The Death of the Denominations
In his readable book, "Church History in Plain Language," Bruce Shelley writes briefly about the history of denominations. He puts their origins in the mid-1700's although the theory may have its roots among Puritan leaders in England and the USA 100 years earlier.
Robert Webber adds further insight by connecting "denominationalism" to various interpretations of Scripture. "The Bible became the object of study and could now be interpreted by individuals in conflict with previous institutional understandings," Webber notes. Shelley observes that no one back then could have imagined how many faith groups would be formed using this type of organizational structure. With this kept in mind, here is an outline for a structured conversation that we believe should be taking place among clergy and lay leaders who have an interest in the present and future viability of their denominational system.
Although serendipity is important, without a logic path to walk down, individuals tend to be all over the map when it comes to addressing and working through critical issues. This is not to suggest that life itself is linear. It is not. In fact, it is quite dynamic. In terms of innovation, though, discipline comes first and creativity follows. The same is true of conversations where the outcomes are hopefully of substance. Rather than get into specifics, which would be unwise with such denominational diversity, we have chosen to bring forth ideas and raise questions. It is up to you to prayerfully reflect as to how your faith group might answer the following:
Question No. 1: Who are you?
In an age of generic medicine and the lowest common denominator, there is something to be said for distinctiveness. This can only happen when you know what matters to the group. Sameness is a road to nowhere. How do you see God? How do you see the world? How do you see the community in which you live? How does your denomination do church? How a person sees something determines how they respond. Reading through a number of books about church the past several weeks we came across two consistent themes: Postmodern culture and prescriptions for dealing with changing times. What has to be taken into account, however, is the culture of the faith group struggling with these issues. The word "fit" helps explain more than anything else why some ideas work and other do not. The strategies and methodologies offered may be good but simply do not "fit" the culture and capacity of an organization. Edwin Friedman proposed that self definition was more important than expertise on the subject of change. The better you know who you are (beliefs, values, goals, etc.) the greater your chance of getting through periods of major transition and change. The imbalance is spending too much time on change and not enough probing the depths of your own soul. Besides, piecemeal copying and playing catch-up is not a sustainable ministry strategy. A sermon we heard once expressed this thought: True faith is always original. It is never an imitation. True faith challenges one to be unique (this applies to faith groups as well). The freedom that lies within this idea allows us to be ourselves and not other people. "A leader's dynamic comes from a strong belief in a purpose and a willingness to express that conviction," wrote Kouzes and Posner in "The Leadership Challenge." Centeredness is an attractive attribute. The ability to partner and work collaboratively in ministry begins with a basic understanding of and belief in your own tradition. If your denomination is dealing with an identity crisis it needs to look no further than itself for a resolution to the matter. Being defined from the outside is ill advisable.
Question No. 2: Where are you going?
In the Faith Communities Study, released last year, perceived lack of direction within congregations appears to be a major problem. This subject is often discussed under the rubric of "vision." It seems as if the more we talk about a subject, such as vision, the less we have. It is a popular word mostly undefined. Visions do not have to be very clear or complete. They do have to provide a path and allow people to learn along the way. We often refer to Hebrews 11:8 and the description of Abraham when speaking about direction. "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going." In other words, if we live by faith, details are not going to be made available up front. Abraham had a "sense" of direction without knowing the details. His greatness lies in trusting God to know all things and reveal them when He so chooses. The destination was the "city." Abraham knew someday that is where he would be. People who come to terms with belief as to who God is and how He works ("Neither are your ways my ways") function from a deep level of trust. The more Christ-like our character the more is revealed to us. This may be the secret to understanding how to have direction in your life. Looking forward and reasoning your way back to things needing attention is a good technique for envisioning something and dealing with its practical elements. Decisions can only be made in the present yet with a future look in mind. It is impossible to be a Christian and remain where you are.
Question No. 3: How are you going to get there?
We tend to associate the words "think" and & "plan" whenever we see the word "how." There may be some who feel as though planning and faith do not go together. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Your denomination will have a future because you and others plan to have one. Administrative expertise is a requirement for holding ministry groups together and advancing their efforts. There is a need for passion and skill development in the work of the church to be sure. But we cannot say we do not know what to do. There are probably five or fewer things that are required operationally speaking to strengthen existing congregations and start new ones. What are those things? Plans should allow for what may emerge. We sometimes refer to this as the "mysteries of God." What is realized in ministry is a combination of intent and spiritual mystery. Talk with pastors of admired churches and ask how things came together. The honest answer is this: It cannot be fully explained. (If their success can be too easily explained find an excuse to leave the room). Every church is unique. No two communities are alike. Overlaying prescriptive, centralized strategies is a practice not likely to create ownership in a new generation. It may have worked in a stable, church culture but times have changed. Effective church planting, disciple-making, worship service schedules and programming require flexibility within boundaries. What are the boundaries?
Question No. 4: Do you know what time it is?
"The first duty of a leader is to define reality," wrote Max Dupree. Edgar Schein writes about the need for leaders to notice changes in the environment and then to figure out what needs to be done to remain adaptive. Something else Schein says makes a great deal of sense: Cultural understanding and cultural learning starts with self insight. People interpret the "seasons" and respond through their lens of experience and Scriptural understanding. This is how we got denominations in the first place. The question is: How to adapt and keep the core alive? Denominational systems tend to isolate their leaders from contemporary realities. This helps explain the disconnection between some national offices and the congregations within the system. On the other hand, if everyone moved at the speed of light to respond to market demands the church would go out of existence. Henri Nouwen called this a "false relevancy." It is not the church's responsibility to stay ahead of consumerism. Its role is to counter with another culture, that of the Gospel. We are not qualified to discuss pre-modern, modern or postmodern theories. We will leave that for others well-versed in these areas. What we do know is this: It is not 1959 anymore. (Although in some churches it may still be). Let us come back to the originality of faith. The sermon referred to earlier also stated that faith is designed to release us to do in our generation what the men and women of the Bible did in theirs. The pastor went on to quote Joshua 10:14..."There was no day like that before it or after it." Faith frees us, the pastor said, from the expectations of precedent. Our day is like no other.
Summary:
In order to keep your denominational core alive you first have to know what it is. Organizations with a long life span tend to fall victim to "the diffusion of purpose." If this is the case with your denomination, it may be time to rediscover the original or primary purpose of your church. Then with God's help find a way for this unique witness of faith to live in real time as it was meant to do. Communication among the denomination's spiritual leaders is a good place to begin.
Next: The Future of Denominations Part III (the final episode)
You may contact Russ at rbredholt@aol.com to comment on this article.