Christianity Today reports in its January 2009 issue that the emergent church/movement may be on the wane or disintegrating. As you know, I made a “non-inspired” prophecy (hence, no stoning if wrong per Deut. 18) that if the emergent movement were still being talked about or influencing things by 2012 or 2013, I would be surprised. I may have missed the mark by a few years! It appears that the term along with its impact, influence, etc., is on the verge of imploding. A number of metaphors: It was burning up its fuel quickly; it was falling under its own weight; it was a flash in the pan; and it was definitely theologically vacuous.

The only problem with its demise is that another inanity will take its place, with a spate full of books, leaders that will have their less than 15 minutes of notoriety, but in the meanwhile will upset the faith of many and will make all sorts of pontifical pronouncements that “the faith one and for all delivered to the saints” is of no value for our contemporary, secularized and hip age. So expect more foolishness, with willing dupes in the church fawning over the “breath of fresh air” that these new so-called prophets are bringing to the moribund, fossilized church.

Antidote to whatever form the new wave takes: Stick with the basics, the ABCs of the faith; read your Bible, believe and teach its truths with earnestness, and trust the Holy Spirit to bring genuine renewal in you and the church through the Word. Hebrews 12:2 states it plainly: “Fix your eyes on Jesus…” I know it sounds simple and simplistic but this is what has served the church throughout the centuries.

The article begins:

As one-time leaders of the emergent movement have recently distanced themselves from the term, the network itself dropped its organizational leader. The decision of EmergentVillage’s board of directors to eliminate its national coordinator position marked the latest sign that the movement is either decentralizing or disintegrating.

Board members said they eliminated Tony Jones’s position October 31 in order to reclaim the Village’s founding purpose as an “egalitarian social-networking organization.” “We are gifting the power of Emergent back to the people at the grassroots level of the conversation,” said Jones.

Read the whole article: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/january/6.13.html