Are Emerging Church practices confined to particular traditions?

Recently I was asked if I advocated a particular denominational tradition and if I thought that one tradition was better than another at their ability to adopt Emerging Church practices. My answer is no to the first and yes to the second, but the second for reasons that might not be readily apparent. First, because the Emerging Church is about practices, and specifically historical church practices, these activities may serve virtually any ecclesiastical tradition. Most of these traditions have practiced many of the Emerging Church practices at one time or another in their history, often at their founding or during significant times of renewal. So, to answer the first question, I do not advocate a particular tradition because I believe each of these emerging church practices are pregnant with redemption. To the second question, yes, some traditions are better than others regarding their adoption of these practices. All denominations will fall on a spectrum, but not because of their ancient historical roots but because of their current political climate and their willingness to adopt significant change.

"All politics are local" as Speaker Tip O'Neill quipped a generation ago, and that adage may be more true regarding emerging church change in denominations. If there is a willingness and a desire for these practices in local congregations by the existing leadership, chances for successful adoption of these practices are great. Most leaders of churches have significant wiggle room in their denomination if they want to adopt alternative practices. Witness the embrace of Willow Creek and Purpose-Driven perspectives within denominational streams. So, it is not because of a particular denominational history or local leadership structure that prevents the adoption of emerging church practices -- it is something much less esoteric -- the willingness for local leadership to abandon control over the process and create space for others to significantly join the conversation...

Technorati Tags: denominations, Emerging_Church, Leadership

Comments

[Patrick]

While I agree the Emerging Church is not tied to a particular tradition, the more I hear the more it seems to confirm to me how much of the Emerging Church seems to mix the purposeful and communal sanctification and social action of Wesley with the open ecclesiology and Inner Light of the Quakers.

However, as denominations these days don't particular always follow their founders it's certainly not the case Wesleyan/Methodists or Quakers are more apt to promote Emerging Church concepts.

[nate custer]

Ryan, not going to share which denominations you think might have the easiest or roughest time?

Patrick, as a recent adopter of the methodist church (or maybe a better way to say it is they adopted me) I have been trying to learn about its roots. I must agree with a lot of your conclusions. One of the core things that shaped them was massive cultural change (in this case the industrial revolution) and their desire to reach out to those most effected by the change.

[Existential Punk]

Ryan, loved your and Eddie Gibbs great new book! I am buying it for my friends for Xmas! I am even writing my last paper for a Brian McLaren class this week on it. Thank you so much for all the work and effort you put into this timely and acccessible book! It was so great to be reading it and see my great friend, Pete Rollins of ikon, quoted! A job well done and in a beautiful spirit! I hope i get to meet you some day! Pax, Adele

[Rhett Smith]

thanks for this post....I fortunately have a lot of wiggle room in my church to do a lot of new and different things with the college group.....

rhett

[Jamie Arpin-Ricci]

Excellent post. I recently posted on how much nationalism (often pretending to be patriotism) deeply informs our expressions of faith and willingness to embrace ideas and practices.

Where we are at, I have been really encouraged by the Anabaptist communities engagement of culture and justice in their theology and practices.

Peace,
Jamie

[Kester]

Good stuff.

The question I recently posed was whether the Emerging Church is actually going to end up as a denomination itself. And if so, what that might mean.

Link: http://thecomplexchrist.typepad.com/the_complex_christ/2005/11/t_5_years_will_.html

[+ Alan]

Hey Ryan - you might have known I'd get on here and say something like this. Hmm, the emerging church is "about practices" - I'd have to take issue with that statement. It may not mean what it could be taken to mean. And of course, when we're talking about "the" emerging church, we're really not talking about one homogeneous ecclesial unit.

So, some of it may "merely" be about practices. I think I see what you might be trying to say. I would consider it, more widely, though, to be about a re-understanding of what it means to be the Church in the world, grappling deeply with what it has always meant, what it has meant to us coming from our different traditions, and what we are now discerning it means.

I think it's deeply theological - that if these "practices" people call "emerging" don't come from a deeper place than the passing whims of the present culture, then they may not be worth much. I guess, in connection with that thought, I'd challenge anyone thinking about "adding" something to what they already are, to ask themselves why they are doing this and where it's coming from. I could probably go on and on, but I'll hush now.

Not hollering at you man, just offering a thought that popped into my head as I read the post and some of the comments. Peace and Grace to you.

[Ryan Bolger]

Good conversation. Kester, I hope it doesn't become a denomination -- its influence would diminish greatly if that occurs. I personally don't see it happening.

Alan, practices are pregnant with theology, in fact they are thoroughly sociological and theological. So, I am not minimizing the changes at all. What I am advocating is an incarnational approach, one that can flip things over, redeem them from within. Thus, one will be able to find God both in the pub and, in the church...