I'm reading The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah. So far it is rattling my chains big time. I'm especially being challenged by the section on primary and secondary cultures and how that distinction sheds light on church growth models. Primary cultural systems are more relational, verbal, dependent on others. Secondary cultural systems are more industrial, informational, and object-oriented.
Rah uses the Mafia as an example of an organization that uses primary culture to advance secondary culture in an unhealthy way. It is built on relationships and family connections, but the goal is economic gain and power. Am I guilty as a church leader of promoting the idea of relationships to the end of church growth? If so, does that make me any better than a Christian Mafioso?
There is something here to repent of. Relationships are the end, not the means. Rah goes on to say that the healthy intersection is when primary cultural systems are advanced by secondary systems, not the other way around. I'm finding myself asking another question: do I even know what my culture is apart from secondary systems?
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