You are here: Home / Archives for PC(USA)

Better late than…

March 19, 2007 By 11 Comments

Sorry to be so late. I hesitated leaning into this site for many reasons:

The main one being time sensitivity. While serving as a validated minister inthe PC(USA) for a couple years since seminary, I recently joined my practices with a historied community of Presbyterians 30 minutes north of my neighborhood as their solo-pastor (their’s got to be a better word to get this point across). How I ended up there/here is a conversation for another time. But the responsibilities of pastoring a redevelopement-transformation congregation on top of buying our first family home (in our old neighborhood), my wife starting a small buisness (scrap booking), and organizing the mainline emergent/s event at Columbia have been about all I’ve had time for.

The secondary, underlying, reason for my being a late bloomer for Presbymergence, is the suspicion I hold for denominationally centered renewal movements. I, like many of you, have connected to the PC(USA) late in life for reasons that I can understand and ones I don’t know (how/why God and God’s new creation have conspired to bring me here, is still being discovered). Here are a few I have begun to articulate

1. because of the utility of the reformed articulation of faith practices (tangling Word, Sacrament, & Shape)

2. the polyvalence of a book of confessions (tangling many people/contexts)

3. the dialectical tension between tradition’s handing over of belief and the openness of conscience (tangling past/future with the need to act generatively now)

But I must confess I’m brutally pragmatic about these things. I’m not so sure that being tangled to some “good thing” that does not accomplish its end, is actually that “good”. At the Mainline Emergent/s thing I learned a bit more about this. We Presbyterians PC(USA)ers share many of the same blind spots and benfitted from Cooperative Baptist Fellows and Episcopalians, etc sitting next to us. I also learned that all the fruit the Mainline Emergent/s event brought, was intended for then; for that day/week/season. The future of missional communities in the way of Jesus will continue to necessitate the cross-pollination of the institutionally encrusted and naive, but cannot center on the cross-breading of the two. Emergence implies a comming anticipated newness, not a calculated hybrid. And so to preserve the generative and timely ethos of the Mainline Emergent/s event risks forming yet one more special interest group within the denomination and risks totalizing the naive or encrusted. In short, our dreams and realtionships get tangled up in helping the church, instead of edifying the church in her task to join the transformation of God’s world.

In the seven months I’ve been at Church of St. Andrew I have begun to learn the need for my colleagues here to know what will happen to “their our thing”. The existence of an established entity creates an inertia toward seeking the future of its establishment. The church, PC(USA) included, must continually give itself away to God’s creation, as Christ has for us all. I have my vows and tangles within this congregation, and the Presbyterian church. To truely serve with energy, intelegence, imagination, and love, I (and you) need more than the PC(USA), we need all of the church, and even beyond the church where the Spirit is moving and regenerating…
BUT, I’ve been reading the site and enjoy what I see. I am usually the last kid to jump in the pool or the river, but eventually I get in all the way and laugh and play. So, all that being said, I’m in. I hope that we can together seek the future of Presbyterianism God’s creation, utilizing all of creation the Reformed tradition that might be of help- and not the other way around.

peace | courage | beauty

Filed Under: Churches, Culture, Emergent, Leadership, PC(USA), Polity, Presbymergent, Theology

Evaluating Emerging Churches within the PC(USA) context

March 16, 2007 By 11 Comments

A committee of my synod (Lincoln Trails) invited me last fall to attend a meeting to discuss how we might rethink evaluating emerging new church developments. Present at the meeting were several presbytery executives, a synod executive and a lay moderator of the meeting and the congregational development committee. Also invited were two other new church development pastors from our synod (Won Ho Kim from Emmaus Road in Dekalb, Illinois, and Nancy Mockros from Life Path Church in Lafayette, Indiana.)

I’m the organizing pastor at Wicker Park Grace, in Chicago, IL. Our community has a 7-year New Church Development Grant (we stretched the 3/5 year grant out over a longer period,) and so in order to continue getting those funds, we need to show that we are developing in positive “successful” ways. (We’re beginning year 3 out of 7.)

I want to share here some of the things that came out of that meeting and open up a conversation about this at this site. This is partly probing the relationship between emergent churches and the PC(USA), especially when the denomination is funding them through the new church development funds of the Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assembly.

But what is success in an emerging church? How do you measure it? Here are some of our initial thoughts.

First, we talked about a changing paradigm. Where the bottom-line question has tended to be “How do we create sustainable models of church?” a new framing question might be “How do we develop vibrant missional communities?”

We talked about key values of emerging faith communities being: authenticity, spiritual discernment, and building community connections. This whole conversation was trying to explain, explore, clarify, and share the pastors’ experiences and perspectives on working with the emerging communities that we are working with.

Here are some questions that we came up with that might be asked of emerging churches (instead of “how many members do you have?” and “how many are in attendance at worship?” end-of-story):

*Describe the Missional Practices of the Emergent Community: How is the faith community engaging the larger community?

*Describe the Spiritual Practices of the emerging community: How is the community growing spiritually?

*How is community forming? What are the dynamics of the relationships that are forming? What kind of holistic community is developing?

*How do you know when someone is committed to the Community?

*Describe “contacts” rather than “members”: the number and variety of contacts, participants, covenant participants (if you use any language like this), and leadership of this Community.

*Describe contact with non-Christians.

*How are indigenous leaders being cultivated?

*Describe connections with the larger church.

I’m wondering what people think of these ideas, and also what are other new church developments or new presbymergent worship gatherings doing/thinking about in terms of success and evaluation?

Thanks for the opportunity to be in conversation!

Filed Under: Churches, Emergent, PC(USA), Presbymergent, Resources

Emerging Role of Pastor

March 6, 2007 By 9 Comments

Emerging Pastor
This past week at the Atlanta Emergent Cohort, we discussed the changing role of the pastor, and what a possible “emerging role” of a pastor would be. We had folks from different denominational backgrounds and that added to some of the richness of the discussion. I’ll admit that I went into the conversation hoping to find the “perfect” Emergent metaphor for the role of the pastor. However, that simply doesn’t work – and is very un-emergent.

Some of the metaphors that we brought to the conversation both from our experiences and our denominational perspectives are listed below:

  • CEO
  • Shepherd
  • Plurality of Elders
  • Chaplain
  • Shaman
  • Teacher
  • Poet Gardener: Someone who can connect with someone’s imagination – someone who will sow and work with something – to help grow it
  • Fellow Sojourner: Journeying together in the Kingdom of God – Westerhoff
  • Fosterer of Imagination – Helping others to live the re-imagined life – encouraging divine imagination
  • Visionary
  • Personal Trainer
  • Servant

Of all of these – I am most attracted to the Pastor as Poet/Gardener and as one who helps to Foster Imagination. However, a Korean friend who was there reminded us that those metaphors simply wouldn’t work in his Korean church culture. With the drive for success and competitive nature found in the Korean culture, the pastor would be a teacher, an educated guide – not a “gardener” or one who “imagines.” That only helped me to remember the cultural implications of context, and how that affects even what the role of the pastor might be.

So, who is the pastor? In the Presbyterian tradition, the pastor is the educated one – the one with the seminary education. The pastor knows Greek and Hebrew (supposedly) and is the one who can bring the Word of God to the congregation. The pastor is really an educator. It’s interesting to think about metaphors for the pastor – and to see how many of them have power imbalances inherent within them. For example, even the pastor viewed as Shepherd, one who cares for and gives guidance to the congregation makes the pastor the leader, the one who guides and protects the “sheep” – and clearly separates the pastor from the congregation – for the Shepherd is surely not a sheep.

What metaphor for pastor speaks to you? Have you found one that you think works? What is a good metaphor for a Presbymergent Pastor?

Filed Under: Leadership, PC(USA), Presbymergent

Emerging beyond the institution?

February 18, 2007 By 2 Comments

My friend Bill writes: “We really must emerge – from the darkness of institutionalism and into the light of communion.”

As far as I can tell the primary focus of the emergent conversation in our denomination seems to currently be about what is happening at a congregational level, especially as it might relate to forming missional congregations or planting new church developments.

However, I wonder if the conversation might need to extend to the denominational level as well. We’ve already seen it begin to take place in the form of cutbacks in staff, in the reorganization of our denominational offices, and in the questions like “Do we really need our middle governing bodies?”

But the conversation may need to go further. Consider these facts that point to institutional gridlock:

  • NWAC Churches are organizing to leave (arguing all along that they want to be a missional denomination.)
  • Denominational offices are trying to tighten the reins.
  • Presbyteries are drawing lines with some closing ranks.
  • We’re losing thousands of members a year and constantly arguing about the reason for it.
  • We’re not establishing new churches and failing at the ones we do start.
  • We’re not in agreement about how to go about doing mission, what that mission should look like, or if there is even sufficient funding for it.

My question: Can and should the emergent conversation inform and re-shape our understanding of what it means to be a denomination? Or as my friend says: Can we emerge beyond the darkness of the institution into the light of communion?

Filed Under: Emergent, PC(USA)

Why I am Presbymergent

February 7, 2007 By 7 Comments

I’ve attempted to place a finger on the exact reason I feel called to be a part of this Presbymergent community, this emerging conversation about faith, theology, and our tradition. I’ve thought about my own background, growing up in a Presbyterian church, going through membership as a youth, and understanding the great community I was joining as something of significance and as a place where God had been active for years and was continuing to be active. I’ve also examined the way my faith has shifted over the last 5 years, as I went off to college, where my worldview and perspective developed and I was challenged to reflect on what I believed, who I was. All of these things shape my engagement into this emerging conversation. I doubt my story is that unique from others out there who are starting to engage these new ideas within their own traditions.

Earlier this week, I sent some of my thoughts about this new community, Presbymergent, to my pastor and asked for his input on what I have been thinking. He responded to my thoughts and to the question of being emergent within our mainline, PC(USA) denomination by recalling Jesus’ parable of the new wine and new wineskins. He mentioned that the wine skin of the PC(USA) might have room for some new wine from the emergent movement, some room for evaluating our ideas and seeing Jesus in new and exciting ways within our communities. His caution was that we focus on the wineskins alone and forget to focus on the wine, Jesus, in light of working out all of these details.

Our conversation needs to center on Christ and how he impacts our churches in ways that shape our future and open the doors to a world in need. I’m excited to think that I belong to a church and denomination that has such a rich tradition and a strong theological base that would allow us to ask new questions and be willing to see our ways of doing church in a new light. It’s exciting to see that people of the PC(USA) are finding themselves asking “emerging” questions and being willing to honestly evaluate the way the Holy Spirit is being active in their communities with a willingness to develop new forms of worship and learning.

So, what does it mean to be “Presbymergent”? How does one practice emergence in their PC(USA) community? Clearly, from all the discussion on this site, from all the books and articles and conferences we’ve all taken in, there are many ways, many “right” ways, of engaging emergence into a new kind of community. We need to be Presbyterians who seek the best for our congregations. We need to be active in our churches and not let the “old ways” frustrate us or stifle our creativity. We also need to honor those who have founded and been faithful to our communities and teach each other how to ask questions about where God is leading our churches over the long run. And we need to exercise grace and humility as we face challenges along the road to becoming Presbymergent churches. As God leads this reformation of our theologies, our ways of doing church, and the ways our churches impact the world, there have and will continue to be hiccups and setbacks, as well as encouraging breakthroughs and exciting moments of divine presence.

I believe this dialogue that begun here at Presbymergent is a positive step for all of us. We have begun to lay out ways in which we will be faithful to our church and denomination, but also be willing to ask new questions. I really like this term “loyal radical” that has been brought up in our discussion. I feel very loyal to the people who have shaped my life in church, in the PC(USA) church. And yet, I feel a radical call by God to move forward and open wide for the new wine of the Holy Spirit’s ongoing action to flow through us and continue to make all things new. It is a pleasure to journey out in this with all of you.

written by Seth Thomas
Twenty-Three

Filed Under: Emergent, PC(USA), Presbymergent

Any thoughts on doing DMin work on emergent?

February 1, 2007 By 8 Comments

I was at the mainline/emergents conference and pastor a church about 20 miles outside of NYC that is currently pretty institutional, but that I think may be “pre-emergent, post-liberal.” (most likely in Diana Butler Bass’s upper left quadrant). Here are my questions:

  1. Does anyone know of any churches that have gone through a transformation from institutionally progressive to emergent?
  2. Anyone interested in talking about what this process might look like?
  3. Does anyone know of a place that might support this kind of DMin work? – I would like to do this kind of project in collaboration with other folks, in a seminary or some such place open to and supportive of creative ministry, with professor-types who are already interested.
Filed Under: PC(USA), Presbymergent

First-time Visitor

February 1, 2007 By 2 Comments

I knew that there had to be some Presbyterians who aren’t locked in the 1950s, or 70s, or 19anything! My wife, Banu, was glad to hear about this site. We live in Jamestown, NY; we’re Benedictine oblates; we just hired a new staff person who’s big into the “emergent” thing, and we’re very hopeful about the future. After all, aren’t we following the one who says, “I have conquered the world!”?

Filed Under: Emergent, PC(USA)

Mainline/Emergents

January 31, 2007 By Leave a Comment

I was hoping to be there with some of you this week. But due to a few circumstances, like not working at a church anymore, I wasn’t able to attend.

I know some of you are blogging from the event, but maybe a few of you could post something here (or even just copy a post off your blog) so that all of us could interact at a central point.

I’m looking forward to this site being a good place for us to continue to have these kind of conversations into the future as we think about what it means to be Presbyterian and Emergent.

Filed Under: Blogging, Emergent, Events, PC(USA), Presbymergent

Progressive and Emergent

January 30, 2007 By 17 Comments

I am grateful for this site. I am wary of definitions as they can quickly turn into creeds and then it moves to who is in and who is out. And yet, I do wonder a bit what emergent is and what progressive is and their similiarities and differences. Does emergent mostly relate to worship style, theological viewpoints, or social and political concerns? I don’t think there is any alpha male or alpha female who will define all of this for us (and that is good thing!) But I am interested in what all of you think about what emergent is to you.

Thanks again for putting this site together!

John Shuck
ShuckandJive

Filed Under: Emergent, PC(USA)

PC(USA) Polity and “being emergent”

January 29, 2007 By 11 Comments

On his blog post entitled “Loyal Radicals” Adam Walker Cleaveland writes:

“Can Presbyterians (and other mainliners) be open enough to loyal radicals? Will a senior pastor “fudge” a bit on the Book of Order? Will a Session be willing to try something that everyone “knows” is going to fail, in order to allow for the possibility that there might be a different way of doing church.”

There’s a good chance that if one is here and reading this site they are a “loyal radical.” With that in mind, what are the key elements in the PC(USA) polity that cause us to need to “fudge” a bit on the Book of Order?

My goal in raising this is to help us to learn to “think creatively” about the PC(USA) polity. While I think that much of what is in the Book of Order was put there for a good reason I find that it can often be oppressive and downright suffocating when it comes to new ideas. So what are the road blocks? And how have people worked around them?

Filed Under: PC(USA), Polity