What is your vision for the church in the 21st Century? – by Christian Iosso

View Responses by:
Neal D. Presa
Lisa Larges
Garnett Foster
Andrew Kukla

First, I understand this question to be addressing the Presbyterian Church (USA), or at least suggesting that we start where we are. Second, by asking for vision, I think you are asking for something other than demographic projection (i.e. more white, more old, more suburban). Thus I would lay out the kind of church where I would love to worship and be inspired and sustained by God and a vibrant community. Let me say, though, that I do currently love worshipping in churches that are not like what I present below, highlighting the social compass/social ministry side. As communities, churches are built on memory and relationships and even the smallest church is bigger than any ideology or program. No church, however, embodies the Gospel in all its fullness, part of the argument for connectionalism.

My vision would be a green church of the cross, or A Green Cross Church: Focused on matters of life and death, lifting up the suffering and the healing of human and natural communities—Jay McDaniels calls this keeping together the red of Christ’s cross, and the green of common grace. We might even say the green of paradise regained. The church is about salvation and without massive societal repentance—pioneered by and celebrated by our church and others—we are looking at a culture of denial and death wish, an empire’s end of great blindness and quite possibly very extreme religio-nationalist movements. In some fashion, each congregation would be encouraged to find ways to live out and symbolize its concern for sustainability for future generations—continuing in God’s covenant—more communion than consumption.

In Biblical images, this is a church that is salt, light, yeast, vine and commonwealth or kingdom. Because I try to follow the Jesus who came to serve rather than be served, and do not want to consider any servant above our risen Head, the future church should have democratic and representative accountability in it. Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza calls this a “discipleship of equals.” A church can have koinonia and diakonia and authority structures all at once, though I remain personally “episco-phobic”.

Based on shared commitments (the Social Creed for the 21^st Century, for example, approved strongly by the 2008 GA), I pray that we can develop a greater sense of connection and fellowship among the mainline churches. Many of our members already have limited commitment to our particulars, though I do not believe in throwing our or any denominational structure “under the bus.” I believe that institutions serve communities and are built by movements that want to last. So I do not see wise Christians simply scrapping institutions but reforming them—partly your committee’s job to imagine. True, we have had little ecumenical vision for some time now, and have seen a whole cottage industry devoted to discrediting ecumenical efforts. Yet I still follow Christ’s prayer that they “may be one” that is the core of the conciliar ecumenical movement.

This is not just to be stronger together, then, with more critical mass, but to enjoy the Holy Spirit in new ways and to push back against the social, economic and national security interests that benefit from a populace fearful, unequal, racially-divided and distracted by trashiness of all kinds. In more theological terms, this is a “contrast church” model that calls for its members to embody different values. In a fun and creative way, this is what the social satirist “Reverend Billy” does with his “Church of Stop Shopping,” though we would want a bit more prayer and theology in the mix.

The Rev. Dr. Christian Iosso serves as Coordinator of Social Witness Policy, Presbyterian Church (USA).

View Responses by:
Neal D. Presa
Lisa Larges
Garnett Foster
Andrew Kukla