Revolutionary Evolution

The laity are the heart and soul of the Church (note big “C” church), and the development of leaders has existed from day one of the Christian church’s existence. The early disciples—both named and unnamed, both female and male—led based on their faith, independent of whether or not Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them. The breath of the Holy Spirit offered a tangible reminder of their commissioning; however, formal commissioning was not involved. Yet, no one doubts that Jesus had 12 brave named male disciples and countless other named and unnamed disciples as well.

Over the past 2000-plus years, the number of Christian disciples has grown. Some are called to the more restrictive ministry of the ordained, with the bulk being called to lay service and ministry. Despite the fact that ordination restricts a person’s life and ministry (and subjects the person to greater scrutiny—just ask any cleric), there remains a hierarchy of lay and ordained in the minds of people and churches across the globe that is reverse of reality.

By and large, ministry development is the revolutionary work of developing the laity to eliminate this disconnect between the apparent and true hierarchical composition of our church communities. It also involves the revolutionary work of assisting the people in identifying accurately the gifts within its “membership” and particularly each person self-identifying his or her own gifts. Frankly, accurate identification is not easy. Our judgments are clouded by long-held perceptions, fears, and even rumor; consequently, the involvement of a fearless, objective ministry developer is critical to success.

Yes, fearless and objective, for most effective ministry developers are “outsiders.” Being an “outsider” in the isolated villages and hamlets within which many rural ministry developers live and work is in many ways a plus and a minus. Being an “outsider” offers the objective approach necessary to this task yet also means that the gifted developer must develop a level of trust before beginning to share his or her “revolutionary” insights. The developer also must be fearless in suggesting novel and often revolutionary ideas.

Authenticity, persistence, and humor also are important. I reflect on my sharing recently at a retreat that one of my spiritual gifts is my not taking myself too seriously. People chuckled, which I admit I found quite odd. Perhaps they really do not understand ministry development? Or perhaps the concept of ministry development is still too revolutionary for its evolution to be detected? I guess that remains to evolve. In the meantime, I will just continue to be the revolutionary in Western Maryland.

Theresa

Emergent Church of the Village

The buzz word of the 21^st century church seems to be “emergent church,” meaning the new idea of envisioning church as a personal experience and gathering void of institutional trappings and hierarchies. Church is the gathering of people without labels and demarcations, but instead is a gathering of people who envision church with “both/and” eyes. Differences are celebrated and accepted.

Now, admittedly, this description sounds like anything but what I encounter in my ministry as a rural ministry developer. I am very cognizant that I work with and support people within contexts so overladden with traditions and mysterious expectations that I walk the proverbial landmine field as I make the ministry developer journey. Memories and traditions are held tight and dear. 

Ask any “member” and he or she can tell you how the psalms are always read and the tunes of the various service music, without deviation—or more accurately, how they are NOT, when you inadvertently cross the lines of traditions and expectations. The tradition may be so engrained in fact, that many members may even not realize that there are dozens of alternative service music tunes or even half a dozen ways a church might read its lectionary psalms. Traditions and memories provide the structures for gathering as if they were the official rubrics and canons of the church.

Sounds like anything but the “emergent” church of which the media and Christian church are discussing, doesn’t it? But is it really? Yes, the rural family church is filled with traditions and institutional trappings. It offers a needed certainty on which people can depend in this ever-changing world. The church serves as the “safe place” from the social, financial and political upset that seems to surround our fragile world. Go to church; find predictability. Go to church; find blessed assurance. Go to church; find respite in this world of change.

But the commonalities with the “emergent” church also are evident: simplicity; authenticity; community.

We are simple folk who appreciate simple pleasures. Family gatherings and church gatherings are at the core of our social and personal lives. Material wants and needs are low on our lists of priorities behind family and community well being. We function as part of the church community, not as individuals with individual wants and needs.

We also accept the person, just as he or she is, with all of his or her idiosyncrasies. In fact, if we thought about it more, that is why we may even love him or her so much: because of whom he or she is. Authentic acceptance and acceptance of authenticity are givens.

And there is no doubt about community. People may use the saying, “It takes a village” to indicate the need for a supportive community, but it also is a truth in its reverse. People in the village church know that they can rely on the village to support, nurture and companion them. The village is a given element in the world in which they live and worship. The village and the church are so intertwined, hey can be difficult, if not impossible, to separate.

Similarly, mission, outreach and church are overlapping circles of activity and energy that are indistinguishable from the others. The lines are blurred and they have little or no relevance. You do what you do, because that is who you are. You do what you do, because you care. You do what you do, because we are all members of the same community of Christ.

So is this emergent church or not? Time will tell, but if you notice, there is a cycle to religious and cultural history. Call it nostalgia if you want, but we just may be returning to the days of community and simplicity of 40 and 50 years ago. And the village church that never changed may be simply ahead of the curve.

 
Theresa