The PC(USA) in 2064: Prophetic relevance through faith in action – Jessie Light

Before I truly begin this post, I need to be honest: speculation makes me uncomfortable. Why? Because I don’t like being wrong. I realize it is highly unlikely that anyone will even remember this blog post in 2064 (maybe the Internet will cease to exist before then!), never mind hold me accountable to all the claims, predictions, and challenges I’m about to make, but it still makes me nervous for some reason.  This post reflects a part of the vision I have for the church, and realizing that I will play a part in making this vision a reality is both daunting and exhilarating. So here goes nothing…

In 50 years, I hope the Presbyterian Church will be an institution that refreshingly engages the world by genuinely and wholeheartedly speaking the truth to power in love.

I recently read and enjoyed Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan, a Muslim scholar.  Zealot raised a hullabaloo of false controversy within our culture, all centered on Aslan’s “right” to analyze Jesus, the figurehead of a religion to which Aslan does not belong.  As I read Zealot, I was transformed.  Every chapter presented subsequent contradictions of the only Jesus I was familiar with- the gentle, peace-loving, otherworldly Christ- and instead pointed toward Jesus of Nazareth, a fervent messianic rebel leading a revolt against Rome.  Reflecting on the gap between Jesus the Christ and Jesus of Nazareth led me to ponder the role of narrative in shaping history, theology and belief.  In the midst of all of this contemplation, I began to envision a new role for the church in society.  If we, as Christians, truly believe in bringing about the kingdom of heaven on earth, why not look to Jesus of Nazareth as a role model?  In an age where violence, oppression, and wealth inequality dominate the news cycle, the church has an obligation to speak a prophetic word of hope and act accordingly.

In order for my vision for the church to become a reality, we first need to focus on priorities.  People have more choices than ever regarding how they spend their time, and in the next 50 years, individuals will only prioritize church involvement if they view it as both intrinsically and extrinsically valuable.  In other words, commitment to a church must benefit people both as an end in itself (i.e. a place to get closer to God and neighbor), and as a method of pursuing other good and worthy things (i.e. a way to thoughtfully engage with the world).  Millennials and the generations that follow are less driven by long-term results and more interested in immediate gratification, and therefore the church will have to provide better ways to put faith into action, here and now.  In a society where instantly streaming movies via Netflix is the norm, the slow and steady decision-making structure of the PC(USA) can seem downright archaic.  Patience is not a virtue of folks from my generation, and impatience with systems and structures is absolutely a reality.

Putting faith into action through advocacy makes Christianity relevant in a profound way.  Standing in solidarity with the oppressed, witnessing to a world of hurt, and speaking out against injustice is a revolutionary way to follow Jesus that makes church both exciting and worthwhile.  If discipleship were redefined to mean more than serving a term on the Missions Committee, more people would begin to perceive the church as a place to truly live out a faith calling.  And while we’re on the subject of committees, let’s take a minute to reconceptualize the commitments we are asking people to make.  Ask any twenty-something where they will be living in 3 years and what they will be doing, and the only thing certain about their answer will be the presence of uncertainty.  Serving as an elder on session, or being a member of a committee, are long, extensive commitments that are impractical for many young adults in the church.  In the foreseeable future, these commitments will become even more unattractive in the eyes of emerging members.  Instead, Millennials and the generations that follow will favor short-term, intensive initiatives that are empowering, engaging, and hands-on.  So what does faith in action look like, really?

Dream with me for a minute. Imagine your local church started a social justice group that provided resources, oversight, minimal staff support, and accountability for a plethora of short-range, intensive projects.  These issue-based undertakings would be spearheaded by independent action groups, led by church members and consisting of anybody interested in advocating for or learning about a particular issue, regardless of age or membership at the church.  Project ideas would come from the bottom up, not the top down.  One group might lead an effort to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement in Israel and Palestine, another might rally around women’s issues, and yet another might stand in solidarity with the poor by organizing a letter-writing campaign in conjunction with taking the SNAP Challenge.  At the end of a project’s term, each action group would have the option to disband or continue its work, making commitments intensive and fulfilling, rather than extensive and potentially surface-level.  These sorts of projects would allow for diverse, possibly contradicting opinions to co-exist and develop within congregations while engaging participants in a unique and action-oriented way.

In addition to providing tangible ways to practice one’s faith, these action groups would serve as inherent liaisons to the community, bridging the gap between the local church and the outside world.  Evangelism would happen naturally, and churches would grow by means of substantial conversations, meaningful public engagement, and increased relevance.  Most importantly, these groups would truly enable the Holy Spirit to move within the midst of congregations in a new and enlightening way.  If we planted seeds for this concept in our congregations today, imagine how vibrant and alive the church would look in fifty years!

Imagining aside, here’s my point: my generation is struggling to connect with the church today, and vice versa.  Even those of us millennials who love order, tradition and structure are sick and tired of the inaction that results from the status quo. The need to jump through the right hoops and get all the necessary details approved for each and every idea we have seriously lessens our ability to authentically respond to God’s call in a timely manner. And it will only get worse. Each day that the church stalls on things that matter, the less relevant we become.  Right now, we are missing opportunities to speak a prophetic word, and maybe it’s the millennial in me, but I find myself quickly losing patience.

Now, please do not misread this.  I’m not suggesting we disband all committee structures in our local churches.  I’m not encouraging the further polarizing or politicizing of the church; step foot into almost any Presbytery meeting and you’ll see church politics running rampant.  I am also not recommending that the PC(USA) align itself with a certain political agenda.  Rather, I am reminding all of us that the church is called to act in way that provides witness to what God is doing in the world.  In order to faithfully discern what this witness looks like, the church must remain a place where thoughtful dialogue and civil debate are the norm.  And while we’re at it, how about we stop using words like “liberal” and “conservative” to describe our divisions in the church and begin to trust each other a little more. God calls us all in different ways, and we have an obligation to listen and learn from one another.

I hope by 2064, the church has masterfully engaged all generations by providing opportunities to put faith into action through advocacy.  I hope that the church in 2064 will be a place that stands for things rather than against them.  Speaking the truth in love means persistently and relentlessly working to further God’s kingdom on earth, and it is crucial that the church empowers and educates people on how to bring about change faithfully.  I am committed to playing a part in making this vision a reality, and I can only hope that in fifty years, with God’s help and yours, the church will be a more beautiful and vibrant community.

Response Geoff Wehmeyer

Jessie’s call to action inspires me to think about how members of the church can help my generation by challenging us to accomplish the goals we envision and by supporting our efforts for faithful social change. This begs the reciprocal question: What can we millennials do to improve the experiences and the opportunities of the elder church?

Response Caroline Barnett

As the world continues to evolve and change, it makes absolute sense that our organization structure and the way of doing things must change with it. As the church finds new ways to serve, how can we find the correct balance between tradition and history, and inventive, more fluid structures?

Response Owen Gray

Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons recently said that a huge question within the church is this: how do we embrace our Presbyterian polity’s heritage of “let’s work together” in a “do it yourself” society? I see so much of that in this post, because it’s 100% true that generations to come will find issue with how the PC(USA) runs itself, and we must be faithful in discerning our answer to that concern.

Jessie Light is an overcommitted, over-analyzing, often overwhelming Presbyterian.  A recent graduate of Vanderbilt University (with a degree in Human & Organizational Development), Jessie is currently serving as the Youth Ministry Fellow at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, KS.  In addition to working with the budding minds of our denomination, Jessie finds fulfillment by assisting with the visioning process for the newly formed Social Justice Committee at Village, and recently traveled to Israel and Palestine with a delegation from the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship.  Jessie will be heading to seminary in August, and looks forward to serving the PC(USA) for a long, long time.