The following are endorsements of this proposal from a handful of past and present officials and leaders of PNW who don’t currently sit on the PNW Quizzing board.
As we look to the future of Bible Quizzing, it’s clear to me that change is necessary to keep Quizzing alive. The change likely won’t be simple, easy, or quick. The details laid out in Gryphon’s proposal display the exact sort of change that is necessary. Change focusing on making Quizzing simpler and easier to join; change allowing for a wider variety of motivations to find fulfillment in Quizzing. Changes such as moving away from IBQ, or not using the CMA umbrella, are changes towards a Quizzing future that is easier to join, easier to understand, simpler and cheaper to run, and far more sustainable.
Scott Peterson
Former PNW Quizzing District Coordinator
Quizzing is an extraordinary ministry that changed the lives of my wife and I. We don’t just want it to still be around when my kids are old enough to participate — we need it to be around. And we don’t just need it to be around — it needs to thrive. And yet, I see before me a rapidly shrinking program in which fewer and fewer volunteers devote more and more enthusiasm per person to keeping it alive. I’m tired of throwing all my energy at just keeping the lights on… I want Quizzing to soar. To make it soar, we need to rethink the structure which has clipped its wings. We need to gather together like-minded Christians who share our enthusiasm for this ministry, break down the denominational barriers (which in the CMA’s case is much more like a ball and chain), and make a plan of attack to recruit the many tribes within Christendom who have yet to hear of the value of Quizzing. Gryphon has even laid out the beginnings of the philosophy of this plan of attack in this very proposal. I wholeheartedly endorse both the philosophy of this proposal and the strategy to bring it about.
Jeremy Swingle
CMA Quizzing Leadership Team (CQLT) Board Member
Former PNW Quizzing Coach and Board Member; Current PNW Quizzing Official
Quizzing is an extraordinary ministry that must continue. I have seen many young people grow in their faith as a result of Quizzing and I want it to be around for the next generations as well. Joining with other denominations makes sense. We need to abandon our tribalism and remember that we are all one Church because we are all the body of Christ. Joining with other denominations should be the first step in revitalizing the quizzing program.
Cutty Welt
Official at PNW Quizzing, Great West Invitational (GWI), and International Bible Quizzing (IBQ)
The ministry of quizzing is incredibly important to me. I was discipled, trained, and taught to lead by this ministry, and now, I am able to raise up the next generation through my work as a Christian school teacher. There is a deep need in all of our hearts, not simply to read the Bible, but to soak in its truth. To seek God to the best of our ability, to build each other up in the Gospel, and to be diligent in application. But right now, those needs are rapidly becoming harder to meet with our current quizzing programs. Resources and support are lacking as prices rise, which cripple current programs and provide a massive barrier of entry to new ones. Our friends and partner districts are being sidelined, forgotten, or forced to go it alone. Leaving us unable to remain unified, hampering our love and service of one another. Biblical morals are not being followed by those in the highest ranks of our leadership. The shepherds of this ministry have chosen to leave behind the sheep they were entrusted to serve. Brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be so, and they will not change without great effort. I pray that no matter what, this ministry will use the time that God gives it. That may be 1 year or 1,000, but we should seek to use our time well, to honor God’s word, and to join in worship with as many as might come into our midst. I believe this proposal seeks to do just that, and with much prayer, counting on God’s will to be done, I endorse this proposal and the strategies therein.
David Swindler
Official at PNW Quizzing and International Bible Quizzing (IBQ)
The following are some additional details about proposed A3 policies, rules, and practices that came up from conversations after having sent out the above. These are added here just to help clarify a few things.
To be clear, A3 multi-translation support doesn’t mean support every “translation” as defined by the set of published Bibles. Rather, “translation” means any common word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation, but not a paraphrased publication or Bible commentary. So for example, NIV, NASB, ESV, RSV, KJV, HCSB, and others similar could be supported. However, GNT, CEV, TLB, MSG, and others similar would not be supported.
Why? Because paraphrased publications can’t be relied upon to follow a verse-to-verse textual alignment with every word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation, and this would render them incompatible with multi-translational Quizzing competition. Beyond just this purely practical reason, paraphrased publications necessarily require tremendous injected influence from the paraphraser. Subsequently, they represent an interpretation of Scripture, not Scripture itself. Despite often containing verse numbers, the text of paraphrased publications is essentially commentary, not the Scripture verse itself. And since the true mission of Quizzing is to encourage the most number of people to memorize the most number of verses, supporting paraphrased publications would be anti-mission.
Quizzing is about encouraging the memorization of Scripture; doctrinal teaching and preaching isn’t a direct part of our mission. I'm an ordained pastor with a masters in theology, so of course I very much love teaching and preaching doctrine (and I eagerly do even in a Quizzing context when asked); but that's beyond the direct scope of the true mission of Quizzing, which is to encourage the most number of people to memorize the most number of verses.
All sound doctrine comes from Scripture. The best way to combat false doctrine is to encourage study of Scripture, and the deepest way to study Scripture is to memorize it. So Quizzing along with the illumination of the Holy Spirit is the best antidote to false doctrine.
There have been times in the past and there will be times in the future when folks become involved in Quizzing, either as quizzers, coaches, parents, or pastors, who hold false doctrines. I would rather such brothers and sisters be included in Quizzing and thereby have the opportunity to be confronted by Scripture illuminated by the Holy Spirit than be separated from this most effective ministry. Too much false doctrine gets taught in the Church today, and I believe Quizzing is the best solution. It's impossible for a pastor to preach false doctrine if the congregation is filled with the Biblically literate.
That said, it’s important to protect the Quizzing organization from being corrupted by self-interested saboteurs. A3 intends to handle this via its incorporation and constitution. Exactly how this works is something I’m still wrestling with and seeking input from a variety of smart, pro-Quizzing people. That said, as long as the unfiltered, unparaphrased Word of God is memorized en masse, I believe core Christian doctrine will be drawn into one accord over time.