A scientific sample of one (1), myself alone, hardly proves anything, but at least, in this case, it is consistent with the following report about a major Baylor University study. The last church where I was a regular participant was a church that I left precisely because of "official" disinterest in making a stand on social issues. Any stand, any social issues. Too bad. The church had (and presumably still has) a vibrant education program replete with a nice school for elementary age children. And there are adult educational opportunities, plus some cultural opportunities also. But when it comes to social issues the operative Biblical text comes from Hezekiah 5: 17, "thou shalt not rock the boat, thou shalt not make waves, the Lord thy God is an inert God, saith the prophet Rehoboam." But it is more than social issues per se that are at stake. It is the whole culture and the place in it of people of faith, not all of whom agree up and down the line. However, even in disagreement there at least needs to be an opportunity for honest discussion and well-intentioned "Christian debate." When not even that much is available, what do you get ? In my case, after two years, I simply voted with my feet. But how many others whom no-one knows about did likewise ? Not only at the church I attended but at countless other churches across the land ? I'm not sure what the solution to the problem is. But it seems clear enough that assuming that social service work is the be all of everything else, clearly is NOT the answer to the question about mushy-middle churches. That is an assumption about what it important to people in the pews, an assumption about what those people regard as relevant. Relevant by what standards ? Another assumption seems to be that relevance is determined by public opinion. If so, that is built-in disaster for any church. A Christian organization --and the principle applies to Buddhists and Hindus and Jews and others-- needs to determine relevance for itself based on the values at the heart of its faith. The question is not whether the church is in step with society but whether the society reflects values found in the Bible. And as inspired by the Holy Spirit, let's not overlook living spirituality. The point in either case being that there is a higher set of standards by which to judge what needs to be done. Forget that and what one ends up with is book club or a hobby group. How, though, do you deal with conflicting goals on the part of people? This should be fairly simple, (1) determine, objectively, exactly what it is that the source of one's being in the church requires, in this case the life of Christ and testimony about Christ in the Bible, and (2) testable ways to be sure that your conclusion are, in fact, objective. When you have that you have a foundation and everything else should fall into place. That is, an answer necessarily must start with objectivity. Billy ----------------------------------------------- Associated Baptist Press Wednesday, August 28, 2013 Moderates seek exit from 'messy middle'
Individuals and institutions are beginning to seek ways to help moderate churches find their prophetic voice in an age when Millennials demand social-action churches. By Jeff Brumley Many are convinced that beyond addressing material and spiritual needs, moderate Baptist churches must become more vocal advocates for “the least of these” in society. Some are forming congregational programs, while institutions like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are studying initiatives to help churches find their prophetic voices as Millennials moving into leadership voice dissatisfaction with congregations that remain silent on the burning social issues of the day. In Texas, Alan Bean recently launched the _Common Peace Community_ (https://docs.google.com/a/abpnews.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=140bb167a 0c8d4a9&mt=application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.pres entation&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=b7af0b136a&view=att&t h=140bb167a0c8d4a9&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=f_hktskuu20&zw&sig=AHIEtbSk wmigm-hjeeQYzA_hHqllUaO-CA) , a congregational initiative he hopes will inspire Baptist and other churches to move out of what he calls the “messy middle.” "In my usage, the ‘messy middle’ refers to churches characterized by ideological pluralism that resolve the potential confusion by simply ignoring every issue that might spark disagreement within the body,” said Bean, executive director of Friends of Justice, a Texas-based nonprofit that advocates for victims of the justice system. Bean said he got the term from a recent _Baylor University study_ (http://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=131931) , which used it to describe evangelicals ambivalent about opposition to same-sex marriage. He saw it also apt for moderate and progressive churches reluctant to be advocates for social-justice causes. It’s understandable why some congregations — especially those burned in the Southern Baptist upheaval — want to avoid anything that smacks of conflict or politics, said Bean, a member at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. “I think pastors have dealt with that by simply not addressing these issues, ” he said. “Faith becomes largely about being nice, being kind to people or even serving people who are vulnerable — giving them meals and shelter and clothing — but not asking how did they get this way.” Action increasingly important In July, the Public Religion Research Institute released a survey showing that progressives are the fastest-growing segment in American faith, while conservative and moderate movements are headed for declines. While moderate groups make up the largest grouping at 38 percent, they aren’t growing. Conservatives are clearly declining from 28 percent and progressives are at 19 percent and growing quickly, thanks in part to the rise of the Millennials. Christian leaders, like emergent church leader Brian McLaren, say the survey shows moderate Christians can no longer sit and expect Millennials and others to come to them. “This is not a choice between the religious right and the old religious left,” McLaren _told ABPnews_ (http://www.abpnews.com/ministry/organizations/item/8702-survey-religious-moderates-face-challenge#.Uh 4ETRssl8E) for a story published in July. “The ability to mobilize people for economic action will become more and more important.” McLaren’s observations and the recent polling data have gotten the attention of leaders at CBF, said Suzii Paynter, the Fellowship’s executive coordinator. Paynter acknowleged that some CBF churches need to become the action-oriented organizations that Millennials and the future demand, but moving in that direction requires a sense of calling for work on society’s most pressing concerns. Paynter said CBF is examining initiatives to help churches discern what forms of advocacy and action their existing callings could have in store for them. "An issue within a church must come from the heart and mission of the church,” she said. “It’s not about how to be politically active but how to be true to an issue without becoming too political.” Paynter said she avoids terminology describing such churches as being in the "middle," because the issue isn’t linear. Movements like the Fellowship, she said, are not trying to avoid being conservative on one hand and liberal on the other, but rather seeking to find “a strong Christology and moving beyond the traditional lines to a gospel calling.” ‘Larger Christian conversation’ Other Baptist institutions are looking to move beyond those lines, too — and sometimes in unexpected places. McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta sent Barrett Owen to the _Wild Goose Festival_ (http://www.abpnews.com/ministry/people/item/8755-so-many-baptists-at-wild-goose) in North Carolina. The annual gathering of mostly progressive Christians featured workshops on topics such immigration, racism and ecology. Baptists had some of the strongest representation at the four-day event held near Asheville, N.C. The roughly 2,000 who attended Wild Goose represent a population of Christian activists and thinkers who envision a church capable of being prophetic in society, said Owen, associate director of admissions at McAfee. “That is exactly what McAfee is looking for in a student,” said Owen, who also is the pastor of National Heights Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. “We want McAfee to be part of the larger Christian conversation.” Churches that ignore the signs of change will undoubtedly, sooner or later, begin to feel the pressure, said Curtis Freeman, research professor of theology and Baptist studies at Duke University. Freeman said leaders of congregations on the right and left usually enjoy full support for being outspoken positions on controversial issues, but that’ s not the case in churches where there are mixed ideological and theological perspectives. “Trying to be in that middle ground is always a very difficult place because it requires all sorts of coalitions and compromises,” he said. Freeman said it’s a position moderate Baptist and other churches and institutions struggle with, and the only true solution will come from leaders. “We need great Christian leaders to stand up and call us to deeper principles that are beyond ideology and beyond politics,” he said. “I think we are in a vacuum on that.” -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
