Historical Perspective on Historical Perspective on Denominations and Their Denominations and Their

CongregationsCongregations

Clergy Conference Episcopal Church in MN

April 29 – May 1, 2014

By: Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D.By: Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D.

SECTION I:SECTION I:THE GEOGRAPHIC THE GEOGRAPHIC

DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH IN DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONALTHE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONAL

LIFE-CYCLESLIFE-CYCLES

Organizational Life CycleOrganizational Life CycleAlan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, Jossey Bass, 2006The Missional Leader, Jossey Bass, 2006

The Denominational The Denominational Geographic CongregationGeographic Congregation

1600s to 1970s1600s to 1970s

Four Historical PeriodsFour Historical Periods

Period 1—Ethnic Immigrant Congregations Period 1—Ethnic Immigrant Congregations 1600s-late 1700s1600s-late 1700s

Bruton Anglican Parish—Bruton Anglican Parish—Williamsburg, VAWilliamsburg, VA

Old Swedes Lutheran—Old Swedes Lutheran—Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia, PA

Pastor as the Pastor as the RESIDENT RESIDENT THEOLOGIANTHEOLOGIAN

““Ethnic Voluntarism” DenominationEthnic Voluntarism” DenominationFormed 1780s and FollowingFormed 1780s and Following

““The result was a network of The result was a network of denominations … in light of that denominations … in light of that charter which disestablished churches charter which disestablished churches … nothing so basic as this change had … nothing so basic as this change had occurred in the administrative side of occurred in the administrative side of Christian church life in fourteen Christian church life in fourteen hundred years.”hundred years.”

Martin Marty, pp. 67-68 Martin Marty, pp. 67-68 The Righteous EmpireThe Righteous Empire

ExamplesExamples 1784 Methodist Episcopal Church1784 Methodist Episcopal Church 1785/89 Protestant Episcopal 1785/89 Protestant Episcopal

ChurchChurch 1789 Presbyterian Church1789 Presbyterian Church

Over 36 by 1800Over 36 by 1800

Ordination of Bishop Asbury Ordination of Bishop Asbury in 1784 as Beginning ofin 1784 as Beginning of

Methodist Episcopal ChurchMethodist Episcopal Church

Period 2—Village Congregations Period 2—Village Congregations Late 1700s-late 1800sLate 1700s-late 1800s

Lily Creek Baptist Church, Lily Creek Baptist Church, Madison, INMadison, IN

Episcopal Church of theEpiscopal Church of the Transfiguration,Transfiguration, Belle Plaine, MNBelle Plaine, MN

The The GENTLEMAN GENTLEMAN PASTORPASTOR

““Purposive Missionary” DenominationPurposive Missionary” DenominationLate 1700s-late 1800sLate 1700s-late 1800s

Denominations in Denominations in Mission on FrontierMission on Frontier

Formed National Formed National Agencies with BoardsAgencies with Boards Foreign MissionForeign Mission Home MissionHome Mission EducationEducation PublishingPublishing SchoolsSchools

Organizational Beginning:Organizational Beginning:Emergent Leadership – New ActionsEmergent Leadership – New Actions

Period 3—City Neighborhood CongregationsPeriod 3—City Neighborhood CongregationsLate 1800s-1930sLate 1800s-1930s

Second Presbyterian Second Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MOChurch, St. Louis, MO

St. John’s Episcopal St. John’s Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, MNChurch, Minneapolis, MN

The The CHURCHLY CHURCHLY PASTOR PASTOR

““Churchly Denomination”Churchly Denomination”Late 1800s-1930sLate 1800s-1930s

Denominations Expand Denominations Expand InfrastructureInfrastructure Church program served Church program served

members cradle to grave members cradle to grave Church SchoolChurch School ConfirmationConfirmation Men’s Study GroupsMen’s Study Groups Women’s Study GroupsWomen’s Study Groups PublicationsPublications Camps and ConferencesCamps and Conferences

Expansion of programs and Expansion of programs and agency staffingagency staffing

Began to adopt corporate Began to adopt corporate organization practicesorganization practices

Period 4—Family Suburban CongregationsPeriod 4—Family Suburban Congregations1940s-1970s1940s-1970s

Calvary Baptist ChurchCalvary Baptist ChurchRoseville, MNRoseville, MN

Nativity Episcopal ChurchNativity Episcopal Church Burnsville, MNBurnsville, MN

The The PASTORAL PASTORAL DIRECTORDIRECTOR

““Corporate” DenominationCorporate” Denomination1940s-1970s1940s-1970s

Denominations develop Denominations develop expanded program expanded program agencies and staffagencies and staff

Denominational loyalty Denominational loyalty strong and giving strong and giving unrestrictedunrestricted

Expansion built around Expansion built around the suburban “success”the suburban “success” Baby-boomBaby-boom

Organizational Institutionalization:Organizational Institutionalization:

Performative Organization and LeadershipPerformative Organization and Leadership

Identity of the Denominational Geographic Identity of the Denominational Geographic Congregations 1600s to 1970sCongregations 1600s to 1970s

DNA Logic of These CongregationsDNA Logic of These Congregations Denominational Affiliation and Loyalty Denominational Affiliation and Loyalty Geographic Proximity—Neighborhood BasedGeographic Proximity—Neighborhood Based

Communication of Their IdentityCommunication of Their Identity

Type + Denominational Name + Neighborhood BuildingType + Denominational Name + Neighborhood Building

Transition: Social Upheaval 1960s-1970sTransition: Social Upheaval 1960s-1970sThe End of the Geographic-Neighborhood ChurchThe End of the Geographic-Neighborhood Church

Key ShiftsKey Shifts Civil rightsCivil rights Counter CultureCounter Culture Viet Nam War and ProtestsViet Nam War and Protests The multiple movementsThe multiple movements

Feminist, Ecological, etc.Feminist, Ecological, etc. ImplicationsImplications

33rdrd Disestablishment Disestablishment Mainline churches stopped Mainline churches stopped

growinggrowing Growth of conservative and Growth of conservative and

evangelical churchesevangelical churches Rise of the media churchRise of the media church

The The Therapeutic PastorTherapeutic Pastor

DiscussionDiscussionCluster the congregations in the Episcopal Cluster the congregations in the Episcopal

Church in MN using the historical typology Church in MN using the historical typology provided, and identify how many provided, and identify how many

congregations appear to fit into each congregations appear to fit into each geographic “type.” geographic “type.”

Where is the largest cluster of Where is the largest cluster of congregations by type?congregations by type?

SECTION II:SECTION II:THE ATTRACTIONAL LIFE-STYLE THE ATTRACTIONAL LIFE-STYLE

CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONALORGANIZATIONAL

LIFE-CYCLESLIFE-CYCLES

Period 5: Changing Context 1980s to PresentPeriod 5: Changing Context 1980s to Present—The Attractional Life-Style Church—The Attractional Life-Style Church

Increased MobilityIncreased Mobility

Media CultureMedia Culture

Late Stage CapitalismLate Stage Capitalism Commoditized ConsumptionCommoditized Consumption

GlobalizationGlobalization

Information TechnologyInformation Technology

Emerging PostmodernEmerging Postmodern

Example 1: The Market-Driven Example 1: The Market-Driven ChurchChurch

Saddleback ChurchSaddleback Church Purpose-DrivenPurpose-Driven

Willowcreek ChurchWillowcreek Church Seeker-SensitiveSeeker-Sensitive

TheThe Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurial Leader Leader

Example 2: The Multi-Site and Example 2: The Multi-Site and Multi-Congregation ChurchMulti-Congregation Church

Community Christian Community Christian Church, ChicagoChurch, Chicago 9 Gathering Sites9 Gathering Sites

Harderwyk Ministries, Harderwyk Ministries, Holland, MIHolland, MI CelebrationCelebration FusionFusion WatershedWatershed

The The Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurial Adaptive LeaderAdaptive Leader

Example 3: The Social Network Example 3: The Social Network ChurchChurch

Powder Matters Powder Matters ChurchChurch For Snow Boarders, COFor Snow Boarders, CO

The Rock: House The Rock: House Church NetworkChurch Network Puget Sound, WA Puget Sound, WA

The The Networking Networking LeaderLeader

Example 4: The Emerging ChurchExample 4: The Emerging Church

Church of the ApostlesChurch of the Apostles Seattle, WASeattle, WA

Solomon’s PoarchSolomon’s Poarch Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis, MN

TheThe Participatory Participatory LeaderLeader

Example 5: Immigrant and Multi-Example 5: Immigrant and Multi-Cultural ChurchesCultural Churches

Hmong Lutheran Hmong Lutheran ChurchChurchSaint Paul, MNSaint Paul, MN

Christ Lutheran Christ Lutheran Church-Capitol HillChurch-Capitol HillSaint Paul, MNSaint Paul, MN

TheThe Multi-cultural Multi-cultural LeaderLeader

Current Literature During Current Literature During Time of TransitionTime of Transition

Drawing on sending Drawing on sending aspect of missional aspect of missional Changing church in a Changing church in a

changing contextchanging context Primarily about Primarily about

reinventing the churchreinventing the church More basic discussion More basic discussion

requiredrequired Gospel and CultureGospel and Culture

Identity of Attractional Life-Style Identity of Attractional Life-Style Congregations 1980s to the PresentCongregations 1980s to the Present

DNA Logic of CongregationsDNA Logic of Congregations Niche Market Affinity GroupNiche Market Affinity Group Defined Purpose and VisionDefined Purpose and Vision

Communication of IdentityCommunication of Identity

Type + Life-Style Ministry + Target PopulationType + Life-Style Ministry + Target Population

So, What Happened to So, What Happened to Denominations in the Midst of Denominations in the Midst of

these Changes?these Changes?

Denominational Organizational Decline:Denominational Organizational Decline:Reactive Leadership and Regulative AgencyReactive Leadership and Regulative Agency

The Re-” DenominationThe Re-” Denomination1970-2000s1970-2000s

Denominations and Denominations and Judicatories Judicatories Reactive to declining Reactive to declining

membership and financesmembership and finances Regulative in response Regulative in response

Numerous initiatives Numerous initiatives Revision Revision RevitalizeRevitalize RestructureRestructure

Increasing conflict and Increasing conflict and crisis interventions crisis interventions

56.0%58.0%60.0%62.0%64.0%66.0%68.0%70.0%72.0%74.0%

Ministry Shares 2001-2011

The Challenge TodayThe Challenge Today

a greata great unravelling…unravelling…

1. How to make the church grow? 2. How to get people into church?

3. How to meet needs and help?

Church Questions as Misdirecting Questions

in a great unravelling we in a great unravelling we need to need to

ask different questionsask different questions

““GodGod”” Questions Questions

• What is God up to out What is God up to out ahead of us in our ahead of us in our neighborhoods?neighborhoods?

• How do we participate How do we participate more fully in what more fully in what God is up to in our God is up to in our neighborhoods and neighborhoods and communities?communities?

Process of Living within Liminal Spaces Process of Living within Liminal Spaces and Engaging the God Questionsand Engaging the God Questions

JourneyJourney

DiscermentDiscerment

ExperimentingExperimenting

ReflectingReflecting

An Experiment—Practicing One’s An Experiment—Practicing One’s Way into New ThinkingWay into New Thinking

An Experiment—Practicing One’s An Experiment—Practicing One’s Way into New ThinkingWay into New Thinking

The Emerging DenominationThe Emerging Denomination2121stst Century Century

Some Hub-SpokeSome Hub-Spoke With Increased DistributedWith Increased Distributed

DiscussionDiscussionUsing this presentation as your primary Using this presentation as your primary

reference point, what are some of the key reference point, what are some of the key ministry challenges the Episcopal Church ministry challenges the Episcopal Church

in MN and its congregations are in MN and its congregations are experiencing at the present time? experiencing at the present time?