| A Letter From the President Click here to return to the Church Innovations web site. CI is piloting a new discernment process for local churches called “Standing at the CrossRoads.” To put it simply, this discernment process assists local churches to determine where they are now. The initial responses, incidentally, have been extremely positive. The theme of “Standing at the CrossRoads,” however, also readily applies to not only local churches but also the situation of many judicatory, synod, district, diocese, and conference leaders. The now 80+ judicatory leaders with whom I have spoken over the past 8 months self-report very different circumstances, but most are still in some stage of trauma or panic regarding the forces of culture wars within their communities. They do not even notice that they are standing at the crossroads of a new missional era. Some ELCA bishops can hardly maintain focus upon their immediate needs, given the huge amount of time spent on attending meetings in local churches related to voting to leave the denomination. Hundreds of local churches have already voted the required two times and are gone. Hundreds more are in process. More painfully, hundreds have voted with over half voting to leave but short of the two-thirds required: the result all too often is two smaller and more vulnerable local churches. In short, thousands of congregations are caught up in this process and disproportionately in different synods of the ELCA. Indeed, some bishops report business as usual with a handful of congregations leaving and the vast majority happy to be a part of the ELCA. However, every synod bishop so far has reported high anxiety about money; this may reflect the economic recession more than culture wars. Who knows? The preoccupation with money leaves many, many bishops frozen in indecision and temporizing. They seem too preoccupied to even notice that they are standing at the crossroads of a new missional era. Sarah Shofstall, an associated consultant with CI and staff in the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, spent a number of months visiting those dioceses of the EC USA where very large numbers of local parishes have left that denomination. She found those dioceses more aware that they are standing at the crossroads of the new missional era than many of those that remain mostly intact. The dust is settling on their most recent exodus, and those most devastated by the losses seem more acutely aware of the circumstance facing the whole of the EC USA. Is there a lesson for other church bodies here? Conversations with Executive Presbyters in the PC USA only confirm the pattern of being overwhelmed by the more immediate concerns generated by culture wars and economic recession. Most of the EPs intellectually recognize the missional challenge in some form; like most executives in judicatory leadership, they are aware of the terms and the jargon of the missional church. They can articulate in one form or another an awareness of the bigger challenge; however, they remain in their behavior overwhelmed by immediate concerns. Were I in their situation, I would probably be the same way. Hard not to be, isn’t it? Still, now and then I have the opportunity to observe up close and personal judicatory leaders who, while faced with much the same circumstances as their overwhelmed sisters and brothers, maintain a keen sense of the crossroads their local churches face. They remain clear about the spiritual leadership they bring to the challenge and know how to plainly explain their inability to respond to all the many crises their judicatories face. They are able to draw lay and clergy leadership in their judicatory to keep focused on the missional challenge. Some of these judicatory leaders are experiencing a significant financial and prayer generosity among their lay leadership. Despite the panic and trauma that abounds, they are able to care for the wounded and keep focus on the missional challenge. Several of them will be in retreat with me in Yellowstone in a couple of weeks; others will be attending our Nimble Leaders Retreat with judicatory staff like Sarah Shofstall (EC USA), Suzanne Dillahunt (ELCA), and Robin Hammeal-Urban (EC USA) who know how to keep their eyes on the missional horizon and respond to the daily demands of complex judicatories. A critical part of CI’s ministry is disciplined listening to judicatory leaders, gathering many of them in periods of spiritual discernment and learning, and raising up others to lead and train still others. In a time of tremendous change across the board in American Christian denominations, these judicatory leaders represent critical leaders at the Crossroads of the New Missional Era, and CI is privileged to innovate their capacities to be renewed in God’s mission. In Christ's Peace, Pat Keifert |
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