with the conservatives but they really aren’t.

Back to the NACC. The moderates have slowed things down at the NACC. Gone are some of the liberal aspects of the past few conventions and not in attendance were those advocating them. However, gone are many of conservatives as well. What is left are the moderates. They have slowed things down so it looks like a conservative turn has been taken but I don’t think it really has. It is just time to lay low. Build the convention back up and then a couple years the liberals and more liberal leaning moderates will reappear and push it convention completely into the generic evangelical column.

Liberals never give up. They don’t in politics or in the church. They keep coming back again and again until they get what they want. They may suffer a set back now and then but they just regroup and come back again. It takes a strong resolve on the part of conservative to stop them. But after a while conservatives get tired and just quit. Rather than fight for institutions they let them go and just take care of themselves. Give up on the NACC and just go to family camps etc. Well, that is what I see in my “crystal ball” after a little more reflection on the Cincinnati NACC.

The transformation will be slowed down but the trend is there among the movers and shakers so it will continue. Of course, many will say what is wrong with the transformation? Nothing if you don’t think there is much of a NT pattern to restore and maintain which is what most of the movers and shakers think. But if you think there is something of NT pattern to restored and maintain then you cannot but be saddened that the most important institution, and we could expand that to institutions, that were established to restore and maintain that pattern are drifting away from doing that. Of course that does not have to happen. But I don’t know where any meaningful resistance is going to come from. Do you?