# “When Barna becomes more important than the Bible” by D.A. Carson

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2009/08/11/when-barna-becomes-more-important-than-the-bible-by-d-a-carson/
- Published: 2009-08-11T11:11:07-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“At the moment, books are pouring off the presses telling us how to plan for success,
how ‘vision’ consists in clearly articulated ‘ministry goals,’ how the knowledge
of detailed profiles of our communities constitutes the key to successful outreach.
I am not for a moment suggesting that there is nothing to be learned from such studies.

But after a while one may perhaps be excused for marveling how many churches were
planted by Paul and Whitefield and Wesley and Stanway and Judson without enjoying
these advantages. Of course all of us need to understand the people to whom we minister,
and all of us can benefit from small doses of such literature. But massive doses
sooner or later dilute the gospel.

Ever so subtly, we start to think that success more critically depends on thoughtful
sociological analysis than on the gospel; Barna becomes more important than the 
Bible. We depend on plans, programs, vision statements–but somewhere along the way
we have succumbed to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with
the wisdom of strategic planning. Again, I insist, my position is not a thinly veiled
plea for obscurantism, for seat-of-the-pants ministry that plans nothing.

Rather, I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger
of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral
insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of
displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.”

–D.A. Carson, _[The Cross and Christian Ministry](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0801075912?tag=toletaupanre-20)_(
Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004), 26. [HT: [JT](http://theologica.blogspot.com/2009/08/foolishness-of-cross-and-church.html)]

More quotes from [D.A. Carson](https://tollelege.net/category/da-carson/) · More
on [The Church](https://tollelege.net/category/the-church/)

## Comments

### By: Cindy

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2009/08/11/when-barna-becomes-more-important-than-the-bible-by-d-a-carson/comment-page-1/#comment-2689
- Published: 2009-08-12T12:08:19-05:00

Thanks for this post I have recently posted several installments related to R. Kent
Hughes, Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome. If you have not read this
book I highly recommend. For insights on the contents please visit my site.
 [http://www.word4women.wordpress.com](http://www.word4women.wordpress.com).

Thanks again for this wonderful site…

### By: Reformatus

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2009/08/11/when-barna-becomes-more-important-than-the-bible-by-d-a-carson/comment-page-1/#comment-2692
- Published: 2009-08-13T14:22:24-05:00

Do what Jesus did – seek the ones who are likely to recognize their need of a Savior–
not the sleek and satisfied!