The first kind of simple church ignores complexity. This kind of church calls it as they see it. There is one way to do things. They call the outs. This type of “simple church” refuses to frame the gospel in our context, insisting upon using old forms for new times. Like the missionary who exports Western pews, pictures, and pet theologies, simple churches that ignore cultural complexity produce disciples and doctrines that disconnect from the people they are trying to reach. They are simple in missiology, but also in theology. These churches assert that “if we would just interpret the Bible literally,” we would all have the same theology. This simplicity ignores the complexity of biblical theology, revelation embedded in history, and culture that alternately affirms and contradicts its historical-cultural context. This kind of simplicity is not what we seek.
Two Kinds of Simple Church, Part 1 | TheResurgence
Jonathan Dodson writes about churches taking a “simple church” goal…