Many of you have said over the year here on this board, and even Bob has said it himself first and foremost, Petra is a ministry. You see, personnel comes and go in my opinion and styles will change...for everything there is a season ...and Petra as a ministry has shown its salt and light despite the changes in these area. And to see a ministry that is still a valuable tool in reaching young and old with the Gospel of Christ, no matter what anyone within or without the band may think, just end...that is the part I have the difficulty grasping at this point.
So let me offer this...is there any way that Petra as a ministry can reconsistute itself and be active once more? For example, one of the hopes I have had is when the time for Bob, John, and other members to retire, that in the interim they would minister and teach a younger generation of musicians...bold in the Word and faith...that would continue to go and preach the Gospel (the Paul and Timothy effect). While I dont know if the younger musicians of the past (thinking Greg or those from the God Fixation/Petra Praise II era) were meant to fit that role or were hired for musical ability only, I do know that the model I speak of is Biblically sound if not worldy practical. Meaning (the heretical part) can we as fans of Petra accept John not being the lead singer (although there were singers before and good one too)? Can we deal with Bob once again not activity involved in the day to day songwriting / playing aspect (although it has happened before and in my opinion players like Pete Orta and others performed well and grew)?
If we can accept all that, then what might be the result of such a ministerial framework is Bob, John, and others serving as a Board of Overseers (Deacons, Elders, whatever you wish to call such a group), each providing guidance and teaching in various areas (Bob as a producer, John with tour coordination, just using as examples but you get the idea). It is probably not unlike what is done with Petra now but in a more formal structure. And in turn, while this board of overseers handles operations of the ministry, the touring members are allowed to grow in the Word, write Biblically structured lyrics with music structured for whatever "demographic" the ministry wishes to reach.
Now the obvious logistical questions come up from how this band would be financed, to how to get them a beneficial (aka support the ministry and get the CD's mass distributed) recording contract, to who plays what role. I do not have any of those answers. This premise I present is maybe for all of us to come up with some answers to present to the band members and current Petra management and insiders as they read this post and forum. Who knows what God will present in each of our heads as ideas, who knows what plans God has. Maybe it is my fleshly nature and like all of you the inspiration and fellowship and nuturing God in Christ has provided me through Petra, but I am just not convinced that this ministry known in Petra is done for...in its current structure and format perhaps...the the ministry itself...NO WAY. But that is just one sinners' perspective, and I have a feeling what I speak has been discussed here before...but the timing might be right to discuss it again. But only God knows the hearts of each of us, and how we might respond
So what sayeth you all about all this?:)[/list]