Cliff Kirkpatrick - part 2

A follow-up to something that Cliff mentioned yesterday...

He talked about his observations from visits to Reformed churches throughout the world, particularly in the global south. He said that the churches that are the most vital are the ones who emphasize mission outside of their walls.

The thing that sparked the initial conversations that led to my sabbatical this year was finances at Central Pres. We still struggle, and, in the long run, finances are the reason that we must do something different. That's the reason that most of our congregations must do something different.

However, I'd like to propose a switch in emphasis.... or at least a switch in how to look at the implications of doing something different in our churches. If - no, when - we find ways to do things differently in our churches, by cooperating in terms of buildings and staff and programs and the like, that will free up financial resources so that it will be possible for us to reach out more beyond our own walls, our own needs, our own facilities, to meet the needs of others in our communities, our nation, and our world.

When I first came to Central Pres. in 1999 to serve as the Pastor, we were giving something like 8.5% or 9% of our budget to mission. That would have amounted to something like $15,000 or $16,000 each year to mission beyond our doors. In 2000, we made a goal that, within 5 years, we would be giving 12.5% of our budget to mission. Last year, in 2009, we gave $0. Unfortunately, I didn't make a typo there. Zero dollars. I'm embarrassed by that. I'm angry about that. I don't think we had a choice at the time, but I don't like that one bit. I am convinced that we have to figure out a way to do things differently at Central, not just because it's irresponsible to continue to pay $35,000-40,000 per year for utilities alone, but because we must return again to an active, financially faithful support of mission causes outside of our own church.

And the challenge for the broader Church? Central Pres. is not alone in this condition.

Cliff Kirkpatrick - part 1

This afternoon's lecture was given by Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk Emeritus of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Cliff spoke about the Accra Confession, a document which came out of years of study, and which was adopted by the delegates of WARC at their 24th General Conference in Accra, Ghana (2004). The subtitle of this Confession is "Covenanting for Justice in the Economy and the Earth."

So much of what Cliff said grabbed my attention... and grabbed my heart and mind. Here are snippets of some of those things.

Two-thirds of the world's Christians live in the global south! Their experiences challenge our North American understandings of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, I wonder, what kinds of things do they have to teach us... what kinds of things do we need to learn from them... and how willing are we to dare to be open to learning from them, and from God, those things that we need to learn?

Being a former Stated Clerk, Cliff said that it would be unthinkable for him to deliver a lecture and not quote from the Book of Order! Here was the quote he gave us from that part of our Church Constitution:

"The Church of Jesus Christ is the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all of humanity." (G-3.0200)

So, how well are we doing in demonstrating to the world God's intentions for the world?

Cliff is firmly convinced that a church's vitality is based upon the reality of mission that reaches beyond the congregation's walls.

Another surprising fact... 60% of Presbyterian congregations have fewer than 100 members! That means that seminarians who graduate this year and go out to serve those churches, if they do everything right that they've been taught, will see those churches die probably within 10 years. That hits home for me, as the father of one of those seminarians! That hits home for me as the Stated Clerk of a Presbytery. That brings home for me the urgency that our Committees on Ministry need to begin now to help congregations have conversations about how to do things differently. This affirms for me the importance of why the Presbytery in which I serve as an officer decided to help fund my sabbatical this year, and impresses upon me anew the importance of this work for my resourcing our Committee on Ministry.

Allan Boesak and Africa - part 1

Allan Boesak - pastor, prophet, anti-apartheid activist, author.

I have read and followed him for years, often moved by his passionate appeals to the social demands of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, after hearing him speak, I was moved again.

The occasion of his lecture at Louisville Seminary's Festival of Theology was the topic, "To Stand Where God Stands - The Confession of Belhar." This confession (pronounced bell-har') was written by the Church in South Africa during the years of the final, intense struggle of the overcoming of apartheid, and is currently being considered to be included in the Book of Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at this year's meeting of the General Assembly. Boesak believes that, although its initial focus was parochial, its impact is global.

Boesak stated that the system of apartheid dehumanized black people and accorded an idolatrous position to whites. That particular statement got me thinking about the implications for my sabbatical questions. What is it that is idolatrous for us in the church today? Are our buildings idolatrous? Is having a full-time pastor idolatrous. For us pastors, is being able to work full-time as a pastor idolatrous? In other words...

• Is Jesus Lord, or is our ecclesiastical paradigm lord?
• Is Jesus Lord, or are our structures lord?
• Is Jesus Lord, or are our buildings lord?
• Is Jesus Lord, or are the ways we do our programs lord?

He believes that the Belhar Confession helps us discern the difference between the Gospel and idolatry, between truth-telling and myth-making.

I realize, after his talk, that I need to go back and read this confession again. If you'd like, you can read this at http://www.pcusa.org/theologyandworship/confession/belhar.pdf.

There is so much more, and I'll write more later. I'm also going to have lunch with Allan tomorrow, during which time I'll be able to talk about some of the specific concerns of my sabbatical work.

In Louisville

Finally arrived in Louisville tonight. The Seminary's Festival of Theology begins tomorrow, and I plan to set up appointments with two of the lecturers.

Kathryn Johnson is the Paul Tudor Jones Professor of Church History and Professor of Historical Theology at Louisville Seminary, and is currently on a three-year leave to serve as Assistant General Secretary for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva, Switzerland.

“I have gotten to see so many different contexts” and have a broader understanding of the world Church, Johnson said of her role with LWF. Her duties include coordinating LWF’s relationships with other Christians around the world.

Kathryn was my advisor when I was working on my D.Min. years ago.

The other lecturer I plan to set up an appointment with is Allan Boesak. Although out of the spotlight of much of the world after personal and family problems years ago, Boesak was a major player in the Christian struggle against apartheid in his homeland of South Africa.

Both Johnson and Boesak will be able to offer a much larger view of the world Church that I think will be helpful in my exploration. I look forward to the conversations, and trust they will be able to make time.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, it will be more lectures from them, but also visits with some folks at the General Assembly offices.

Grace and peace - Steve

Beginning in earnest now

The last post I wrote was one that, quite obviously, had nothing to do with my sabbatical ponderings about the Church... although the Church historically has had a lot of involvement in the area of people's health. After all, as I remember my Greek (although I'd have to check this), the word for "healing" is intimately connected with the words for "wholeness" and "salvation."

That said, I begin my trip to Louisville, KY after the Presbytery meeting on Saturday. I'll be talking with several people at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, as well as some folks at some of the General Assembly offices. We'll be exploring all kinds of questions about what it means to be the Church.

As Quad-Presbytery conversations are done, General Assembly commissioner training completed, sermon written and delivered, a wonderful Inquirers' Class held, a Finance meeting held, a Session meeting done, a fun meeting of our church's 125th Anniversary Committee, and, in just a bit, a Nominating Committee meeting to complete... well, then there will be our Presbytery meeting on Saturday, and I hit the proverbial road. I'm getting excited about the prospects before me and the conversations that lie ahead.

I hope others read along and share comments as well.

Blessings to us all.

House vote

Health care reform is actually on the way to becoming the law of the land. Do I think that this is the best possible law? Probably not; I have to really find out more about it. However, it's been clear to me that health care is not working for people... for far too many people in our still-affluent nation.

It does make me think, however. I'm grateful that health care is being expanded so that more people than ever will be covered. I'm grateful as a Christian for this, since Jesus told us again and again - by his words as well as his actions - to care for those most in need. The thing that gives me pause, though, is that this kind of compassionate care for those in need in our society is really the job of the Church, not of our government. We too long have abandoned our responsibilities and left them to the government. That's what gives me pause.

Overall, though, I thank God for what seems to be a long-needed reform of our national health care system.

plans

In just over a month, I'll be starting the first part of my sabbatical this year. I'm looking forward to the people I'll be talking with, and to the ideas that we'll share and develop.

One of the things I decided to do is that I'll be blogging my ideas and conversations all during my sabbatical this year: the short part in April and May, and then my extended time being gone in August (with a week or so on either side of that month).

I'd welcome people's responses and interactions.