I am certain that a little, okay a lot, of my bias is going to come through in this post.
The vision God has birthed in many of his people for doing and being the church differently has been narrowly diminished to a group of professional clergy.
It’s not that I have something against this group, I know several of them personally and think they are great guys. The problem is they represent only a portion of the movement against institutional religion. In fact, I am not even sure that’s a great way to describe that group as their own ministries do not really move too far away from the basics of an institution.
And being anti-institutional shouldn’t be what defines us any way. The thing that’s bothering me right now is that I know many, many followers of Jesus who know little or nothing of the term “emerging church,” yet are involved in communities of faith which reject the established church model.
These types of Christians are not talked about very often, because they don’t have any superstars to represent them (outside of possibly Spencer Burke, but even Spence focuses most of his wisdom towards professionals). By nature of really moving away from an established, institutional structure for organizing meetings and activity for their communities, they lack the type of “position” that easily finds a voice in the “conversation.” They haven’t heard of THEOOZE or Next Wave, and they certainly don’t know “emergent” refers to an organized group of anything.
When someone investigates the emerging church because they are discontent with the establishment, they really don’t get a clear picture of the emerging church from the dominant voices.
This is where my bias comes to a head: I wouldn’t be a part of 90% (probably more, but I’m trying to be generous) of the churches I know of that are part of the emerging church. Why? Well, I’ll tell you…
While I’m not totally opposed to professional clergy, I’m pretty convinced I’m not supposed to be a part of a church like that right now. I think there needs to be quality examples of local bodies who function without the help of professionals. Right there you knock out about 75% or more of churches identifying with the emerging church movement.
I’m not exclusively a “house church” guy, but spending money on a location with so many needy all around just grinds me. I’m not willing to say it’s wrong for all churches at all times, but I will say the church spends way too much money on facilities for worship services.
And then there’s the single leader syndrome. Even when a pastor is “bi-vocational” or chooses to not take a salary, the head dude is still a normal part of most emerging churches. There has not been a significant move away from this, yet the hierarchical model is one of the main reasons people today reject the establishment.
And the biggest factor as to why I would not be a part of most emerging churches is that worship is still sermon-centered. The content of the message has changed, there’s more art, coffee, and candles surrounding the sermon, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an emerging church that didn’t have a weekly sermon (unless you already know of one, why don’t you try to find one? you’ll see what I mean).
In short, my beef is that there are many people who feel the above issues deep in their soul, and a look at the “emerging church” will not readily make them aware that there are people truly addressing those issues.
I understand the issues I’ve expressed aren’t everyone’s issues, and that some are happy with only degrees of change rather than upheaval. That’s great, really it is. There’s room in the church for many, many forms and structures. But the common view of the emerging church isn’t my type of church, and those who feel as I do have an extremely difficult time finding a place. Fortunately, before house2house’s database of house churches went down, I found a community (who knew little or nothing of “emerging” or “postmodern” churches yet embodies the move away from my issues above) which I could identify with and eagerly become a part of. My work with THEOOZE gave me the connections so I knew how to find what I was looking for. What do others do?
You’ve effectively elucidated the things you’re not about – sermon-centric, professional clergy-centric, a building, etc. I sympathize with many of those concerns and desire to move beyond the necessary deconstruction to a positive construction. Can you post next on an example (not a model, not a formula, but a story or anecdote) of the church you would be a part of?
Brian Baute
February 13th, 2005
While I definitely sympathize with much of what you have written, I feel the need to ask “How much of what has been known as the ‘modern church’ should we be keeping because it’s worthwhile?”
I have, for the last three years, worked for a church that is a New Church Development of the Presbyterian Church, Covenant Community Church. This groups strives to embody most of what you have said – we are a nesting congregation, we have very asymterical leadership, etc. – but we have recently come to understand taht what we were initially reacting against has a lot of good to offer.
I understand that you are elucidating many of the first inclinations typical of pomo folks, but what is our role as ministers (professional or not) in witnessing to and carrying on the powerful tradition that have some before?
landon
February 13th, 2005
Great post Alan! I feel exactly he same way…
Daniel
February 13th, 2005
we followed our friendships to find a church. we like to spend time with a certain type of person, and that led us to a certain type of friends, and they go to a certain type of church … it’s not exactly postmodern or emergent, but they are open to different types of thinking, and that’s been a good thing.
tammy
February 13th, 2005
what you said. nice.
Aaron
February 14th, 2005
Alan,
Yes! I get labeled “emerging” a lot, and while I do in fact resonate with a lot of what is being said in the emergent conversation, I’ve felt like I am really about something else…. You have very well articulated that something else. Thank you.
Arlen Hanson
February 14th, 2005
Alan,
This is a good challenge to people who label themselves emerging. As much as I hate categories I think you can look a totally pioneering emergent communities and then there are those that have traveled a little ways away from traditionalism but still have a strong amount of it still in them.
This time and this age in my estimation is a pioneering time. It is trial and error which is okay. It is exploring God in new ways and trying to understand which of the old ways is relevant and which are inrrelevant.
In all this journey we need pioneering voices who ask questions and keep us honest in our attempts at authentic church.
Berry
February 14th, 2005
Good stuff other person named Alan. I appreciate that you even spell your name right – ha! Anyway, yeah, I’m for pretty much upheavel – let’s upheave this mutha. Too much half-way “change.”
+ Alan
February 15th, 2005
“…let’s upheave this mutha.” That’s classic, +Alan. I’ll second the motion for upheaving.
Arlen Hanson
February 15th, 2005
Upheaval it is!
Seriously, though, I’m all right with the many “emerging” churches which in my opinion really haven’t emerged. There really is room for diversity within the body of Christ. My issue is that the “emerging church” is becoming more and more high profile, and the biggest voices don’t necessarily represent radical change. They do represent quality change and say good things, but the things they say and do just are not that far removed from the establishment…
Anonymous
February 16th, 2005
Hi Alan, (and everyone else who posted here)
(This post is long and I apologize in advance if that is rude for this forum)
I am obviously coming in a little late on this conversation since it was last Feb. But I’ve dowloaded most of Alan’s podcasts and started listening to them.
Sorry to be behind. I’m just wading into the “stream” for the first time on the whole pomo/emergent thing. Long Story behind that, not for here. I’ve been a part of what you may call the establishment for a long time. Not formally in any professional role mind you, but as someone who believes in Jesus with all his heart and wants the church to be powered by Him instead of other things. Unfortunately as Alan has alluded to, “simple” folk who just want to live for Jesus in a less plastic “established” way don’t get listened to much because they don’t try and call what they are doing radical or revolutionary or emerging or anything. In fact they aren’t even trying to call attention to themselves. They just live to relate with and for Jesus in the life God has given them as well as they can. I believe there are lots of people living for Jesus who feel sadly about the established church they are in and realize its shortcomings and love the people so much in those places, that they just hang in there to encourage those people. I know them. I’m amazed by them all the time. I wish I could be more like them. I can get cynical!
I’ve had so many similar ideas of radical shifts and breaking free, come and go over my 40 years of being with Jesus. I went to a bible college and seminary (my dad was a bible college president) and experienced lots of feelings of repulsion, antagonism, arrogance, anger, frustration and sadness (some due to immaturity to be sure) over the inconsistencies I saw and the willingness to cowtow to culture I thought I saw in the church. I think its still there. I struggle with professional clergy a lot. I don’t think they are all con artists by any means, but I don’t see how American churchianity comes near what was intended in the N.T. either. I think its evolved for many reasons, most not good, some ok, some good and to try and derail it is like trying to stop a train going full speed by standing in front of it.
I once thought I would make a difference in the whole awful view of the church (ecclesiology or incarnational theology) that I’ve seen in both churches, bible colleges and seminaries by becoming a prof and teach in one of these places and do my best to undermine the status quo ideas of church that have been passed on for so long. But God had other ideas. I ended up with a masters in theology and a career in computers! Who knew!
Of course now, as I study the pomo “thing” I’m amazed at the integral part technology plays in all things pomo. I’m also sad that folks in their mid to late 40′s like me and then of course anyone older for the most part don’t get it. I’ve tried to persuade some wonderful older servants of Jesus (former missionaries to very difficult places) to use email as a way to continue to minister. But even the email thing is just too much for them. Of course typing skills have something to do with that. 
But the mindset is just not there to see it as an actual way that could give out loving. But I don’t sweat it for them. I’m just beginning to see how age begins to affect us. 
No snyde comments about being old now! Ha Ha. I’ve worked in computer support etc for about 20 years and currently work for Apple Computer in Education. So of course I enjoy Alan’s comments about his web hosting biz, using Windows and his fondness for the Mac. I’ve been on both sides of the religious debate over operating systems in my career too. 
I used to support thousands of PC users before I worked for Apple. I’m not a Gen X’er by a few years, so I’m not a digital native, but I’ve done it so long that I can speak “digital native” without an accent if I need to. 
God didn’t let me have my “fantasy” about corrupting young minds with “radical” ideas of church that would begin to change the establishment and change it for the better. He took me through a very Moses like experience in terms of being out in the desert for a long time away from “my” desires and “my” motives. I used to love to preach. I won preaching awards at both bible college and seminary. I don’t do that now. I do a lot of what some might call “teaching” however. I’d rather call it “facilitating relationship.” Both in my computer career as a trainer and in special ways with the bible that I don’t need to go into now.
I guess all of this to say, hang in there with Jesus. Go where He leads. If it is to something you label radical – cool. I am split between a “house church like ministry” and a very large established church in my life. I do both. There is nothing churchy about the ministry God has my wife and I in now. I don’t have time to explain it all here, but maybe in another forum if your interested. Its also very cross cultural for me, which is something I rarely have seen or heard spoken of in my brief wanderings into pomo discussions. That kind of worries me.
So even if we’re in a place to help people but find ourselves in that “establishment” thing, go for the gusto there too. Maybe you’ll be able to make a few waves and help a few people “think differently” (to use my company’s terminology) while your loving them for Jesus. Just be what Jesus wants us to be wherever we are and with whoever we are with. Don’t give up on working toward change, but don’t let the lack of change or pace of change get you down or make you give up or get bitter.
I’m not saying you are bitter or giving up mind you! In fact, I hear a very open accepting person in your podcasts toward lots of views and expressions of church (even if it hard) and I appreciate that because it takes maturity to think that way and of course even more maturity to behave that way. I really said all of this to encourage you to keep it up and say Thanks!
Thanks also for doing the podcast and the work to get this dialogue out there on the web.
Sometimes it all gets to be much to much to debate and philosophize and find flaws and understand mindsets and philospical trends and cultural trends and how we are going to be irrelevant if . . . and I just want to go outside and enjoy the sun and water the grass! Or as Alan might do, watch an old KC Chiefs rerun of glory days!
When I get to that point, I just stop and play with my kids or other similar much more important activities 
! God is so relational and wants us to enjoy it with Him. We forget sometimes to stop and smell the roses. After all, He gave us those roses to help us enjoy Him more through such simple trusting living.
I love you all, and hope to get to know you more.
Thanks,
Dale Fleming
Flem
July 21st, 2005