reyes-chow :: MODERATOR

Top 5 reasons I am looking forward to General Assembly

2009-10-27T16:37:41-07:00

Over the past few weeks I have met with both the Committee on Local Arrangements (COLA) in Minneapolis and the meeting arrangements staff of the Office of the General Assembly. and while those do not sound like thrilling meetings, I must say, the sweet aroma of our bi-annual gathering is beginning to fill the air. Sure . . . it is just one giant presby geek-fest and one could argue that it is one more way that we can pretend that we are more influential than we really are or use to be . . . but, gosh darn-it, I do loves me some General Assembly.

Yes, there will always be ways we can improve the ways in which we discern and decide, but I do think that this gathering helps us to experience one more manifestation what we claim as Presbyterians: we discern the mind of Christ and the will of God, together.

So while there will be plenty of opportunities to debate some of the structures and logistics, let me just give you some updates and teasers.

ONE: Gradye's Hopes . . . At a recent meeting of the OGA, Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk expressed his hopes by sharing these words, "By the end of the 219th GA it is my hope that . . .

Commissioners and advisory delegates will have a deep sense that what they have done will further the mission of Christ in the world.
Those who were in any way a part of the assembly will be the first in line of Presbyterians who talk about their faith with a contagious enthusiasm.
The spirit in which decisions were made at the assembly will be a prayerful and careful witness of decision-making for the whole church.
Commissioners and advisory delegates will return home from the assembly with a deepened awareness of the length and breadth of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); that they are a part of something much larger than themselves.
A clearer, common calling to a changing “church” will have begun to come into focus, along with a desire across our church to look beyond ourselves to a world in great need, and busy ourselves with the mission of the gospel: making disciples, feeding the hungry, welcoming the outcast, encouraging the fainthearted, working for peace – all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I have greatly appreciated Gradye's thoughtful, deliberate and faithful ways he has approached his first couple years as Stated Clerk and look forward to the ways he will help to guide the future movement and transformation of our General Assembly.

TWO: Worship Theme and Preachers . . . as some may know the Moderator is mandated to preach at the opening worship service and to choose the preachers for all but one of the daily worship services. I have selected and confirmed the four preachers that I am mandated to choose. And while there will be a fuller press release to come, their names are: Hakeem Jerome Jefferson, Taylor Lewis Guthrie, Ruth-Aimée Belonni-Rosario and G. Christopher Scruggs.* Feel free to check out the Facebook Announcement for more info.

In addition to the scripture for the General Assembly, Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water. - John 7:38 and each preacher's supporting texts, I have also given the following as a general theme for the worship services:

Nurtured by our past, Embracing the future: Our worship time will honor and lift up the great theological and liturgical movements that have grounded us over the centuries as well as allow us opportunities to experience the many manifestations of worship experiences that are being born out of our rich heritage.

I am looking forward to the work of the various local worship committees as they help to create a joyful and worshipful space for the people of God.

THREE: Social Media . . . I have been encouraged by the conversations that we have been having about the use of Social Media during General Assembly by commissioners, those attending on behalf of groups and those simply observing the work of the church. While one response to the dramatic rise of Social Networking activity in the church certainly could be to try and stop it, it looks like we'll be taking the posture of helping folks to use it well. I know there are conversations going on about helping folks to use these technologies in ways that enhance the the GA experience rather than distract or take away from it.

There has already been some preliminary work being done on this so if you are interested in the process at this early stage, I would encourage you to check out the GA 219 Website. And if you are a twitter-type, be sure to follow @presbyGA for updates as well as OGA tech/web staff person, Randy Hobson.** Also be sure to tag your tweets with #ga219 to stay part of the conversation. Needless to say, I think this is a good move on our part as we lead and model healthy and compelling ways to engage in ministry.

FOUR: Minnesota . . . I spent a little time in Minneapolis with the COLA, toured the convention center and walked the downtown neighborhood. Except for all the crazy Vikings and Packers fans wandering the streets - jokes people, jokes - it should be a great location for General Assembly. Everything seems fairly accessible, there is a variety of food options and most housing seems to be walking distance. There will certainly be more info coming, but until then, please be sure to lift up in prayer all those good Presbyterians in the Twin Cities area who are preparing for our arrival.

FIVE: I'll be done . . . While this has certainly been a tiring adventure, my spirit is filled with joy as I hold this office on your behalf. There are still eight more months of conversations to have, but I have noticed that some of the questions and interactions have shifted in tone as we move towards the final stages of my term. I will say that I am excited and eager to move on to the next steps in my life and ministry, but before then, there are still many conversations to have, dreams to flesh out and coffee to drink. You can't get rid of me that quickly!

I think that is it for now. Please pray for the movement of Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of the myriad of people who are preparing for our gathering . . . just about eight months away: staff, commissioners, advisory delegates, advocacy groups, observers, presenters and everyone else.

Peace - Bruce

*The preacher for the ecumenical service who is invited by the Office of the General Assembly has not been confirmed as of this date.

** If you ARE a Presbyterian twitter type, here are two docs you might be interested in: one, a list of self-identified Presbyterians on Twitter and, two, an Open Source list of Presbyterian Ministries on Twitter.

Presbyterian letter and disaster response to recent tradegies in the Southeast, Indonesia, Samoa and the Philippines

2009-10-02T16:03:23-07:00

Over the last week, typhoons, floodings, earthquakes and tsunamis have severely impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in several countries within Asia, the Pacific region and here in the United States. Especially affected have been the countries of Indonesia, the Philippines and both the Independent State of Samoa, American Samoa and the southeastern United States. Your generous gifts have made it possible for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) to respond to these disasters.

PDA is working with our local presbyteries and global mission and ecumenical partners in the affected countries to providing a ministry of presence, relief and preparation for long-term recovery. Give to help survivors, join the the PDA Rapid Information Network to stay informed and pray for people affected by disaster.

Below is a letter from myself, Linda Valentine, GAMC Executive Director and Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk. Please consider sharing this with your communities.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Anytime a disaster hits, whether it leaves a home burned, a community flooded or an entire island flattened, full recovery is a long-term process. We ask you now for churchwide call to prayer for all those affected by disasters, especially for those who — in just the past two weeks — have experienced flooding in the southeastern United States, a typhoon in the Philippines, earthquakes in Indonesia or earthquakes compounded by a tsunami in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, using funds from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, has already begun to respond, either directly to the presbyteries here in the United States or through our mission partners around the world.

This week alone two earthquakes rocked areas of Indonesia. In West Sumatra, more than 10,000 homes and businesses have been affected and 1,000 lives lost, with this count expected to rise. PDA has been in contact with our PC(USA) mission co-worker in Indonesia, Rebecca Young. Becca works with the Jakarta Theological Seminary and is also a PDA liaison for disaster situations that strike the region. PDA is also working with our partners Yayasan Tanggul Bencana di Indonesia, Yakkumm Emergency Unit, Church World Service and Action by Churches Together (ACT). Once assessments of the damage are reported, we will have a better understanding of the funding needed for long-term recovery.

Typhoon Ketsana [locally known as Ondoy] hit the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam just days ago, with the Philippines being the worst affected. Mandatory evacuations have been issued, as a second typhoon is expected in a matter of days. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance will be supporting relief efforts through our mission partners, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and through a broader appeal by ACT.

A tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake has devastated Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. More than 32,000 people are displaced, with the death toll rising daily. PDA has been in communication with CWS, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency as it relates to American Samoa. Once assessments begin to be reported, PDA will be ready to respond with funding.

And let us remember our brothers and sisters here in the Southeast that experienced massive flooding last week. PDA is responding to needs in three presbyteries — Cherokee, Greater Atlanta and Northeast Georgia. Six PDA National Response Team members responded, and five are still on the ground assessing the damage and assisting with response coordination. Twelve churches in Greater Atlanta Presbytery have requested assistance. PDA has responded by sending $40,000: $10,000 to support the initial response by the presbytery for needs in the community and $30,000 as a fund for the presbytery to use in support of the 12 effected churches. In addition, $10,000 has been sent to Cherokee Presbytery to help with immediate relief and $10,000 is being sent to Northeast Georgia Presbytery. All of these funds have come from the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. We take this opportunity to thank you for those gifts. PDA will continue to be in communication with these presbyteries and is prepared to respond to further requests.

We encourage you to pray for all those suffering from these tremendous natural disasters. We anticipate large appeals for funding. If you are called to give, please do so through PDA account number DR000148.

Almighty and everlasting God, You are strength to those who suffer and comfort to those who grieve. Let the prayers of your children who are in trouble rise to you. We claim your promises of wholeness as we pray for those who are ill or are suffering loss and long for your healing touch. Make the weak strong, the sick healthy, the broken whole, and confirm those who serve them as agents of your love.

Yours in Christ,

Linda Valentine, executive director, General Assembly Mission Council
Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Bruce Reyes-Chow, Moderator of the 218th General Assembly

GA Youth Task Force seeks your input on "model" youth programs

2009-09-29T18:03:25-07:00

[image: Youth Trienium 2010]

Below is a letter from The Model Programs Team of the General Assembly Task Force on Youth Ministry. They are seeking input about model programs that are being used in Youth Ministry throughout the Presbyterian Church. In addition to programs that are already in place, they are also interested in hearing ideas for programs that could be implemented in the future.

Wondering: What is a model program?

While the definition is multi-faceted, a model program is usually something novel, whether simple or complex, that works in your church and from which other churches might learn and benefit. A model program might be fluid, adaptable, and/or organic. It facilitates faith formation, development, and experience, as well as fellowship and community. Keeping in mind that the following list is open to interpretation, we are especially interested in model programs for youth that address or fall under the following categories:

Peace
Environment
Parents
Mentoring
Activism
Mission
Leadership development
Hospitality
Faith formation/development
Faith enrichment

If you have a Model Program in mind, please provide us with a short description of the program, as well as contact information (website, email address, a phone number, etc). You might also include ideas on how your program might be adapted to fit other churches (larger, smaller, etc).

We are excited about learning more about what the youth of the PCUSA are up to! And most of all, we recognize the value that this information might have for congregations across the United States. On behalf of the entire Task Force, thank you!

Leave you ideas here or email your model programs to gamodelprograms@gmail.com.

Artistic expressions in worship

2009-09-28T20:16:34-07:00

[Images: Ann Klingensmith]

Last Sunday, as part of a recent Moderatorial itineration, I had the privileged of preaching at First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. While fairly traditional in style, the community was open to thoughtful and creative expressions of worship. Looking a little more formal that folks are used to seeing me, church member and recent McCormick Seminary Grad, Shawna Bowman** and I tried to provide some new expressions of our historic faith. Honestly, I just preached as I usually do and Shawna provided the visual and liturgical creativity.

Above is what you would have seen, Shawna doing her art thing projected on the wall and the final product with the theme being dreaming, the future and God's call on our life to birth something new.

Now I know that there are many other ways folks have integrated various art forms in worship. How has that been for you? What advice would you give for others? What obstacles and opportunities to see in even trying?

What say ye?

* Much love to the folks in East Iowa Presbytery and the Mt. Pleasant Church for the warm hospitality and great conversations! Also as part of this trip thanks to the PA crew for the same: Carlisle Presbytery, Wilson College and Market Square Presbyterian Church.
** See more of Shawna's liturgical art

Questions from the church: Unicameral Systems and Youth Elders

2009-09-23T19:54:25-07:00

As you can tell, my blogging frequency has been slow to say the least. Bandwidth with is pretty full, but I still want to keep getting some stuff out there.

First, if you are interested in what's happening at the General Assembly Mission Council meeting, a few folks are tweeting the meeting. Please keep in mind that not all of the people using the #gamc are actually there and there is mostly like some pretty spirited conversation and commentary.

But for now, I received this note from someone and thought it was a good one to submit to the community for your commentary.

I know you just sit around all day waiting on people to ask questions, so here I go! Our particular church, Some Name Presbyterian Church in Some City, WI is considering two new ideas for us. First, we are considering a unicameral system: we are a church of about 200 active people, with a Session of 15 and a Deacon Board of 9. Basically we are wondering the +'s and -'s of this system. We are all doing much research, and I figured the moderator is a good one to ask. Second, we are considering the addition of a youth elder. We have not opened this position before, and I felt it was time, so I proposed it. We are also a church with a very small "youth" membership, about 30 high school and under. The only negative I can think of is the added responsibility when our students are so busy already, but I believe the positives drastically outweigh this.

So two issues for you to comment on:

What do you think about a unicameral session/deacon system?
What are your thoughts on Youth Elders?

What say ye?

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Calls for Just Health Care Reform - Q & A

2009-09-15T12:12:27-07:00

Below is a short sheet prepare the Presbyterian Washington Office regarding current public policy of the Presbyterian Church USA regarding Health Care Reform. I do realize that there are folks who will continue to passionately believe that we should not be engaged in this kind of work, but I also know that there are many who believe that engaging in this conversation is exactly where we need to be.

I offer it to you in a spirit of hope to helpful discourse as the Moderator for the entire Presbyterian Church (USA). - Peace

Health Care Reform | Questions and Answers
From the Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

What does the PC(USA) support?

For over 60 years, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assemblies have been calling for reform of the U.S. health system, urging the establishment of a national medical plan that will ensure health coverage for all persons residing in the United States.
The most recent General Assembly (2008) “endorse[d] in principle the provision of single-payer universal health care reform in which health care services are privately provided and publicly financed… as the program that best responds to the moral imperative of the gospel.” [Minutes, 2008, p. 1133]
Any reform plan should be guided by these values:

Universal Accessibility: We believe that all people possess inherent worth as children of God, and that God’s promise extends to all. Health coverage must be available to all persons living in the United States, regardless of income, race or ethnicity, geography, age, gender, employment status or health status [Minutes, 1994, p. 574; Minutes, 2002, p. 634]

Equity: Because the right to acquire adequate health care springs out of our worth as living human beings, rather than out of any particular merit or achievement belonging to some but not to others, adequate health care should be defined equally for all people. [Minutes, 1976, pp. 203-207]

Responsible Financing: Since society has an interest in the health of its people, those individuals and organizations who can pay should help to finance the care for those individuals and families who cannot pay [Minutes, 1991, p. 817]. While concerns for the costs of health care are appropriate, these concerns must continually be balanced against the objectives of access to adequate, quality care for all. The sacrifice of access and quality at the shrine of cost containment is too high a price to pay and should not be tolerated [Minutes, 1988, p. 525].

Does the church support socialized medicine?

No, the church supports health reform that is privately provided and publically funded. Socialized medicine generally refers to health care systems that are run by government, in which medical facilities are owned by government and health care providers are employed by government. PC(USA) General Assemblies have not commented on such a system, nor is the U.S. Congress considering such a proposal.

Why does the church support single-payer?

The single-payer health coverage envisioned by the 218th General Assembly is a system in which health insurance is publicly financed, while medical care is provided by private practitioners. One example of a single-payer health care system would be a “Medicare for all” approach, though single-payer requires only that financing come from a single source, rather than the multiple sources that currently provide U.S. health coverage (employers, government, individuals, etc.). The 218th General Assembly (2008) adopted an overture supporting the principle of single-payer health care. The overture outlined the serious crisis in the U.S. health system, highlighting the rapidly swelling ranks of the uninsured, the increasing occurrence of medically-caused bankruptcies, and efficiency of government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs, when compared to private insurance companies.

On what authority is the church speaking on this issue?

In keeping with our polity, public witness by the National Offices on the topic of health care reform is based entirely on General Assembly policy. The Stated Clerk’s recent statement (Aug. 2009), which can be viewed at http://www.pcusa.org/oga/newsstories/clerk-healthcare_aug09.htm, draws almost exclusively on the Rationale of the 218th General Assembly (2008) overture on single-payer health reform, the entirety of which can be found at http://www.pc-biz.org/Explorer.aspx?id=1833.

What is the role of government and why should it be involved?

The 1988 General Assembly summarized John Calvin’s explanation: “civil government is ordained by God to order and serve the human community and therefore to be held in respect and honor. Service in the public order is the highest vocation for Christians. The civil state by its own definition and tradition is to serve the causes of justice, the common well being. We believe that the church must not only call upon the political order to serve the causes of justice but actively participate in efforts to shape public policies and institutions so that they serve human needs effectively and equitably.” (Minutes, 1988, p. 47)

Why does the church care?

Presbyterians believe that God desires shalom – wholeness and healing –for every person, not just for those who can afford it. Health is much more than the absence of a physical or mental malady or the pursuit of physical or mental perfection. Jesus’ command to love our neighbor requires persons with plentiful resources both to comprehend the condition of those persons without basic health care and to share the means to health. [Minutes, 1999, pp. 341-342]

What is the PC(USA) doing now?

The PC(USA), through its Washington Office, is engaged in public witness at the federal level. On health care, the Washington Office is following closely the legislative process and evaluating health reform proposals in light of General Assembly social witness policy statements.

Further, the Washington Office is engaged with ecumenical and interfaith partners to lift up the voices of people of faith. Through Washington Office organizing and publications, Presbyterians are invited to get involved in the public policy process.
The ministry of the Washington Office is to communicate General Assembly policy to decision-makers and to provide resources to Presbyterians, so that they might be engaged in public debate and witness.

How do I get in touch with the Washington Office?

You can reach the Washington Office by eMail or phone (202) 543-1126.

Why are you Presbyterian? Part II

2009-08-26T13:17:51-07:00

Continuing the conversation of a few weeks ago about why we are Presbyterian, here is my monthly column for August, Being Connected. This goes out via different tubes of communication from the Office of the General Assembly in Louisville. Be sure to check out, Why are you Presbyterian? Part I, for more ways to find out how others are thinking about their Presbyterian-ness.

PC(USA) Churchwide letter - August 2009

I am having a busy summer on your behalf!

I traveled to Washington, D.C., for public policy talks. I attended Montreat Youth Conferences, as well as the New Wilmington Mission Conference, Presbyterian Women’s Churchwide Gathering, Big Tent, Alt7 Young Pastors Conference, and the Pittsburgh Seminary Summer Youth Institute. Still to come are the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, Massanetta Bible Conference, and back to the Philippines for the National Church Worker’s Convocation.

As I cross the halfway mark of my term as Moderator, my heart and spirit are energized by what I see and experience in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Yes, we are struggling in some places to find our way through difficult situations, local and national. All in all, I think the world’s struggles have reminded us that we are, first and foremost, to be the church in the world. This humbling posture has freed up many from some aspects of institutional church life that may have previously drawn our attention away from our calling to be the hearts and hands of Christ in the world. I am also uplifted by our willingness to ask tough questions of each other with the hope of discovering what God has in store for us Presbyterians.

This question of our Presbyterian identity in what many say is a post-denominational world will require us to fully understand how and why we are together as a denomination. I believe we offer amazing approaches to the faith that show to the world wonderful expressions of needed peace and healing. Our commitment to discern together the mind of Christ and the will of God stands against a world that would rather choose isolation. Our connectionalism may at times be burdensome and frustrating. However, in a world that often wants the easy way out of disagreement, when done well, our willingness and encouragement to engage one another is a great gift.

What do you think? Why are you Presbyterian? What do we hold onto as we move into the future of our denominational life together?

Join the conversation and see how others are responding.

Read the moderator's column in Korean.

Read the moderator's column in Spanish.

Why are you Presbyterian? Part I

2009-08-01T14:11:12-07:00

[image: nuagedenuit]

In a few days, my monthly "Letter to the church" will be coming out. This month I chose to ask the question, "Why are we Presbyterian?" I raise this questions because I think that one of the things that we are struggling with as we continue to wrangle together to seek some collective understanding of our Christian faith within the context of being Presbyterian is how we go about this journey together. In other words . . . does being Presbyterian help us to discern and re-affirm who we are as a PC(USA) flavored body of Christ or is our Presbyterian-ness simply a by-product of our Christian faith. Sure, sort of a chicken/egg debate, but one worth engaging in.

First stop . . . Why are you Presbyterian?

My hope is to build up some collective discussions in order see if anything begins to bubble up. Here is the invitation to be a part of the journey: either add your voice to or respond to others in various social locations:

TWITTER: Add your response to the twitter feed. Simply twitter your reason/s why you are Presbyterian and be sure to include "#whypcusa" so it will get picked up by twitter searches. [HERE]
FACEBOOK: Add your response to a recent Facebook Status update. [HERE]
BLOG: If you are more adventurous, please feel free to blog about why you are Presbyterian and send me the link via my twitter feed or eMail me and I'll include it here.

Presbyterian Bloggers Post and Responses
Anthony, Stephanie
Armentrout, Joyce
Copeland, Adam
Janisch, Nancy
McGhee, Dave
Root, Kara
Ruppel, Tim
Trigger, Mitchell
you post here

I am not having any comments on this post, but will open it up on part two. I really hope that folks will engage in some conversations on other venues as listed above.

My Washington DC trip and thoughts on faith and politics

2009-07-03T11:54:40-07:00

[image: caveman 92223]

I hope this post finds you well and thankful as we enter this weekend of remembrance. It seems appropriate on this Fourth of July weekend to reflect a bit on how, if and when we as Presbyterians engage in politics and public square.

Beginning on Monday, July 6, I will have the privilege of representing the Presbyterian Church (USA) at a series of meetings in Washington DC. And while I believe most of our denomination supports a presence in public square discourse, I realize that for some, even the existence our Washington Office* and our presence in political arena raises some strong objections. So feel free to push back - like any of you need permission - on our relationship with politics, but I am going and am honored to do so.

I will begin four days of congressional visits in DC by continuing conversations with folks from our Washington Office and other PC(USA) partners to get up to speed on a breadth of General Assembly policies but primarily four issues: Cuba, Philippines, Jubilee and the Employee Free Choice Act. After that I will have the opportunity to meet both individually and as part of delegations with various agencies and public servants. These are all issues that I have great concern about as a local pastor, but I will be there to represent the PC(USA) and our policies and statements.

One important part of this trip will also be to participate in the Faith Leader Summit on Health Care to be held on Capitol Hill and at the White House. Gradye was originally supposed to be our rep, but will be participating in the funeral services of Bill Forbes. This will be a time for us to have a PC(USA) presence as part of an interfaith delegation that will do a great deal of listening to and speaking with members of congress and President Obama's Health Care Reform Team.

Needless to say I am humbled by the opportunity and access given via the office of moderator and do not take that lightly. At the same time, I am also personally very excited to meet some folks who have the opportunity to impact policy change in positive ways.

As I spend the next week in DC, I would love to "bring you along" in a way, so you can choose your poison as they say and decide at which level you want to come along.

on this blog = Low Level (Maybe one in-depth recap, 1/day)
on Facebook = Mid Level (Periodic status updates, 5/day)
on Twitter = High Level (Almost like you're there ;-), 10-20/day)

As I begin these DC conversations, please know that I do understand that there exists in our denomination a breadth of opinion about the very nature of the relationship between church, state and the politics of our society, and will, as able, express the wide diversity of thought that exists within any community.

And just to spark some good conversation, here are some thoughts that I think are right on in response to a recent FB Status update of mine on being "political" . . .

Richard Hong . . . be political but never partisan. I will state moral principles (e.g. a mandate to care for the environment) without preaching in favor of any particular solution (e.g. cap and trade). I believe Christian morality establishes the goals for public policy, but that it is "above our pay grade" to preach how lawmakers should achieve those goals.

Amy Carlozo . . .Faith is and can be political - in that we are a community coming together to grapple with what it means to be faithful spirit-filled Christians. Unfortunately now we have this clarification that faith is different from "politics" meaning political parties. Political from the Greek work meaning state or city - usually described as a way people organize themselves.... Faith AS political is being an activist for the cause of ... loving neighbor as self. Living out what we are called to be and do as Christ - loving people

Jed Hawkes Koball . . . not being political is being political; however, people are not typically called political unless their politics differ from the one calling you political.

In short I think, left, right, republican, democrat, libertarian, independent, green, etc. are all irrelevant in light of our calling to seek, discern and act upon the mind of Christ and will of God for our individual and collective lives. I honestly have a difficult time seeing how we can NOT be engaged in the life of the public square and political discourse. No, we dare not become partisan, but nor should we become isolationists in our lives as a the body of Christ.

What we must be wary of is becoming partisan in our understanding of the relationship between the church and government. While some may disagree, depending on one's perspective and persuasion, the PC(USA) does not claim a political party. I firmly believe that, as we engage with the work of our government, our public policy voice will find both places of joyful intersection as well as deep disagreement. This does and should take place in our ongoing relationships with all parties and regardless of administrations. These places of agreement and tensions will ebb and flow as does the mind and heart of our country and the men and women we call to public service need the church to be present to offer a voice that may help navigating these turbulent waters that are grounded in our calling to be the church in the world. Again, sometimes this will take the shape of thanksgiving for policies well developed and implemented while at other times challenging those decisions that we feel are not part of God's intentions for humanity.

In the end, while I do know that avoiding the whole church/state topic might just be easier, I think we need to continue to hash this stuff out in order to actually live out the idea that we best discern the mind and Christ and the will of God together.

So lets keep on talking and I'll see you in DC.

* Obviously I think our Washington office does amazing work on our behalf and I am excited to see how that work will shift and change with a new administration as we work with, challenge and support our government in fulfilling what we would see as God's hopes for the world. If you would like to find out more and get updates and ongoing info about their work, be sure to visit The Presbyterian Washington Office and sign up for the alerts and other communications.

A few thoughts on numbers, decline and what we might do

2009-06-25T11:57:38-07:00

[image: bricolage]

While my reflection on the first 1/2 of my term as moderator is in the works, I wanted to first get offer up some thoughts that I am SURE will get some comments and I hope some good discussion: membership decline.

As you know, the most recent membership numbers where just released and, for various arguable reasons, the PC(USA) declined in membership by 69,381 members. As we see these numbers announced each year, the theorizing and punditry around the decline is nothing new and I suspect it will continue as long as there are people with opinions and who care about the church.

The prevailing reasons that are usually sent my way are basically three:

We are in decline because we are too liberal, having stopped being a people of The Book and are caving to cultural trends especially around homosexuality.
We are in decline because we are far too conservative, no longer live the love that Christ calls us to and the world no longer sees us as a place of welcome.
Our 1960's members trends were but a blimp in our history for churches in the United States . . . so numbers need to be taken in context.

Now it is obviously easy to assign blame for our decline in membership, often falling into a far too simple rhetoric that there is indeed only ONE reason for our decline. Now regardless of how you value the use of numbers as measure of worth, I think that we are more nuanced than that and that if we really think about it there are probably multiple reasons for our decline.

Now as a new church development pastor, I have never been solely driven by numbers. Not surprisingly, like most things, I find God speaking to me in the gray, somewhere between only finding worth in numbers and thinking that numbers are silly and irrelevant. I think numbers are an important measurement that can give us some useful indications of trends and developments, but we can also get into trouble when our ONLY drive is numerical. In the end, I want us to impact lives that in turn impact the world and believe that if we are faithful to God's calling upon our lives, we will grow to the size that God hopes us to be.

Still, our decline may give us some indications of our life together and I am not immune from offering some thoughts in the issue. Now I have written upon this before, Number 1 reason why PC(USA) churches are dying a slow, painful, sad, drawn-out, death and other happy thoughts, but let me add something more as I have continued to listen to and reflect on what I am hearing as Moderator. I believe that one of the main factors in our failure to grow is that we still operate with an institutional worldview that is not built for the fluid, adaptive and complex nature of the world today. Theological and ideological perspectives aside, we - at all levels of our church life - still operate with a 1960's worldview that simply does not speak to the world today. We spoke well to the United States culture during a long stretch of our denominational life, but we have forgotten how to speak to the world in a way that offers a transformational experience of the Gospel life in a Presbyterian context.

I grieve this because I have been so fed and formed by my Presbyterian heritage and deep theological history that I am compelled to find ways to meaningfully pass this rich tradition on to my kids. But sadly, as I look around the church, those under 35 are painfully absent. And while many of us would like to hold onto our youthful spirits for as long as we can, 60 is not the new 50 and 40 is not young. We who hold power and influence in the church must stop pretending that we are the future. We are not. In fact, as those with power and influence in the church, if we do not joyfully embrace our changing rolls in our institutional life, we will die with no reason to expect resurrection. Simply put, we must ask ourselves hard questions and learn to adapt if we are to impact the world as Presbyterians for any length of time into the future.

To get things started, here are some of the questions I think we need to address:

Is Jesus enough? What ARE our essentials and non-negotiables as we gather as a denominational gathering of the Body of Christ?
Do we live the Trinity? Do we fully understand the nature of living in community and living out our understanding of the Triune God?
Are we committed to connectionalism and if so, how committed are we to creating healthy Presbyteries? Because unless we have Presbyteries that are vibrant and at the heart of our lives together, we are no longer Presbyterian.
Can we handle an abundance of manifestations of the Presbyterian family where congregations look, feel and operate in drastically different ways?
Can we fathom the idea of the death of some parts of our structural and institutional life together trusting that where resurrections is to happen it will happen?
Are those who hold power and authority willing to create space for who are not part of our life but will best be able to help us navigate our way into their world?
Can we find a way for an institution to live the peace of Christ in a world of chaos?
Will we be able to respond well even if the answer is, "We do not have the capacity to adapt, the time of our current way of being is done."
Can we truly embrace the unknown, but yet joyfully strive to seek God's intentions?

These are obviously not all the questions that we need ask of ourselves and as hard as it may be to believe, I would not want to place values on the answers to these questions. But, if we do not venture onto some deeper questions about our future, we will never fully be able to navigate our way into who God hopes us to become as a Presbyterian people.

So . . . there you have it, what other questions do we need to ask of ourselves? What are more reasons for our decline? Does it even matter? What say ye Presby bloggosphere?