The assignment for this round of entries was to look back on ourselves and our processes and ask, “Would you have done anything different if you did it again?” The answer is, “Of course!” It is impossible to go through a discernment process and not see how you could have alleviated some of the struggle, shortcut some of the hours spent, or taken advantage of some of the opportunities missed. I know in the case of SPC, in hindsight we could have had better communication with our congregation throughout the process itself. I am so impressed by Jessica and her church’s approach involving their entire church througout the process, as well as Julie and Eastern’s ability to have the entire university community take part in discussions during their discernment. As I look back now, our strategy was a little like Willy Wonka – lock yourself up in a Chocolate Factory for a few years until you come out with something to show to the world. While we did a good job at inviting our congregation into the conversation once we had done the hard work, I will admit we could have done a better job at bringing them along all along. That being said, once we started the public conversation, we had hundreds of our people involved in the conversations and, for the large majority, the feedback was that they felt heard and honored in the process. Thanks be to God.
Response and Evaluation of Process
I appreciate reading the case studies and responses from both Jeff Lincicome, Senior Pastor at Sammamish Presbyterian Church, and from Jessica Schrock Ringenberg, Pastor at Zion Mennonite Church. I have learned from both. While both pastors represent church communities, and Eastern is a university, there are some similarities and lessons to be learned.
Cultivating Christ in our Midst
I think the Church Universal has an opportunity to show the rest of the world that followers of Jesus are different in the way we engage conflict and disagreement with fellow believers, let alone with the rest of the world. We need to be able to show people a different way of being broken in this world, because ultimately we are all broken people. Can we together do it well, with the amazing grace, and the surpassing love of Jesus Christ our Lord?
Response to Jeff and Jessica
Our task in this essay is to outline where we see agreement in approaches, where we have concerns, key questions avoided by the other institutions, insight gained from reading about their processes, and finally, any surprises. Thanks to Jeff and Jessica for their excellent essays. I appreciate their approaches to dialogue and am grateful to be part of this group.
From my discipline of Communication Studies, I teach that communication competence involves three aspects: knowledge, skill, and motivation. In all three of our cases, we desire to be in good relationships, and those relationships are dependent on competent communication. I will use this model of communication competence to examine our processes.
RESPECTING ONE’S CONTEXT
I have to be honest, I am having a very difficult time speaking critically into a context and process in which I am not fully engaged. Perhaps that is one reason I have been asked to be a model of respectful conversation.
I think we live in a “bumper sticker” mentality kind of world, where we can too easily question authority or give our advice without the context of relationship, history or without the risk of accountability.
I believe that critique must always belong in the context of community and relationship.
The Harder Right
First, I want to thank Julie and Jessica for telling their stories and the stories of the ministries they help to lead. It is encouraging for me to know that I am not alone in trying to lead these hard but important conversations, and that other sisters and brothers in Christ are leaning into the same conversations with care, intentionality, and grace.
As I read both of your entries, I found myself nodding my head over and over again in agreement. Julie, I’ve admired Eastern University from afar, and while I never knew the University’s mission statement (“faith, reason and justice”), it seems to fit perfectly. One of the things I most appreciate about the conversation you all are having is the maturity of the President and the Administration to allow the hurt and concerns of students and faculty to come to the forefront and the willingness of the President to both apologize and to lean into the conversation. That to me is a sign of a great leader.
The Dialogue Process: Case Study of Eastern University
As we turn our attention this month to case studies, our questions center around community engagement with conversation regarding LGBT issues, and lessons learned on how to talk respectfully to one another when it comes to deep disagreements. Those same questions, and the bigger issue: can Christians find a way to dialogue about significant controversial issues, motivated me to participate in and reflect on the dialogue at Eastern University. I’ll start this essay with a description of Eastern and the spark that started the dialogue. Then, I’ll dive right into the questions at hand. One note as I begin. I am richly blessed with wonderful colleagues. While this case study is an informed description of the process at Eastern, it represents my observations and opinions.
Holding the Body Together: Case Study of Zion Mennonite Church, Ohio Conference of MC USA
Zion is unique when compared to many of the other churches (not just Mennonite churches) in the area, in that many of our congregants have moved into Northwest Ohio from “outside.” While the majority of people who live in Northwest Ohio are lifelong residents, with families who go back generations, Zion has many people, mostly professionals, myself included who have moved to the area due to work in the local businesses. However, while we have many people who have moved into the community, our congregation has not really changed much in 20 years. We have people come and go, but for the most part we are a consistent body of believers.
This has created an interesting dynamic within our congregation. While we are perceived as mostly affluent and well educated, we do have congregants who are lifelong residents, with deep ties to the community, a community that is very traditional and very conservative. However, the majority of those who find themselves in leadership within our congregation tend to be the well-educated and relatively well-traveled segment of our congregation.
Zion would describe herself as a fiercely Anabaptist Mennonite congregation, with deep roots in the Mennonite Church and strong connections to the Mennonite Church’s institutions of higher education and because of this Zion has become known within the community and the Conference as the “Progressive/Liberal” congregation, although not everyone within the congregation would agree.
Family Values
Let me start by saying it is an honor to be included in this Circle, and I look forward to both sharing the story of the church I lead, Sammamish Presbyterian Church (SPC), as well as being in discussion with Julie and Jessica. I can’t wait to hear their stories and learn from them as well.
The charge given for this part of the conversation is to provide a case study regarding how the topic of homosexuality has worked its way through the local church or institution we lead. My plan in this post is to first provide a little context of the church I pastor, explain where we landed as a congregation in relation to the decisions regarding same-sex ordination and marriage, and share a few things we learned along the way.
Topic #9: Case Study Conversations Regarding LGBT Issues at Christian Institutions of Higher Education and Within Churches and Denominations (March 2016)
Case Study #1: Eastern University Contributor: Julie Morgan, Communication Studies Department, Eastern University Leading Questions: How has Eastern University engaged LGBT issues? How were…