The difference between the platform and the side children's choir is interesting. All on the "main" platform are North American -- largely Northern European in background, with four African Americans and two (?) from Latin countries. Most are between 25 through 45 (I'm too old!). The children, meanwhile, represent a much wider swath of persons from across the world -- all dressed in white t-shirts, though still largely North American of Northern European descent. The music represents a version of "Christian top 20 type music." One chorus was sung in Spanish; the rest in English. As within the Finney service the music moves to a quieter level for prayer.

An African pastor, The Head of Compassionate Ministry from the Horn of Africa, with an Ethiopian hat on, begins prayer with loud cries of "Hallelujah." He gathers us to pray with repeated "hallelujah's" and begins to pray extemporaneously in his native tongue, with intermittent "hallelujah's". He slips now into English, proclaiming repeatedly "Jesus, you are Lord. Willie Pierre from Haiti immediately comes on the screen, speaking of compassionate ministry. He emphasizes that compassion is identifying with people, not providing in need.

Nina Gunter controls the platform. 10% of the offering with go to compassionate ministry in Haiti. The offering is taken with a song about a Grandfather remembers with his grandson. The contrast between this and the picture of the pastor walking with members into those poverty stricken in Haiti is marked. The children's choir helps sing, covered by the taped music before. It seems to be an offering to motivate the elderly for financial support of the church.

A video advertisement for the "One Heart-Many Hands" project appears -- volunteer labor from around the area during the assembly. Various cheers rise up from those who participated. They have, according to David Wilson the General Secretary of the Church of the Nazarene, expressed "social holiness" in their volunteer labor (Wesley would be surprised to hear his phrase for the meeting of the Methodist Societies used in this fashion, though United Methodists would not be surprised to hear the phrase used this way!). What is interesting is how the works of mercy have been translated into acts of "service", much like singing has been translated into "worship." These are probably related shifts, though now is not the time.

Dr. Nina Gunter introduces Dr. Jerry Porter, who will be preaching, with a bio. In the Finney tradition, there is "special music", followed to be followed by the sermon. The emphasis on evangelism and "reaching the world" through personal evangelism and compassionate ministry seems an underlying emphasis -- recognizing a link while making a strong distinction between them.

Discipleship is the theme of his sermon. I really like Dr. Porter, a very gracious person. It is apparent that we will hear a variant of his sermon that he preached during the ordination service at the So Cal district assembly, which I already blogged upon. Dr. Porter seems to have taken the theme of discipleship, and as the "vision-maker" for the church as a General Superintendent, seen it has his responsibility to have this "vision", represented in this sermon, deeply set within the people. Perhaps he used the Southern California assembly as a "warm-up" for this sermon. We are now applauding Nazarene martyrs. It is a bit strange, but perhaps apt. We should probably pray at this time, rather than applaud. Still I am glad this happens. The service will continue through his seven points to try and persuade people to engage in small groups.

The General Assembly services becomes a rallying point for the General Superintendents to put forward their executive "vision" for the organization of the Church. Preaching is to promote a vision for the church. One thing that is interesting is that we have had no Scripture reading in the service. Dr. Porter consistently refers to Scripture. "Baptism is the body of Christ embracing the new believer." Baptism is something that humans do; not what God does to humans -- it is a chance to use to bring others into the church. It is about an organization assimilating another person into the organization; it is not about the God the Father uniting the believer in the death and resurrection of Christ by the power of the Spirit. The vision for the church is about the sociological techniques for the long-time assimilation of persons into the church as part of nurturing the individual and growth of the organization.

The congregation seems to enjoy Dr. Porter, yet seem not to be deeply engaged with him. They are responding to a convention address, not to a sermon. Another interesting aspect is the rather incidental reference to Jesus in the sermon. Christianity is about human effort via the sociologically in-formed church to achieve a type of personal growth and institutional vitality. We end with the same survey about Southwestern Regional practices within individuals within the church.

The music group slips into the background as we are called to fulfill our mission: to make Christlike disciples. Rather than a personal "altar call," we have a communal call to implement the vision as our own through all seeing a song that summarizes the seven points of the address -- behaviorally-imprinting it into our neural networks with a tune from The Sound of Music. Salvation comes through the implementation of the "discipleship" chain -- of course, a chain disjoined from apostolicity and the passing down "the faith given to the saints" -- what the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene states that our mission is..

"Let's create discipleship chains in our churches." This will allow the Church of the Nazarene to grow.

Dr. Porter ends with calling up area pastors: all from no Anglo-backgrounds who have implemented this program. The pastors are calling up their "disciples" to the platform as the lights rise. So we do have a version of an altar call, as "I have decided to follow Jesus" is struck up and Dr. Porter implores these members to come to the front to show the audience the results of the program.

The Church of the Nazarene has taken its revivalistic background, had it transformed by the church growth in the 70s-90s, and now life out its "new measures" through contemporary business management practices. The General Assembly services are about transmitting the "leaderships" vision to other key franchise members. The same techniques for "personal decision" no become that given to implement the business vision of the church.

I'll be back some time tomorrow. I hope that this is helpful to get a "feel" for what goes on here in Orlando.