We spent most of yesterday on Evangelism. A series of speakers came and gave a wide variety of perspectives. These included Bob Honeychurch, in charge of Church Vitality for The Episcopal Church (TEC), Donald Romanik, president of the Episcopal Church Foundation, Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, professor at the Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California, The Rev. Jim Lemler, an author and rector of Christ Church, Greenwich, Connecticut (who will be with us at our Convention), and Barbara Wheeler, a leading expert in theological education from Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City.
They were engaging, provocative, and challenging. I was struck by Jim Lemler's phrase, that we confront a world of VUCA= volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Yet our task is to cut through that and proclaim the eternal Good News. Our task is to give a world Truth and Hope, and the key is that in a world without foundations, people are starving for the Good News.
Barbara Wheeler reminded us that people will look at churches like stores in a mall and may choose to not to buy any thing. As a result, she asserts we need different leaders---more learned, better communicators, more grounded, and more skilled at building institutions that are durable.
I have heard so many discussions of Evangelism (the decade of evangelism, 20/20, ...) that I bring a certain jadedness to the table, but I am very encouraged because what is required is not a technique but more an orientation and a recognition of the necessity of be evangelists. Clearly if our Church is to be more than a museum in 30 years, we must reach out. Even more clearly, if we do reach out, our Church will change.
Tomorrow we return to the pastoral letter and have our business meeting in the afternoon. I am beginning to feel like Dorothy--I keep clicking my shoes and hoping I wake up in WNC and not Kansas (or Arizona). This has been a very productive and collegial meeting, but there is life outside meetings.
Pray for us and I pray for you.
+Porter
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