Paul
writes – In November 2009, Canadian friend and
fellow wayfarer Len Hjalmarson
interviewed one of my pioneering and very thoughtful mentors (by way of his
must read books, e.g. this one – Murray
has a new one out next month / March 10 (thanks for
letting us know Len) Stuart Murray. If Len has previously posted the interview,
I missed it. But, I’ve now read it. It’s a good one.
I
was particularly struck by this statement [there is a great need to “…develop mission strategies to engage
with the burgeoning 'never-churched' rather than the diminishing constituency
of the 'de-churched'…” As someone who is largely
“de-churched” (my natural missional focus, being the “de-churched”), it struck
me that I’m a “diminishing constituency” because the never-been-churched group
grows ever larger, generation-by-generation, while my grouping becomes less –
less unchurched people will join established churches so less will leave. As
Murray notes, this provides a huge missional challenge for Canada, and maybe
more so for New Zealand. Unchanging
“established” churches will largely die as their aging memberships die, while
more and more will be the need for deeply rooted (in the diverse traditions and
heritage of Christianity) mission-shaped outposts that engage contemporary
culture while at the same time nourishing and nurturing their distinctiveness
creatively, humbly, compassionately and creatively.
More and more
urgent is the needed for Rowan Williams notion of “mixed economies” with
missional change happening in established churches and partnerships being
formed between (creative and courageous) established congregations and new
“mission-shaped” church plants and congregations. As Williams and others note,
this will not be a quick fix – it will take years for the transition to occur
and for new ways of being “ancient-future” church to take deep root in
contemporary and future cultural contexts.
The need to start this journey is urgent. In the
ten-to-twenty years it could take, a majority of aged established churches will
have closed their doors because, within them, there will have been no
mission-shaped change and revitalization – no time taken to discern “the future
of God amongst the people of God”. Today’s 75-year olds will be 95 in 20-years
time. And scarily, I as someone who’s been a part of this conversation for a
decade or more will be well-passed middle aged. Will my children do any
better?
Here are a
couple of excerpts from Len’s interview (Murray's responses in italics):
“…Len asks: Along similar lines, what
seem to you to be the pressing questions Canadian leaders are asking?
In Canada I encounter an issue that is familiar from my
visits to Australia - a history of reliance on US models and methods and a
growing suspicion that these do not translate very well into the Canadian (or
Australian) context. A British voice is welcomed into the discussion as an
opportunity of hearing a different perspective. Canadian Christians will soon
be facing the challenge British Christians are already facing - developing
mission strategies to engage with the burgeoning 'never-churched' rather than
the diminishing constituency of the 'de-churched'. This will likely spark a
debate between the leaders of large, successful, modernistic churches that
continue to flourish but engage only with a relatively small (and decreasing)
sector of the population and pioneers of emerging and missional communities
that presently look far less impressive and are as yet unproven, but which
might have the capacity to connect with the post-modern, post-Christendom
society that Canada is becoming…
Len asks: How are UK churches faring in
raising up and equipping the next generation of leaders? What is the greatest
challenge you face in that task?
Another legacy of the Christendom era is the preponderance
of pastors and teachers in all aspects of church life and the continuing
marginalisation of those with pioneering gifts - evangelists, prophets and
apostles. We need to recognise such ministries, provide proper training
processes for them, develop effective support and accountability structures,
and enable them to flourish at local, regional and translocal levels of church
life. Perhaps the greatest challenge we face is raising up indigenous leaders
in urban communities…”
Thanks for
making the interview available Len. You can read the whole interview here.
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