Considering Outward Looking Churches

On Monday Evening I had a phone interview with a once grand, but now much smaller congregation, one that had once been at the heart of the city, but then moved to the burbs. Although I wasn't eager to enter the conversation with this congregation in the Upper Midwest, as you'll see from this post republished from Faithfully Liberal, I changed my mind. Consider then my ponderings.

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(Originally posted at Faithfully Liberal)
By Pastor Bob Cornwall


I shared a couple weeks back about my current situation of being in the job pool, so to speak (clergy don’t like to think of themselves as job hunting). I’m quite happy staying here, but my contract requires that both the church and I engage in the search process. I think we’re both at the point where we’d like to get on with it, but this is what the process requires.
There are a number of reasons why we’re leaning to staying here in Southern California, but that hasn’t kept us from casting the seed broadly across the nation. Now we wait to see where the seed lands and begins to take root. In some ways, it’s landed in places we’d not expected — or at least not places that were on our radar. So, in spite of feeling comfortable with staying, we remain open to seeing where the Spirit of God leads us.
One of the questions I have to ask – indeed all clergy face – concerns our place in the congregation’s life and ministry. In other words, does my vision of ministry match that of the congregation? It’s a bit like getting married – you don’t always know until you get into the midst of it the truth of the matter.
So, with that in mind, I give you an update. Tonight I had my first phone interview. It’s in a part of the country that I’d not thought much about moving to – kind of up in near the northern border of the country – far east of here. It’s far from the sunny climes of Santa Barbara. Funny thing — I had a good time. I felt good about the people and their vision for the church. They’re exploring missional themes – Alan Roxburgh — and have begun work with Martha Grace Reese’s Unbinding the Gospel series. They have a strong social justice background. All of which is to my liking. I asked why they would consider a guy from Southern California as their pastor – after all Californians are known to be edgy! The answer was – we liked the fact you were active in the community.

This statement caught my attention, because it stands in strong contrast to a congregation closer to home that had expressed concern about my community involvements to a reference. Now, I’ve pastored a church like that – one jealous of my time and attention – and I’m really not interested in simply being the manager of a program. That’s not my style or interest. I’m a pretty even keeled person, some even consider me cautious. But no matter how hard I try not to, I have a tendency to rock-the-boat.

So, here is this congregation, far from my stomping grounds. Once it was a grand cathedral church that moved to the Burbs. It has a very distinct history. I may share about this someday. But in recent years they’ve struggled – had a split – and have lost members. They’ve experienced healing and they’re excited about their future. I must say – I wasn’t planning on pursuing anything with them, but even if I don’t go, they did catch my attention!

There are those who say that the Mainline has no future, that there is no revitalizing them. I don’t believe that. It’s not easy, but as Eric Elnes and Diana Butler Bass, among others, have been saying, mainline churches can have vital ministries if they tap into the source of their being – the Spirit that moves them to transform the world.

Comments

Adam Gonnerman said…
I've read posts today from three different ministers talking about moving on to different congregations. Odd. I only held one "full-time" ministry position in the United States, and positively hated it.

The mission work in Brazil was wonderful, but I had to leave it due to finances. The church I ended up with in New Mexico very nearly destroyed me as a person, and I don't think they have any clue what they did.

Despite the difficulties, I'm much better off as a bivocational missionary than a full-time minister. My hat's off to you and others who manage to do what you do.
Anonymous said…
It would be a great loss for our community and an equal gain for another if Pastor Cornwall were to leave our fair city.
Robert Cornwall said…
First to my anonymous contributor, thank you for your vote of confidence. I have enjoyed the opportunity to help lead the community forward -- at least in a small way. Hold tight, for no decisions are yet being made.

Adam,

I appreciate your story. My first congregation beat me up, but by my experience has been healing and liberating. I think there are congregations that are stuck in insular patterns and others that have found freedom. The issue then is trying to discern where that is, which is one reason why I'm leaning toward staying.
Adam Gonnerman said…
Part of the problem with that ministry in NM was in me. I had become so conservative I was toxic. Oddly enough, I also was pretty engaged missionally at the same time, which was not what the congregation wanted. There was a demand for "growth," by which was meant respectable families who could conform doctrinally and at the same time contribute financially. I was told that my salary after the first year pretty much depended on it. I

t sounds like to me you are doing fairly well where you are. The best progress sometimes takes years.

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