wfn.org | ABCUSA: Fong: 'Empowered Weakness' Needed for Lasting Change

["CHANDLER, David" <David.Chandler@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Birmingham, United Kingdom 7/30/05)-An
understanding of "empowered weakness" as a foundation for real and
lasting change is crucial for Christians, maintained the Rev. Kenneth
Fong at a Bible study here July 29 during the Baptist World Centenary
Congress.

Fong, an American Baptist, is pastor of the Evergreen Church in Los
Angeles, one of North America's most multicultural, multigenerational,
economically diverse congregations.

Part of the problem, he maintained, is that we don't hang around the
right people--people that we might not feel comfortable with.

It was from drug addicts that Fong learned firsthand a powerful lesson
on how change can happen. He began working as a volunteer in a secular
drug clinic to help connect with someone from his church who had a drug
problem.

"I learned from drug addicts that if you keep acting like you're strong,
you'll kill yourself and hurt everyone you love. They have to admit
weakness, learn to be weak."
For real and lasting change you need empowered weakness, something we
don't talk much about in our churches."

"The Holy Spirit works best when we're weak," said Fong. "It's only the
Holy Spirit Who can turn ordinary sinners into extraordinary saints.
There's pressure in the church to look like you're strong; it's a false
sense of what it's like to be in Christ."

The church needs to be seen as a place for the weak and wounded, Fong
said. "Right now it's the last place people think to go. Here in
England, they take you to the pub, in the U.S., a 12-Step program."

We need the Spirit who pours through our weaknesses to fill us with
God's power, Fong said.  When it happens in a few people, he noted, it's
going to affect the whole church.

"Discipleship is waking up every day and asking 'How much am I going to
let the Holy Spirit work in me?'" he said.  "When it becomes as natural
as breathing, that's what brings God glory!"

Laurena Zondo of Canadian Baptist Ministries contributed to this
article.

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