That little outpost of 1950 inside your congregation

In Brazil, there is a community of Alabama and Mississippi rednecks.

Really.

Okay, that needs a little explaining.

These are descendants of Southerners who migrated to South America right after the end of the Civil War. They call themselves “Confederados,” and according to Americans who have traveled there to study them, they sound like they’re all from Georgia.

The September 2013 issue of “American Civil War” magazine says as many as 20,000 southerners left the devastated southern states beginning in 1866 and continuing over the next few years.  Most settled in Brazil, although  some returned home, but those who remained accommodated themselves to their new culture, new language, etc., while making sure that their descendants grew up bi-lingual and with an appreciation for their southern heritage.  The city of Americana in the Brazilian state of Sao Paolo is 200,000 strong (not all of them Confederados, of course).

One member of their group says, “We’re the most Southern and the only truly unreconstructed Confederates that there are on Earth.  We left right after the war, and we never pledged allegiance to the d–n Yankee flag.”

As a citizen of the wonderful United States of America, I respond, “That’s your privilege, but you ought to get down on your knees every night and give thanks to Almighty God that the USA came together and has stayed intact. Imagine what Hitler and Stalin would have done in this world had North America been made up of a bunch of tiny, independent, competitive, argumentative nations instead of the United States becoming the leader of the free world!”

Anyway, as I was saying.

These transplanted southerners call to mind the Amish people inside our own country who maintain traditions and customs of former times.

Many a pastor knows what this is like.

Within the membership of many a contemporary church one can find enclaves of older people who are clinging to the 1950s with all their strength.  They want the programs of the 50s, the hymns, the music, and the preaching of that decade.  Try to bring in modern choruses–or even recently penned hymns–or anything that impresses them as a fad, and you are asking for big trouble.

Bring into the sanctuary modern musical instruments–violins, guitars, a keyboard, and (gasp!) digital drums–and you will be ridden out of town on a rail.

Suggest that it might be good to install some large screens so everyone can read the words of hymns and scriptures together or that a short video can be projected, and you are asking for big trouble.

“If it was good enough for mama and daddy, it’s good enough for us” is their mantra.

The preacher has to wear dark suits and conservative ties. Facial hair is out.

The choir wears its robes and sings stuff written anytime before 1925.

“I don’t know why we need to build a children’s building, pastor” (or buy a building for the youth to meet). “Why, when I was a teenager, we had twice this many kids and met in the basement and didn’t need a bunch of gimmicks either!”

Either the pastor is paid a pittance–in the 1950s, a hundred dollars a week was an adequate income for most preachers–or, if he is well paid, a small committee makes the financial decisions and keeps the congregation in the dark.

Five questions for the 1950s enclave inside your church…

1) Are you resisting the Holy Spirit or simply resisting the corruption of the age?

2) Do you insist on the Lord doing everything the way He used to do them?

3) Why is something good just because it’s old?  (The corollary to a question we ask the youngsters: Why is something good just because it’s new?)

4) What if the Lord Jesus wants that new building built, those instruments to be brought into the sanctuary, that “other” race to worship here, and some new ideas to be introduced?

5) While we agree the Lord’s message is unchanging, why do we think His methods are set in stone?

There’s a lovely little incident in the life of David that fits here.

David was newly installed as king of the unified country and finally, the civil war was over. But, before he could take off his armor and head for the hammock, someone informed him that the Philistines, their traditional enemies, were lined up for battle.  We’ll let II Samuel chapter 5 take it from here….

Then David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Wilt Thou give them into my hand?’ And the Lord said to David, ‘Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” (5:19)

So, David led his army out and in a head-to-head confrontation, defeated the Philistines.

Then, shortly thereafter–we’re not told the time frame–these Philistines, who never seem to learn, return.

Now, the Philistines came up once again and spread themselves out in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the Lord, He said, ‘You shall not go directly up; circle around behind them and come at them in front of the balsam trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then you shall act promptly, for then the Lord will have gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.’ (5:22ff)

And that’s what happened.

There are two things worth noting here:

a) David did not assume the Lord wanted him to fight the Philistines the second time, just because He had commanded it the first time.  We are not to allow the enemy to set our agenda.

b) Nor did he assume the method God had ordained the first time–straight on, head to head combat–would be right for the second battle. Sure enough, after the Lord told him to fight the Philistines, He gave David a different game plan (attack from the rear).

God is a God of infinite variety and complexity.

He loves change, enjoys creativity, and seems to treasure variety and colors and all notes on the scale.

It is our little minds that want to box Him in to what He did yesterday, to limit Him to last year’s plans, to confine Him to techniques that worked a half-century ago.

Our carnal minds remember wrongly. We think the church of a generation or two ago was the ideal, that Christians then had it all together, and that if we could just retreat to their standards and programs, once again we would all be in Eden.

We remember wrong. In the 1950s, the pastors railed against the corruption of politics, the wickedness of the culture, and the complacency of the churches.

There has never been a golden age of Christianity in this country or any other. This world has long been in the grasp of the evil one, and when we try to confine the Living God to our rules and pen Him up inside our fences, we play right into the hand of the devil.

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

The Spirit of God comes and goes as He pleases, and will not play our little mind games. He is forever doing new things, showing better ways, revealing old truth in fresh containers, creating new people in Jesus Christ.

I have no idea whether the Brazilian Confederados are more American or Portuguese or what. I do not know whether we should invite them to “come back home” or whether they’re already at home and the Southern-fried aspects of their lives are just so much sport.

But I do know about the brothers and sisters in our churches who want us to retreat into the past to find a glorious present.

They should wake up and join the family at the foot of the cross and see what the Lord can do today.  They might be surprised.

A final note….

Anyone pastoring a group of people mired down in 1955 would do well to recall something Carlyle Marney used to say.

“The people are caught in quicksand and you throw them a rope. Now, if you jerk the rope, it breaks and they’re in there for good. The best way is to keep a steady pressure on the rope and gradually, little by little, they’ll come out.”

Steady as she goes, pastor.  Teach the Word, show how the Lord does things, cultivate those who are getting it right and encourage them, and be patient with the rest.

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “That little outpost of 1950 inside your congregation

  1. You may not be a prophet or the son of a prophet, but that is a word to be heard. Thank you, again, for speaking truth to us.

  2. Great article. As one of those ‘young’ pastors (which I think is just funny now that I am into my 30s. When did I get young again?!), I am often reminded that the things that are ‘new’ aren’t always the best (as you point out in question 3). As I have interviewed in different places with churches, it is often asked what stance I prefer for worship, either traditional or contemporary. I state that I worship the way that God directs me to do so, and in a way that allows the Holy Spirit to reach those outside of the church. It never ceases to amaze churches that I answer in such a manner! (Btw, that means that if a church is using traditional worship and reaching people, then by all means, do it!) In reality, once we take our focus off of what ‘we’ want to do and put it on what God wants us to do, then we will see a time in America where we can point to continually and state how wonderful God began to bless us more fully.

  3. Pastor Joe, I found your usage of the Confederados very disappointing. I have met in person several Confederados and do not understand your redneck comment. Was that intended to be judgmental?
    When my wife and I lived in Hollywood, Florida around 15 years ago we flew Daniel Carr DeMuzio and Thomas Steagall up for an educational event. They visited with Pam & I and then I took them on a tour of their ancestors homeland including many battlefields. In the following years we helped organize a student exchange program in which many Confederado youth were given the opportunity to visit for the first time the homeland of part of their ancestors.
    To answer your one question about whether they are American or Portugese, the answer is neither! They are more Brazilian, Brazil gained its independence in 1822 and so the Confederadoes were never Portugese. They also say they are the only unreconstructed, NOT reconstructed – hopefully that was just a typo. The first time I ever saw that quote in print it was by Daniel Carr DeMuzio and I can assure you he means unreconstructed.
    They were however the first organized group of Protestants to successfully settle in Brazil. Their cemetery in Americana was built because they were Protestant, so they remained true to their Faith despite being rejected to some extent.
    Yes they do gather once year in Americana on April 26 to celebrate Southern Heritage, their ancestors and fellowship. I am confused as to why it seems to me that you are implying that is a bad thing and used to justify criticizing things considered traditional as a problem in the church. Perhaps it is because Brazil settled the slavery issue peacefully in 1888 without the killing of 600,000 citizens? Because descendants of former slaves and Confederados who have inter-married in the intervening years jointly participate in the annual Southern Heritage celebration?
    I am also confused by your comments about things considered traditional and why these are labeled as a problem. Hymns? The Scripture tells us to sing from the heart hymns, psalms and spiritual songs. Screens, I was in favor of our church getting one but once it was installed and used, the congregation quit singing. That was three pastors ago. Seems to me that these discussions about criticizing traditional worship are somewhat superficial. The Barna study (and others) demonstrated that we are living in a time of Biblical illiteracy and it is increasing. Since that study was based upon professing Christians I am skeptical of such discussions. Perhaps I am blind but I do not see an increase in emphasis on studying and understanding of God’s Word in “contemporary” techniques. I do see declining church attendance, declining Sunday School attendance, same for Sunday evening and Wednesday services and less respect for the Sanctuary.

    Thanks,
    Mike Crane

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