The Cultural Gap
By Larry Schoonover, Puyallup, WA

As I sat there watching a video of one of our General Conference services in Toronto, I was taken back by the wonderful singing and exhortations to praise the Lord by some of our precious Pentecostal leaders. It was all so familiar to me of course it should be, I have been a part of this organization of Pentecostal preachers for over twenty-two years. The thought came to me that some of our mannerism, while completely understood among our own rank and file, could be viewed as very dated and maybe even obscure by those looking from the outside in. While the world around us races ahead in progress and change, there appears to be a growing gap between the past and present that cries for change in all of us to accommodate the need for ministry to the world of this present day. At forty-five I consider myself yet young as I interact with the great pioneers of our movement but while I sit and talk with my teenage daughters I must admit I am not as adapt to this generation as I would have hoped to be. The passing of time however is not the only factor to contribute to a growing gap between generations, nor between the Lord’s church and this present world. 

With the scheduling of Pentecostal conferences in every region of the country in some cases several in the same month, we find ourselves spending much time and money getting to the next conference to hear the super preachers of our day encourage and edify the body of Christ with one great oration after another. The obvious result has fostered competition among preachers and conference hosts as well as caused many a young preacher to set his sights on developing his speaking abilities to impress the other preacher and polish his sermons to excite the ear of conference goers.

Some well meaning evangelists come by and use all the traditional Pentecostal nomenclature they can muster up, and draw out of their archives a polished, tried and proven sermons, and with much exuberance expound on us. But these same fellows when confronted with a sinner on the street in great need of spiritual ministry are at a loss for words because their developed vocabulary is only suited for the rank and file.  It is during times like this we quickly recognize the language of our Pentecostal culture which is so familiar among us has little value or place when it comes to ministering to a lost soul. 

Have we distanced ourselves so far from the world that we find it difficult to identify with them when they are desperately needing us most? Have we developed the conversational exchange between ourselves as Pentecostals in such a fashion that a sinner would find it difficult to effectively communicate their need. Is there truly a parallel with the generation gap between parents and their children, and today’s Pentecostal society with the lost souls of our day?

I wonder how many men and women have sought to develop themselves and their ministry with the idea they need to impress other Pentecostal preachers and their measurement of achieved success as being selected the chosen speaker at a given conference. While we set the mark to become orators to the Pentecostal elite we further alienate ourselves from the masses who would just like someone to know how to walk in the spirit and be able and willing to prayerfully minister to their immediate need. 

Jesus incited the religious to ridicule when he exercised the ministry of Christ while eating in the company of sinners.  Is it possible that Jesus sent his apostles into the city to buy food so he could effectively reach the woman at the well without the interference of men who would never have spoken to her or allowed themselves in her company. 

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