An Open Letter to the Emergent Church Movement

BTW, here's another illustration: http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/2010-theo-conv.

I hope all those who are convinced that the EC is simply monocultural, or only listening to a narrow set of voices, will come out to this event and help us become otherwise.

Lisa,
I love intensity and intentionality of conversation and hope for our future as God's people. I wonder when we can say we are doing 'o.k.' and appreciate that the Spirit has been among us as we move forward?

For the past eight years I've been involved with emergent village. I have yet to write a book; I talked with Doug and Tony on the phone this week if that counts for anything?

My entire being pushes against Soong-Chan Rah's evaluation. Here is why:

Ten years ago, our family horticulture business started to hire latino employees. I recall my mother being disappointed that we needed to hire migrants to fill our positions at that time. Today they are deeply loved employees -- and particularly by my mother. We consider them part of our family as much as any employee. Several years ago we co-sgined on a house loan for one of them, and that was a first in our company history. We regularly allow long term vacations for visits to their families in other parts of the Americas, and their jobs are secure when they return. (Micandy.com)

In addition, our family is deeply involved with a particular orphanage and community development project in rural Kenya. This past year, I visited the project with my wife and ten year old daughter. We Skype and conference with our Kenyan leadership on a weekly basis. We worship in their churches, and we reflect together on what it means to be followers of Jesus in this day and age. (see our Kenya Matters facebook page)

Americans ask about our orphaned Kenyan friends, and they wonder why we don't want them to come to America. My best response to date has been, "They are Kenyans, and they belong in Kenya."

So, we hope and dream and pray for the lives of our orphaned friends and their leadership. They do the same for us.

This year I'll make two more trips to Kenya, and I'm hoping to take five to ten people along on each trip -- with the hope that they catch a more complete vision for the kingdom of God.

I write this response to suggest that many of us, and I am only one within the friendships of emergent village, take the call to love all of our neighbors very seriously.

Soong-Chan Rah's perspective is his to hold, but for most of us within the village, we see the kingdom of God with more colorful skin tones and we hear voices beyond those of Doug and Tony and Brian.

If the critics could live in our homes for just one week, they would realize our commitment to things that seem to be close to the heart of Jesus.

lisa. good words. i feel like an idiot because i jumped into the conversation early on with sojourners article about the emerging church. i jumped in because i thought they were talking about the global movement that is actually very multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and of which the American scene is quite a small but vocal minority.

but it seems that you and others, and probably `prof. Rah, were actually thinking about a single organization - emergent village.

my apologies for adding confusion. i will let you all get on with your discussion.

peace.

I once had a boss who was the head of the Marketing Department of our company. We were brainstorming ideas about how to advance our marketing efforts. At one point he became convinced that he knew the right way to proceed and said, "If I were

Tony, I think we should talk face to face...or at least voice to voice. I'm down. Are you?

And, Lisa, I would also say with all due respect that I did respond quite thoroughly to your comments. It's a bit disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

EmergingRichmond, I actually am quite grown up. But thanks for the ad hominem.

All, I've never said there's no influencers around the EC. I'm happy to be one. I've just said there is no formal leadership, so there's no way to carry out the suggestions that Lisa left on my blog. But, yes, I am as committed as anyone to the cause of diversifying the EC.

But since no one seems to feel any warm fuzzies toward me in this conversation, I hope you're all reading Mike and Julie Clawson's contributions.

Great. Will do.

As an Emerging Church "member" with no "real" church to attend( I consider myself a member of Jay Bakker's Revolution NYC church(online) http://www.revolutionnyc.com - I find it quite odd and sad that so many people, Lisa included, continue to search for a leadership team among the EC conversation. Yes there are those with higher profile, but to find an actual LEADER is impossible. There are so many incarnations of this conversation ie Episcopal, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Catholic, non-denominational, Seventh Day Adventist, etc...and to try and pinpoint and/or demand a leader of any of those groups is just insane and counter-productive. As for me, and my EC beliefs, I look to Christ as my leader and the Spirit as my guide. There are people that are used of God in the EC conversation who have voices that are louder and heard more(ie Doug Pagitt, Jay Bakker, Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, Samir Selmanovic and Anthony Smith(@postmodernegro)-an African-American voice in the EC conversation. There are also voices of less influence who Tweet, Blog and FB and help carry the EC conversation all over the world. This is not a normal "church" nor is it a "normal" movement(for lack of a better term) It is about being a Christian-black, white, gay, straight, Protestant, Catholic-whatever. It's about being the Body Of Christ and bringing the Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven. It's about following and loving Christ and your neighbor as yourself. Maybe the lack of "color" in the EC conversation isn't due to racism(which I find both absurd and insulting) but due to that fact that those of color just aren't speaking up. Let your voices be heard--join the conversation--all are welcome at this table!!

I think the emergent conversation is flawed from its roots, especially the passing the buck that there is no real leadership. Fred did quite well in numbering the magisterium, all but one of whom is a white male. Regardless of Fred (white male) Tony (white male) and I (white male) say about it, we do not know how it looks to a black female. To me, she must feel like a minority with no voice, much like much of the modernist magisterium you all are trying to separate from in your polytheistic universalist reformation.

I also think the people of color I know and fellowship with personally and regularly are way to smart and loving of Jesus Christ to ever have anything to do with such a perversion of true Christianity. Lisa Harper, there is room in true Christianity for you!

Lisa wrote: "All the folks writing the books and putting on the conferences that guide the movement would be a good place to start."

The problem here is that you are starting from this base assumption that the emergent movement as a whole is like another denomination... with its authors and bishops... and that just isn't so. Brian Mclaren might be white... but so is Jim Wallis. Does that make their message meaningless and their work racist? Obviously no... and I value both of them as the prophetic voices of our time.

The emergent movement is and was a grassroots re-visioning of church and community. Whether we are influenced by the theology of a white english teacher or an old hippy guy who lives in DC is irrelevant to the overall picture. The EC as a movement does not have "leadership." Those who would step up as such would just as quickly be questioned by others in the same movement... because the idea of the movement is diversity of thought, theology, and approach.

As a subscriber to sojo, I am pretty pissed at this miscategorization of the emergent movement, and have to "side" with Tony on this one. I think sojo has stuck its foot in its mouth attacking a movement that at its core promotes diversity in much the same way sojo does.

I think you're right Andrew... which is unfortunate on a number of levels:

1) because as you point out, the emerging Christianity is not limited to the American church;

2) because neither is emerging Christianity in America limited to Emergent Village;

and 3) because, as I've repeatedly tried to give examples of, Emergent Village itself is actually much more diverse and much more attuned to diverse voices than either Harper or Rah or Mach are giving us credit for. I still don't understand why we are being scapegoated as the source of all the problems, when we are actually among those who are most interested in and committed to being part of the solution.

But now I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Perhaps I should just give up with the "we're on the same side and we've already been working towards the same goals" message, since apparently no one is listening anyway.

do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit

I listened to a message by Adrian Rogers on this passage. To rephrase: "What would be of greater offense to God: that the gathered EC was drunk; that the gathered EC was mostly white male; or that the EC was completely sober, completely diversified and not full of the Holy Spirit??"

What you're lookin' at shapes a whole lot what ya see.

Lisa,
I love intensity and intentionality of conversation and hope for our future as God's people. I wonder when we can say we are doing 'o.k.' and appreciate that the Spirit has been among us as we move forward?

For the past eight years I've been involved with emergent village. I have yet to write a book; I talked with Doug and Tony on the phone this week if that counts for anything?

My entire being pushes against Soong-Chan Rah's evaluation. Here is why:

Ten years ago, our family horticulture business started to hire latino employees. I recall my mother being disappointed that we needed to hire migrants to fill our positions at that time. Today they are deeply loved employees -- and particularly by my mother. We consider them part of our family as much as any employee. Several years ago we co-sgined on a house loan for one of them, and that was a first in our company history. We regularly allow long term vacations for visits to their families in other parts of the Americas, and their jobs are secure when they return. (Micandy.com)

In addition, our family is deeply involved with a particular orphanage and community development project in rural Kenya. This past year, I visited the project with my wife and ten year old daughter. We Skype and conference with our Kenyan leadership on a weekly basis. We worship in their churches, and we reflect together on what it means to be followers of Jesus in this day and age. (see our Kenya Matters facebook page)

Americans ask about our orphaned Kenyan friends, and they wonder why we don't want them to come to America. My best response to date has been, "They are Kenyans, and they belong in Kenya."

So, we hope and dream and pray for the lives of our orphaned friends and their leadership. They do the same for us.

This year I'll make two more trips to Kenya, and I'm hoping to take five to ten people along on each trip -- with the hope that they catch a more complete vision for the kingdom of God.

I write this response to suggest that many of us, and I am only one within the friendships of emergent village, take the call to love all of our neighbors very seriously.

Soong-Chan Rah's perspective is his to hold, but for most of us within the village, we see the kingdom of God with more colorful skin tones and we hear voices beyond those of Doug and Tony and Brian.

If the critics could live in our homes for just one week, they would realize our commitment to things that seem to be close to the heart of Jesus.

i find this both concerning and fascinating at the same time. i have heard many "outside" the emerging conversation say things like,"they are all white" or "they don't like old people" of "they don't let women in ministry" and i have to say, "they are so off base."

over the years i have been involved in the emerging conversation i have seen first hand communities of faith that express the diversity of the communities they serve. for any one to claim otherwise i have to say, where did you visit? who did you speak with?

i like tony and brian, and while i like them and speak with them as i can, they do not speak for me or others. lisa' assumption is that they are the "heads" of the emerging conversation - but that simply speaks to how little those deeply connected to the industrial church know about the emerging conversation. it is sad to think that those who wish to find fault in the emerging conversation actually know very little about us.

"But the way you and Rah and others talk, one would think that no one in the EC has been aware of any of this or doing anything about it until y'all happened to point it out to us."

Exactly!

lisa. good words. i feel like an idiot because i jumped into the conversation early on with sojourners article about the emerging church. i jumped in because i thought they were talking about the global movement that is actually very multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and of which the American scene is quite a small but vocal minority.

but it seems that you and others, and probably `prof. Rah, were actually thinking about a single organization - emergent village.

my apologies for adding confusion. i will let you all get on with your discussion.

peace.

I once had a boss who was the head of the Marketing Department of our company. We were brainstorming ideas about how to advance our marketing efforts. At one point he became convinced that he knew the right way to proceed and said, "If I were

In my opinioin, the whole emergent discussion is exactly what Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 1. Actually the whole first epistle to the Corinthians seems to apply to this "conversation" amongst emergents.

I see nothing in the discusion about Christ and him crucified for our sins and ressurected by the power of God for our justification before God.

Seek to be totally consumed by the spiritual first. Conform yourselves to Christ first. Covet the filling of the Holy Spirit and these minor fleshly things will work themselves out as the body of Christ manifests itself on earth.

You will find that if you completely deny yourself and live for Christ, this whole emergent thing is not even necessary. Many who struggle looking for relevence as a Christian do so because they have not yet grasped and embraced the very basics of Christianity. I have always known Christ to lead in a way that glorifies him and serves his purpose for my life when I yield to him. He will do the same for you.

Sorry if I offended you Tony. I meant it in the same way that people use the word "ain't". Everyone knows that you should not use "ain't" so when you use it means you consciously chose that way of talking to add emphasis to the obviousness of what was said. That ain't no ad hominem.....:)

I guess something got lost in the translation. I do apologize.

Dave

Confusion in the emergent chuch? Everyone having "conversations" and talking just to hear themselves talk. But what happens when conversation "A" is contrary to conversation "B'? You have confusion, discourse, lack of structure and "nobody at the top".

Maybe doctrine is important? Maybe unity comes from believing the basic unchanging doctrines of the scriptures. Maybe what you believe matters.

Of course, Lisa. Brian McLaren has my digits, and I assume you have his. My email is available on my website.

Thank you, Lisa. In all honesty, I do think work has begun in confronting personal and systemic privilege. I know the desire is there. It's a matter for many of us white folks to take the next step(s). I'm disappointed in the defensiveness, but not surprised. With God's saving grace and the will to follow Christ, we can use our white, educated privilege to not only elevate other voices, but make them an intrinsic, vital, HEARD part of the conversation for more than just a few.

Yes, there are people of color in the EC movement. Living where I do, I know several. But as centrally as they are placed in EV (for instance), their voices are rarely heard outside of a few circles and anthologies. Personally, I'd like to see this change. The EV conference in November will hopefully be part of that. Hopefully there will be some additional workshops and discussions to enhance the work of the people of color who will be teaching us there.

The lack of a centralized leadership is an issue, but not an insurmountable one. The EC has been working pretty hard on gender privilege issues for the most part, and this without formal leadership (of course, I'd love to see some more books published by female thinkers/leaders, but...) I think the same desires for justice and the Kingdom of God among us can be brought to bear on the issues of racial, educational, and class privilege. This might be harder for some rural churches, but since most urban areas have anti-racist groups and training available to organizations, it might be interesting for churches and cohorts to take some of the instruction offered. Creating working relationships with other churches peopled by folks of color might be another possibility.

Unpacking the knapsack of my privilege (I love that essay) is going to be a lifelong project for me, but I think it's an absolutely necessary one--and one that, in my opinion, puts into action both "neither Jew nor Greek" and living within the Kingdom of God.

Thanks again for this, so very much.

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Lisa wrote: "All the folks writing the books and putting on the conferences that guide the movement would be a good place to start."

The problem here is that you are starting from this base assumption that the emergent movement as a whole is like another denomination... with its authors and bishops... and that just isn't so. Brian Mclaren might be white... but so is Jim Wallis. Does that make their message meaningless and their work racist? Obviously no... and I value both of them as the prophetic voices of our time.

The emergent movement is and was a grassroots re-visioning of church and community. Whether we are influenced by the theology of a white english teacher or an old hippy guy who lives in DC is irrelevant to the overall picture. The EC as a movement does not have "leadership." Those who would step up as such would just as quickly be questioned by others in the same movement... because the idea of the movement is diversity of thought, theology, and approach.

As a subscriber to sojo, I am pretty pissed at this miscategorization of the emergent movement, and have to "side" with Tony on this one. I think sojo has stuck its foot in its mouth attacking a movement that at its core promotes diversity in much the same way sojo does.