On Emergent

Emergent serves as an example of what it might look like for American churches to live as Christ-followers within postmodern cultures. The transitions they have made in their almost ten year history as a movement is the transition many churches need to make.

When the organization started as Young Leaders in 1996, they, like everyone else, were talking about generational ministries, connecting to Gen X, looking for techniques to reach out and become relevant. At their conference in 1997, there was a bit of  disquiet, as some of the younger leaders felt that much more than a generational change was at play, and some began to use the postmodern word for the first time. By 1998, the third YLN conference put generational strategies to the back-burner and really began to look at culture and mission. This was the first conference planned by Doug Pagitt, and was the first conference attended by Brian McLaren and Tony Jones. By 1999, their name changed to Terra Nova Theological Project reflecting their change from technique modification to something entirely new. Two years later, Brian McLaren's New Kind of Christian reflected this new understanding of postmodern culture that was developing in the movement.

At this time also there was a budding sense that cultural changes required new theologies. At the same time, NT Wright and Dallas Willard's influence grew -- not only was there a new culture, but a new understanding of gospel, kingdom, and atonement emerged. It was at that time that it dawned upon the leaders that a whole new theology needed to be developed, i.e. a new message as well as a new method was required. Terra Nova Theological Project became Emergent at that time.

For the last few years, Emergent, primarily through books and conferences, has served as an alternative voice to the mainstream perspective that small 'tweaking', i.e. minor changes to church services will do the trick. Instead, we are in a new world, a postmodern/ increasingly globalized culture, and a gospel-like response must be made within postmodern cultures.

Yes, providing a space for the conversation is messy and feelings get hurt. But for the many youth pastors who suffer angst over what they are doing -- that it falls short, that there must be more than simply a relevant church service with a large stage, candles, painters going at it, tables, videos, and irreverent banter...Emergent provides hope.

Emergent provides a place for these travelers to tell their stories, to deconstruct, and yes, eventually to reconstruct their faith. For those who listen carefully and long enough, it is not about Christians losing their faith, but finding it once again as well.

I'm thankful for Emergent -- they have taken alot of 'hits' to be out in front. It is, I'm certain,a very painful role, and the temptation to quit or become bitter is ever-present. The Alternative Worship community in the UK paid a similar price over the years. As a missiologist, I celebrate those movements that seek to live incarnationally in cultures overlooked by mainstream, modern culture...

I know some may read my comments as uncritical. However, I believe we need to give missonaries wide-berth. We desperately need these sorts of movements in Western culture. Many of these leaders are the kids of evangelical pastors. Their theological roots go deep. When we shoot them, we are killing off the future of the church.  They are trying to make sense of two worlds, in one of the greatest missionary challenges the church has known. My hat is off to them and to all-too-few others like them. May they grow in number...

Here's to you, Emergent!!

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Comments

[tony sheng]

Hi Ryan,
I've been scanning your blog for a few weeks now... Thanks for posting, it's a great read.
I, and probably many other readers, would love to hear some insight and perspective from your job as a missiologist...
Blessings!

[Existential Punk]

Ryan, thank you for a brief history of the USAmerican Emergent scene. You seem very kind and humble. I've pre-ordered your new book on amazon and can't wait to receive it and devour it! Pax, Adele

[andrew]

heres to you, Ryan. Look forward to the book.

[Kyle]

Ryan, heres to you for fostering and nurturing that hope. I will be getting my MA this fall at Fuller, so I look forward to our conversations. peace.

[Chad Farrand]

Nice. I've been enjoying your blog!

[John Sloas]

Ryan B.,
You've nailed several things for me. I went to the first Emergent convention in '02 as a youth pastor on the verge of quitting everything (faith, church)—Emergent gave me new hope and a language to my internal struggle with the “technique modification” teaching of the church. I agree, it is more than tweaking a service (though some will find God in those tweaked services). I've been doing this church within a church Sunday night "service" for about a year now--I think it has played itself out and is ready to end. I’m hoping that a authentic “emergent” church (not a tweaked service or Gen X/Y thing) can find life in Fresno. We’ll see.

A question (if you have the time)…

How do denominations fit in with Emergent? Many of us resonate with Emergent, but have been a part of a denomination (for me PCUSA). Do we have to leave in order to be truly “emergent”? It seems that the many of the denoms are in trouble so they are looking to Emergent for a little boost with younger generations. To me it seems that the denom soil is incompatible with the emergent crop (for the most part). What do you think?

[Tony Jones]

Ryan:

Thanks for the postive notice. We've just decided lots of great stuff this week at an Emergent Summit. I'm glad we're on the same road!

[will]

Ryan,

Having just spent a few days trying to determine how best to move forward with Emergent, it was so wonderful to read your generous thoughts. Thank you!

[fernando]

Thanks for that potted history. I was a serious tweaker in young adults ministry in Sydney from '94-99 and worked with two different churches in London trying to start 'relevant' new services from late '99 to '02 and the whole experience gave me a very dim view of the "tweak and attract" paradigm (even though at times it proved very "sucessful." I've been a read from afar of the emergent conversation and it has not only given me a lot of food for thought, but helped me connection my intuitions about the future of church with what I know from my academic research. i'm sure I'm far from the only one in this sort of situation.

[Pernell]

Hey Ryan,

Great thoughts. Can't wait for your book...

BTW, I love Eddie Gibbs. I met him at a church planting conference here in Canada last year. He is a cool guy.

[Ryan Bolger]

Thanks for the positive feedback everyone...I put these thoughts out there and you never know how they'll be received. Cool.

Tony, sounds great. Would love to hear what you guys came up with.

John, good questions, I will address that in another post...

[Larry Wilson]

Hey, Ryan, thanks for meeting last Monday. Between our conversation and this post, I'm coming to see how important it is to understand the emerging-church movement within the context of mission outreach in a new "foreign" culture that's evolving right in front of us.

I can't imagine a more exciting time to be alive than right now, participaing with God in this new evolution of the church.

[shannon]

Looking forward to your answers to John...we are a Covenant congregation trying to truly re-form ourselves into a missional community (with much resistance from the old guard, who won't even come to discussion nights). Of late, we are finding ourselves trapped by the trappings of our denomination...particularly on the issue of who can become a "member" (tied implicitly to homosexuality)...the die-hard reformers (me included) wonder if we can be a part of a denomination that has drawn such a line. Yet we don't want to abandon ship...
(Please note: I DO NOT want this to become a discussion of homosexuality; I think every church probably has (or will have)a similar issue...the issue is not the point.)

[Matt Stone]

Ryan,

I appreciate Emergent-US is an American network and that your indicate at the outset you are focussing on things from an American Church context.

However, in due fairness the morphing of YLN was only one part of a global phenomenon which was well underway before 1996. The global movement which has come to be known as the emerging church started years earlier, yet you make it sound as if the YLN morph occurred in a vacuum, apart from the brief reference to
N T Wright and alternative worship in the UK.

Yet, what have come to be called emerging experiments, have been going on in UK, Australia, Kiwi-land and Europe for quite some time. We have copped a lot of flack as well and I must say I find it frustrating when our American brothers write us out of history as if Emergent-US got everything rolling.

[rudy rocamontes, jr]

Thanks for catching me up to speed on the emergent scene. Went to Nashville (May of '05)for the conference and loved it. Hope to get involved in the SA emergent group. We are involved in an inner-city multi-housing ministry. Hope to be able to connect those in need of Christ to a relationship with Jesus.
God bless you.
Rudy

[Ryan Bolger]

Matt, thanks for the post.
I did not mean to imply that Emergent started the whole thing rolling. My post only discussed Emergent because that was what the article was addressing. In my book coming out in the Fall, I note the movements in the UK beginning in 1985 as well making some connections to the Jesus People in the US in the 1960s.

I agree Emergent did not 'Emerge' in a vacuum, but there was little direct contact upon the US version (apart from Andrew Jones) from their UK/AU/NZ predecessors).

[andrew]

matt

i read an early copy of ryan's book. i think you will be surprised how much it honors the Uk and other countries - certainly more than any other emerging church book i have read from USA

[Phil Groom]

Thanks Ryan. Like all these other guys, I'm looking forward to your book. But didn't all this emergent stuff start with a certain guy emerging from a tomb 2000 or so years ago? And the question "What is truth?" isn't exactly new, either...

History repeats itself. Has to; no one listens. (Steve Turner).

[ryan bolger]

Phil, yes, incarnation must be birthed again and again...

[steve taylor]

Good post Ryan. Are you emergent?or emerging? Hey a good read on this is over at Emerge- Ringo's site. He has some good balanced posts on these things.

What the Emerging Church is to Me

[wholesale replica handbags]

Thank you for providing the perspective. I just read a part of the article, so I don't know much what to say. Good luck for the new member!
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