Blood and Fire: Godly Love in a Pentecostal Emerging Church

1. Godly Love and Post-Modern Christianity: An Introduction

This page intentionally left blank vii Acknowledgments This project would not have been possible without the support of countless people both inside and outside Blood-n-Fire (BnF). Words of gratitude go first to David VanCronkhite, who cooperated with our research even in the midst of the tumultuous events that unfolded within a year after we began our study. He knew that we intended to do research and not an apologetic on the community. Whatever data we collected would necessarily be analyzed without an agenda. David welcomed us when we first proposed doing the research and encouraged us to continue when the tides turned in unexpected directions. He urged those at BnF to cooperate with us in virtually everything we asked to explore. As a schism within the ministry grew, David knew that some of the accounts we were hearing painted an unflattering portrait but that these stories needed to be heard together with those of loyal followers. He treated us with courtesy, respect, and even love as we sought to collect the array of narratives. Our work was full of serendipitous events; there were twists and turns that no one expected at the onset of the project. Most unexpected was the schism that occurred at BnF. As we explored various perspectives among those who sided with and opposed David , the schism extended to us. As researchers we could not take sides, and our refusal created tension between us and David that persists today. Our hearts are with those who left as much as they are with those who stayed, David VanCronkhite included. We also wish to thank Cissy Watson, who trusted us with her account and the minutes from the board meetings, which included administrative details about the schism. Watson, together with former board member Woody White, encouraged us to give all we had to the project so that other boards might learn from the BnF story. We appreciate their assistance and support. Also, a special word of thanks to Vineyard pastor Johnny Crist, who helped to launch BnF in 1991, and David Kula, formerly of BnF Atlanta and Asheville, who graciously provided different perspectives on the appropriate role of an executive board in faith-based ministries. viii Acknowledgments Over one hundred unnamed respondents generously gave of their time as we conducted open-ended interviews, each lasting anywhere from twenty minutes to three hours. Many of the BnF members and a few homeless residents were interviewed more than once as events unfolded . We are also grateful to numerous unnamed homeless people who spent endless hours talking with Margaret, Ralph, and Ralph’s research assistants , Christopher F. Silver and Zachary Smith. They shared with us in the Sanctuary where they had sought shelter, around the table of Sobre Le Mesa as they ate evening meals, and outside the buildings where those more marginal to the BnF community often socialized, telling their own stories of their lives at BnF. We also express our thanks to individuals who were enrolled in the Training Program; to the members of the Blood-nFire community, both past and present; to the leaders of Blood-n-Fire International ; and to members of the Boards of Trustees over the years—to all who trusted us with your stories, we are grateful. Without you there would be no “data” to report. Of these respondents we would like to offer special thanks to Chris and Linda Franklin, Debbie and Eric Stagg, Scot and Meredith Thomas, LeAnn Pearson, Jill Royer, Steve Ruff, and Katina VanCronkhite. Through their willingness to dialogue with us over the years of the study, we have been able to provide a “thicker” description of the complex dynamics we observed at BnF. We also thank all past and present affiliates of BnF who have read an earlier draft of the manuscript and either formally or informally responded with their reactions and assessments. A special acknowledgment goes to Christopher F. Silver and Zachary Smith, who as research assistants conducted most of the indepth interviews with the homeless and recovering addicts and provided a unique vantage point from which to offer their assessments. We would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments provided by other manuscript readers who read the entire work, including Duane Crabbs, Mark Ford, Roger Heuser, Matthew Lee, Jeffrey Metzger, and Stephen Post. We are indebted to Rebecca Erickson for pointing us to interaction ritual theory as a sociological tool with which to analyze...