A Modest Proposal for Christ-following Attorneys
by CLS Chaplain Phil Ashey

In his book, Choose the Life, author Bill Hull writes, "The problem we face is a faith that doesn’t transform.  We have taught a non-discipleship Christianity, and in Scripture this Christianity does not exist…We have made the test for salvation doctrinal rather than behavioral…Christ less Christianity has created leaders who are addicted to recognition and success and congregations that believe forsaking all things to follow Christ is optional and a separate issue from salvation.. High commitment is the exception rather than the norm…”[1]

Bill Hull is not alone in his assessment.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.”[2]  Dallas Willard points out that in North America the default setting of the church is “sin-management”—where “Christians aren’t perfect—just forgiven.”[3]  If that seems unfair, ask yourself—when was the last time I found the tools, the power, and practical instruction on Sunday morning in how to overcome a besetting sin, or an addictive behavior pattern?  When was the last time I heard a message on greed…or how to set aside and create a Sabbath rest…or how to forgive somebody who has wronged me and really be at peace?

I’m not here to pick on the church… I am a pastor who loves the church.  I’ve given my life to serving Christ through the local church.  I believe passionately that the church is God’s number one plan to restore His creation to him, and to win people to Christ, before he returns!  And I have been privileged to be a pastor and member of churches where people’s lives have been changed in very practical ways—so that they are now living their lives, more and more, as Jesus would if he were in their shoes.

But I also know as a pastor and a follower of Jesus that the local church is not, for the most part, extending the Great Commission and Christianity with discipleship into the workplace.  For the most part, we are failing to equip our people to be missionaries in the marketplace.  Instead, we are mostly asking people to take their time and talents and pour them into ministry within the four walls of the church.

That’s not bad--- but it’s preaching to the choir.  It’s keeping the salt inside the salt shaker.  And didn’t Jesus say “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:13, 14 KJV)?

What would happen if Christian attorneys became fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in their primary mission field—their workplace!  What if Christ-following men and women in the practice of law:

• Believed what Jesus believed (with transformed minds)
• Lived the way Jesus lived  (with transformed character)
• Loved and cared the way Jesus did  (with transformed relationships)
• Ministered the way Jesus ministered  (with transformed service)
• And Led the way Jesus led  (with transformed influence)

And what if the local church and CLS partnered together in carrying out this Great Commission of evangelism and discipleship into the workplace?

Every pastor I know wants their church to reach lost people.  It’s the passion in their heart!  But the problem with pastors is that they rarely get beyond the relational walls of their own congregation.  Unfortunately, this “koinonitis” is an infectious disease that can turn the whole body inward upon itself, as Christ-followers spend more and more time relating to, ministering to and encouraging each other—to the unintended exclusion of those outside the church.

Ministries like ALPHA have been successful in reaching lost people because the people who come to know Jesus Christ on ALPHA invite their friends—who in turn invite their friends, who in turn invite their friends, until people who are way outside the church are drawn into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his followers.

As Christian attorneys we have something that most churches don’t have—a network of relationships with people who have not yet come to know Jesus Christ.  And as a ministry alongside the local church, the Christian Legal Society has a unique gift to offer—discipleship that is calibrated to the specific needs and challenges of Christian attorneys.

Isn’t there some way CLS and the local church could partner together to extend the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20) into the legal workplace?  Let me suggest a way of being “the Christian Legal Society” that could accomplish this:

I.                   What do we see?  A Vision for CLS Chapter life

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the LORD added to their number daily those who were being saved.”   Acts 2:42-47 NIV (Emphasis added)

This passage from Acts describes the benchmark for what life in the Church—a Christ centered community—should look like.  More to the point, verse 47 describes how a body of fully developing followers of Jesus Christ grows numerically, as a result of God’s blessing and favor, and not as the result of program.  In short, because this body of fully developing followers of Jesus Christ had their priorities in line with God’s, they experienced numerical growth.  It was not the result of an evangelism program—it was the result of faithfulness to Gospel essentials, worked out in a community of Christ-centered relationships that were inviting and life changing.

This snapshot of immediate, post-Pentecost church life provides a Biblical foundation for CLS Chapter life.  Like the first developing followers of Jesus Christ in Acts, attorneys should experience three things in a CLS Chapter:

1.      Large Group “Celebration”:  Just as the first Christians met regularly in the courts of the Temple, in a place open to the public—believers and non-believers-- where large numbers could gather for worship and apostolic teaching, a CLS Chapter should provide a regular (at least monthly) gathering for the same purposes.  These gatherings should be times to integrate “apostolic teaching” and practice, and present non-believers with an opportunity to hear the Gospel in a neutral, winsome and stimulating setting.  For many years the Rev. David Prior hosted a weekly lunch in the business district of London for bankers and attorneys, called “Mid-day at Mayfair”.  This evangelistic lunch and discussion was aimed at working professionals in the marketplace, believers and non-believers, and eventually grew to several hundred.    Closer to home, the Metro-DC Chapter of CLS has been hosting monthly meetings in the conference room of the Morgan-Lewis law firm in Washington DC, with a series of messages on “The seven deadly malpractices”.  The series not only challenges believers to integrate their faith and practice, it also provides a venue for believers to invite their non-believing friends and co-workers to a “low threat” talk, with a high-profile speaker, that will expose them to the claims of Jesus Christ.  Like those first meetings in the temple courts, these Chapter meetings provide opportunities for believers and non-believers to gather on neutral ground, and to begin to develop relationships over a stimulating message and fellowship.  They provide opportunities both for evangelism and discipleship—although the opportunities for both are more limited due to the size of the group and the time constraints.  In depth evangelism and discipleship must take place in another venue.

a.      Small “Growth Groups”: The first believers also met in smaller gatherings, in homes, for meals and fellowship, apostolic teaching, prayer and sharing of needs.  Their relationships were marked by sincere hearts—which implies a level of mutual sharing and accountability that was not otherwise possible in the larger gatherings.  They were glad to meet: their time together was rich, challenging and mutually beneficial.  In fact, they praised God for these opportunities to grow together in Christ—and their life together was infectious and open to others as they enjoyed the favor of all the people.  Likewise, CLS Chapters, facilitating through the Large Groups, must provide opportunities for believers to gather in such smaller groups, for meals and fellowship, apostolic teaching, sharing and prayer.  These “Growth Groups” would provide believers an opportunity to share the challenges of integrating faith and practice, balancing family and work, and developing “holy habits” or disciplines that will enable them to live their lives as Jesus would.  This small growth group is the place where the “network of Christ-following friends in the practice of law” becomes a reality.  CLS Growth Groups will be the most meaningful venue for believers to engage a curriculum for Christ likeness.  CLS Growth Groups are the place where serious discipleship takes place.  We therefore affirm the importance of having multiple Growth Groups of 10-12 people each, meeting weekly at different times and places, with planned multiplication to assimilate newcomers as the Chapter grows.  One of the critical functions of Chaplains and Chapter Leadership will be the pastoral care and equipping of Growth Group leaders and apprentices.

i.        Small “Seeker Groups”:  “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47).   People came to Christ daily through the witness of individual Christians—in smaller gatherings where they were loved, accepted, and had an opportunity to raise their questions and objections in a safe place.  The God-inspired outcome of successful small “growth groups,” should be “seeker groups.”  Those in the small groups either begin their own coinciding groups or eventually break off and start their own “seeker groups,” which can eventually become “growth groups” as people come to the Lord.  In WashingtonDC, CLS has partnered with the Evermay Foundation to host Vocacio—a small gathering of attorneys around a wonderful meal to have “one discussion” about a question relating to faith and life.  These evenings are modeled around the same gatherings and “launching questions” that William Wilberforce hosted.  His guests became transformed followers of Jesus Christ who subsequently helped lead the Abolitionist movement.  Like ALPHA small groups, these Vocacio’s provide Christian attorneys an opportunity to provide a safe place for their not-yet-Christian friends, in the context of loving hospitality, where all can have one discussion around a question worth asking about the intersection of faith, practice and life.

2.      “One-on-one” individual mentoring:   Although this was not evident in the passage from Acts 2, we know from the subsequent missionary church-planting journeys of Paul that he was continually engaged in mentoring leaders for the church.  I and II Timothy and Titus are testimonies to Paul’s mentoring ministry.  In the same way, a healthy CLS Chapter will include an ongoing ministry of mentoring.  Mentoring should be encouraged in two ways:

a.      Attorneys mentoring Attorneys:  Christian attorneys who are less experienced in the integration of their faith and practice will seek out more experienced brothers and sisters in Christ as mentors.  The ministry of mentoring will provide yet another level of discipling, with accountability.

b.      Attorneys mentoring Law Students:  Christian attorneys will be mentoring Christian law students from local LSM Chapters.  The attorney chapter can host a mentoring/matching meeting every fall where mentors and students can come together.  Attorneys can share their experiences in the marketplace and encourage students as they seek the guidance of the Lord in their lives.

3.      Christian Legal Aid:   “Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need” (Acts 2:45).  Sacrificial giving of our time, talent and treasure is a Biblical principal of individual and corporate growth in Christ.  While the local church offers many opportunities for Christian attorneys to give their time, talent and treasure—opportunities which CLS will continue to support-- these do not often engage the unique gifts and experience of Christian attorneys.  By contrast, Christian Legal Aid draws directly upon the unique gifts, education, training and experience of Christian Attorneys.  Chapter sponsorship of Christian Legal Aid will communicate the value of sacrificial giving in developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ in the marketplace.  Through participation in Christian Legal Aid, attorneys who are inexperienced in sacrificial giving may find themselves challenged and encouraged to give their time, talent and treasure in other avenues of Kingdom ministry—including the local church.

We affirm this Biblical model as the standard for a healthy CLS Chapter.  We believe numerical growth will be the divinely ordained outcome of a fully-functioning, Christ-centered community whose priorities are Biblical preaching and teaching, prayer, relational evangelism, discipleship and fellowship in small groups, Biblical conflict resolution and sacrificial giving to those in need—just as it was in the book of Acts.

We also believe this will require new roles for Chaplains and Chapter Leadership.  A healthy CLS Chapter will need a leadership team that includes individual “coordinators” for each of the dimensions of Chapter life—large group gatherings, growth groups, mentoring ministry, and Christian Legal Aid.  Chaplains, in turn, will be challenged to pastor and provide spiritual formation for the Chapter leadership team.

And new believers, and those who have been “on Sabbatical” will be encouraged to become a part of the local churches who share this commitment to Christ’s Great Commission.

At CLS, we believe we are on the threshold of a new way of being a society of Christ-following friends in the practice of law, and a new way of being the church in the marketplace—together!

What do you think?

--- Rev. Phil Ashey is the Metro-DC Regional Chaplain for the CLS, and the full-time pastor for South Riding Church, a new church plant in Loudoun County, VA.  He has been an attorney since 1985 and an ordained minister since 1987.