Quite a lot I would like to comment on here, so I will split my thoughts into different posts. Some probably tomorrow.
First, Rensil, I am absolutely with you on all of that – I have no idea why Satan would ignore all the successful churches that are around and focus on one that is basically stagnant.
As for them having a unique message about holiness, well, I guess it is unique, but I am not convinced it is really about holiness or even that they believe it themselves any more. When I read in the Bible or in Christian biographies about holy living, I see people who have given up all that they had and have over their life grown in love, service and effectiveness. I see none of that in Struthers. What Struthers seem to mean by “holiness” is exactly what you describe Rensil – a fear of doing something wrong in case they “disturb the spirit” or, as you say, “let the side down”. That is not Biblical holiness. Just because they use that word “holiness” does not mean they are using it the way the Bible uses it.
It also comes back to my point in an earlier post – what is the point of this “being careful not to disturb the spirit”? If everyone succeeds in walking that tightrope, what happens at the end of it? Does everyone go away speaking about how much God moved in their lives perhaps? If so, then what? Back to work on Monday and more of the same until next year?
How has this worked over the years? There have been over 50 years of camps. Has Satan attacked every year before camp, or only some years? On the occasions he attacked, was that ever effective, or was he always beaten back? What impact did that have? Could the impact be seen after the camp perhaps – did the church perhaps grow in grace and truth, allowing them to report, as Paul did in Colossians 1v3:
Quote
Edited quote from Colossians 1v3 (edits marked with the three dots)
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people. … In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world.
It that the outcome of a successful camp? That people hear of the love they have for all of God’s people (see third post in this rant for a few more thoughts about that) and, as a result, that the gospel bears fruit?
Could someone go back over the 50 years and clarify whether on each occasion Satan was attacking people, how successful that was, whether some attacks were worse than others, whether the resultant camp was all it could be and what impact it had over the subsequent 12 months? I really do not think this is an unreasonable request. This is what Christian biographies do all the time – explain the circumstances, explain the ways they are being attacked (whether financially, physically or in terms of personal doubts and fears perhaps) then explain their hopes and prayers, how these are answered, and the impact on the work they are doing.
None of this is transparent in the Struthers model, it is all vague and, as far as I can see, impossible to pin down and learn from.