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Centurions on the March!
Bridging the Cultural Divide
By Michael A. Snyder
January 11, 2006
This article first appeared in the April 2005 issue
of BreakPoint WorldView magazine. Subscribe today
or get someone you know a gift subscription! Call 1-877-322-5527.
As any reader of BreakPoint WorldView is well aware, there is
a cultural divide in the world that tends to marginalize the Church
to the outskirts of society. And there are many in the Church who
are perfectly happy to disengage themselves. Then there are those
who recognize the need to bridge the cultural chasm, bringing truth
to bear on all of life. The Wilberforce Forum now celebrates two
years of working with more than two hundred such individuals:
the 2004 and 2005 Centurions.
In a society that values tolerance more than truth, even Christians
have become susceptible to the sometimes subtle messages of relativism
and postmodernism where truth is dismissed, declared, or negotiated,
rather than discerned. Centurions are committed to finding the truth
and leading others to it. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the
Life--no man comes to the Father except by Me." As Christians, we
know that all truth begins and ends in the person of Christ, and we
know that God has given us Scripture as His revealed, written Word.
The Centurions Program, therefore, is a biblically based, Christ-centered,
worldview teaching program in which participants seek to know
Christ and make Him known.
The first and second Centurions classes are now on the march,
officially deployed on the battlefield of ideas. Having been formed
into a tightly bonded community, the 2004 class was commissioned
by Chuck Colson and the Wilberforce Forum at a graduation
ceremony on January 16, 2005, and we are preparing for the
2005 class’s graduation ceremony. We are now partners, soldiering
together and continuing to learn from and encourage one another.
Bringing a biblical worldview to bear on every sphere of life, our
Centurions teach others how to do the same, while engaging culture
directly. Arraying principle against principle, they " . . . demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge
of God, and . . . take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"
(2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Our Centurions come from all walks of life. Mostly laity, and all
mature in their faith, they are called to be, and to teach others to be,
intentional cultural change agents. They work to bring society closer
into conformity with God’s truth by developing and implementing wise,
practical, and often incremental solutions in their spheres of influence:
personally, in the marketplace, and in the public square.
Centurions hear Jesus’ call to meet Him where He is--not just within
the safe zones of church and home, but in all the hard places in a lost,
needy, and unjust world. This includes important culture-shaping
arenas, such as law and government, the various segments of the media,
academia, and healthcare and biomedical research.
The Centurions’ year of training develops and hones in them a
"see, care, and do" mindset and skill set. Each graduate has met all
requirements, including submitting an approved three-year plan detailing
how he or she will satisfy one of the conditions to acceptance into the
program--namely, earnestly passing on and putting into practice what
they have learned during their training. We are amazed by the quality,
creativity, and diversity of their plans!
Our Lord has given the staff of the Wilberforce Forum a beautiful gift:
the privilege of teaching, getting to know, and now partnering with a
marvelously talented and dedicated group of people whom He delivered
into our care. And now our third class of Centurions has commenced its
year of training this month. Our graduate Centurions are helping to mentor them!
Where will all this lead? Only God knows. As the multiplier of loaves
and fishes, surely He can multiply the impact of every Centurion on our
culture for His Kingdom.
Michael Snyder is the senior vice president of Prison Fellowship
overseeing the Wilberforce Forum.
If you would like to help support the Wilberforce Forum in this and other
endeavors, please donate online today.
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"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."
2 Timothy 3:12
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