I had thought the Natural Church Development ship had sailed a while ago among Confessional Lutherans.  Having seen a recent blog post by a District of our fellowship touting NCD, I discovered I was wrong.

I know a bit about NCD, having done my M.Div thesis analyizing it according to Lutheran teaching.  But I've always thought that, perhaps, I was too critical and just "nit-picking" and finding fault where there may have been none.

Having recently been playing with ChatGPT, and having "primed" a custom GPT with the Book of Concord and, pretty much the entire contents of the BookOfConcord.org website, I decided to use the pattern recognition systems embedded in this new tool that everyone is talking about to see whether the patterns of speech in NCD follow the "pattern of sound words" laid down by our faith, or if they diverge to any significant degree.

Here is my conversation with a custom MyGPT named "UACLutheran" which is primed with the Book of Concord and most of the content of the BookOfConcord.org website as the basis for it's custom "knowledge."
I first asked for an evaluation:

PROMPT

Evaluate the work of Christian Swartz and his "Natural Church Development" philosophy according to the confessional standard set forth in the Book of Concord and Lutheran teaching.

Here is the response after searching it's custom "knowledge".

ChatGPT (UACLutheran)

The search did not yield specific references to Christian Schwarz and his "Natural Church Development" philosophy within the provided documents. Therefore, based on the documents at hand and my knowledge, I can provide an evaluation grounded in Lutheran teaching as reflected in the Book of Concord and other foundational Lutheran documents.

Christian Schwarz's "Natural Church Development" (NCD) philosophy focuses on identifying and strengthening eight quality characteristics present in every healthy church. These characteristics include empowering leadership, gift-oriented ministry, passionate spirituality, functional structures, inspiring worship service, holistic small groups, need-oriented evangelism, and loving relationships. The NCD approach suggests that by measuring and developing these qualities, a church can grow naturally without focusing primarily on numerical growth.

From a Lutheran perspective, grounded in the Book of Concord, the evaluation of such a philosophy would hinge on several key principles:

1. Centrality of the Gospel: The primary criterion for any church development strategy within Lutheranism is the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Any approach that diverts focus from this core message to predominantly organizational, structural, or sociological factors would be critiqued. The Lutheran Confessions emphasize that the church is where the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity and where the Sacraments are administered according to the Gospel (AC VII).

2. Doctrine of Vocation: Lutheran teaching on vocation holds that Christians serve God in various capacities through their callings in life. While NCD's emphasis on gift-oriented ministry aligns with the Lutheran understanding of using God's gifts for service, the crucial aspect would be ensuring that such ministry is always informed by and subordinate to the right teaching of the Word.

3. Means of Grace: Lutheranism holds that the church grows and is sustained through the means of grace—the Word and Sacraments. Strategies for church development must prioritize these means over purely human-driven efforts or strategies. This includes a focus on preaching, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper as God's instruments for creating and nurturing faith.

4. Theology of the Cross: Lutherans emphasize the theology of the cross, which understands God's power and wisdom through suffering and the cross, in contrast to a theology of glory, which might seek success through human strengths and strategies. Any church development philosophy must be evaluated for how it aligns with this understanding.

5. Church as Community: Lutheran ecclesiology views the church as a community of believers gathered around Word and Sacrament. Elements of NCD that strengthen communal bonds and foster genuine Christian love and service can be seen positively, provided they support the church's mission to proclaim the Gospel.

In summary, while aspects of the Natural Church Development philosophy might find resonance with Lutheran principles, such as the use of gifts in ministry and fostering loving relationships, they must always be evaluated and implemented in a way that upholds the primacy of the Gospel, the means of grace, and Lutheran doctrinal commitments. Any church growth or development strategy must not replace or overshadow the church's fundamental reliance on God's action through His Word and Sacraments to create, sustain, and expand the church.

Noting some areas of "critique," I asked for a more direct contrast between NCD and Lutheran teaching:

PROMPT

Contrast Christian Swartz, "Natural Church Development" philosophy with the teachings of the Book of Concord and orthodox Lutheran teaching.

ChatGPT (UACLutheran)

Given that the specific teachings of Christian Schwarz and his "Natural Church Development" (NCD) philosophy were not directly addressed in the provided documents, I'll contrast the NCD philosophy with the teachings of the Book of Concord and orthodox Lutheran teaching based on my foundational knowledge.

Natural Church Development Philosophy:
- Empirical Approach: NCD is based on empirical research into what makes churches grow, focusing on quality characteristics that are believed to lead to quantitative growth.
- Eight Quality Characteristics: These include aspects like empowering leadership, passionate spirituality, and loving relationships, among others. The philosophy argues that focusing on improving these quality characteristics will naturally lead to church growth.
- Balance and Minimization of Weaknesses: NCD suggests that balancing these characteristics and addressing areas of weakness can unlock growth.

Teachings of the Book of Concord and Orthodox Lutheran Teaching:
- Centrality of the Word and Sacraments: The Augsburg Confession (AC) and other Lutheran Confessions emphasize that the church is where the Word of God is preached in its purity and the Sacraments are administered according to the Gospel. This is seen as the means through which God grants faith, growth, and salvation, rather than through specific strategic qualities or characteristics.
- Justification by Faith: Lutheran teaching emphasizes that individuals are justified before God by grace through faith in Christ alone, not by works or any human efforts, including the implementation of church growth strategies.
- Theology of the Cross: Lutheranism focuses on the theology of the cross, which values suffering, humility, and the proclamation of Christ crucified, which stands in contrast to a theology of glory that might emphasize human achievements, including numerical church growth.
- Ecclesiology: Lutheranism views the church primarily as the assembly of believers where the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered. While organizational health and leadership are valued, they are not the primary markers of the church's faithfulness or success.

Contrast:
- Empirical vs. Theological Basis: NCD's empirical, research-based approach contrasts with Lutheranism's theological, doctrinal basis rooted in Scripture and the Confessions.
- Quality Characteristics vs. Means of Grace: NCD focuses on natural characteristics of church life for growth, whereas Lutheranism emphasizes the supernatural means of grace—Word and Sacrament—as the source of church life and growth.
- Human Strategy vs. Divine Action: NCD could be seen as focusing on human strategies for growth, while Lutheranism insists on growth and vitality coming primarily through divine action.

In conclusion, while there might be areas of practical alignment, such as the importance of leadership and community, the underlying theology and approach to church growth and health diverge significantly. The Lutheran emphasis remains on faithfulness to the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments as the heart of church life, over and above any human-devised strategy or quality characteristic focus.

When an Artificial Ignoramus like ChatGPT can see such serious problems, I think we have to admit, there are serious problems.