5/27/13: THE INEVITABLE REDEFINING OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP

BLOG. 5/27/13: THE INEVITABEL REDEFING OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP

 

On this Memorial Day and Monday morning, allow me to convey a very strong impression which comes as a result of my 5/13/13 Blog on: “The Liability of Being Called ‘Reverend.” To my surprise, I received a near record number of visits to that post—which says something. It has been reinforced by a number of comments both on line and in person having to do with that reality.

 

These comments reinforce my conviction that there needs to be something of a substantial (radical?) redefining of the role of church leadership. One of the primary factors coming inevitably down the track is that we will soon have five distinct generational adult cultures present in church communities, if they are at all representative of the demographics of our population. The Millennial Generation, and the just-now-getting-ready-to-emerge 20/20 Generation, will constitute the majority of the adult generation. They will be a dominant factor.

 

… And that is precisely where there is going to necessarily be a significant redefining of what constitutes church leadership. The older generations will probably ‘rock along’ content with the traditional understanding of a custodial, institution-keeping, “reverend,” spiritual figure. But it is already obvious that this kind of a figure is unreal and archaic to the Millennial Generation, and more so with the emerging 20/20 Generation.

 

What these generations will require is a redefining from a custodial, from-the-top-down, and managerial role of church leadership … to an accessible, equipping, mentoring  person with whom they can have authentic engagement and dialogue. They will require participation in the process of being equipped for their part in the mission of God, and in the church as the community of the mission of God (missio dei). They will be inclined, probably, to tip their hats to traditional clergy … and then ignore them.

 

It’s already happening.

 

These generations will, I believe, create new forms of church, and redefine church leadership to require seasoned practitioners of Christian discipleship as models, mentors, and wisdom figures. What these emerging generational cultures absorb on-line, from the vast available sources of Christian and Biblical material … they will want to see, and interact with, in actual models of those teachings. This will be a very healthy redefinition since it will take us back to the model Paul set before us: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9).

 

A seminary degree, or an ecclesiastical title, simply is not going to make it with such a creative and pragmatic new generation. Most will want to be free to ask questions, challenge, collaborate, question, and have a significant relationship with such mentoring church leadership.

 

Having said that, there are going to be a lot of traditional ecclesiastical traditions that are going to be disrupted, and a lot of entrenched ecclesiastical interests that are not going to like it!

 

… And that will be no great loss to the Kingdom of God, or to the mission of God. It, rather, portends a much more fruitful future of the God’s community of the New Creation, i.e., the church.

 

About rthenderson

Sixty years a pastor-teacher within the Presbyterian Church. Author of several books, the latest of which are a trilogy on missional ecclesiology: ENCHANTED COMMUNITY: JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH, then, REFOUNDING THE CHURCH FROM THE UNDERSIDE, then THE CHURCH AND THE RELENTLESS DARKNESS. Previous to this trilogy was A DOOR OF HOPE: SPIRITUAL CONFLICT IN PASTORAL MINISTRY, and SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL FAITH. I am a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a graduate of Davidson College, then of Columbia and Westminster Theological Seminaries.
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