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Historical Perspective on Denominations and Their Congregations

Historical Perspective on Denominations and Their Congregations. Clergy Conference Episcopal Church in MN April 29 – May 1, 2014 By: Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D. SECTION I: THE GEOGRAPHIC DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE-CYCLES.

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Historical Perspective on Denominations and Their Congregations

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  1. Historical Perspective on Denominations and Their Congregations Clergy Conference Episcopal Church in MN April 29 – May 1, 2014 By: Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D.

  2. SECTION I:THE GEOGRAPHIC DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONALLIFE-CYCLES

  3. Organizational Life CycleAlan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, Jossey Bass, 2006

  4. The Denominational Geographic Congregation 1600s to 1970s Four Historical Periods

  5. Bruton Anglican Parish—Williamsburg, VA Old Swedes Lutheran—Philadelphia, PA Pastor as the RESIDENT THEOLOGIAN Period 1—Ethnic Immigrant Congregations 1600s-late 1700s

  6. “Ethnic Voluntarism” DenominationFormed 1780s and Following • “The result was a network of denominations … in light of that charter which disestablished churches … nothing so basic as this change had occurred in the administrative side of Christian church life in fourteen hundred years.” Martin Marty, pp. 67-68 The Righteous Empire • Examples • 1784 Methodist Episcopal Church • 1785/89 Protestant Episcopal Church • 1789 Presbyterian Church • Over 36 by 1800 Ordination of Bishop Asbury in 1784 as Beginning of Methodist Episcopal Church

  7. Lily Creek Baptist Church, Madison, IN Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Belle Plaine, MN The GENTLEMAN PASTOR Period 2—Village Congregations Late 1700s-late 1800s

  8. “Purposive Missionary” DenominationLate 1700s-late 1800s • Denominations in Mission on Frontier • Formed National Agencies with Boards • Foreign Mission • Home Mission • Education • Publishing • Schools

  9. Organizational Beginning:Emergent Leadership – New Actions

  10. Period 3—City Neighborhood CongregationsLate 1800s-1930s • Second Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, MO • St. John’s Episcopal Church, Minneapolis, MN • The CHURCHLY PASTOR

  11. “Churchly Denomination”Late 1800s-1930s • Denominations Expand Infrastructure • Church program served members cradle to grave • Church School • Confirmation • Men’s Study Groups • Women’s Study Groups • Publications • Camps and Conferences • Expansion of programs and agency staffing • Began to adopt corporate organization practices

  12. Period 4—Family Suburban Congregations1940s-1970s • Calvary Baptist Church Roseville, MN • Nativity Episcopal Church Burnsville, MN • The PASTORAL DIRECTOR

  13. “Corporate” Denomination1940s-1970s • Denominations develop expanded program agencies and staff • Denominational loyalty strong and giving unrestricted • Expansion built around the suburban “success” • Baby-boom

  14. Organizational Institutionalization:Performative Organization and Leadership

  15. Identity of the Denominational Geographic Congregations 1600s to 1970s • DNA Logic of These Congregations • Denominational Affiliation and Loyalty • Geographic Proximity—Neighborhood Based • Communication of Their Identity Type + Denominational Name + Neighborhood Building

  16. Key Shifts Civil rights Counter Culture Viet Nam War and Protests The multiple movements Feminist, Ecological, etc. Implications 3rd Disestablishment Mainline churches stopped growing Growth of conservative and evangelical churches Rise of the media church The Therapeutic Pastor Transition: Social Upheaval 1960s-1970sThe End of the Geographic-Neighborhood Church

  17. DiscussionCluster the congregations in the Episcopal Church in MN using the historical typology provided, and identify how many congregations appear to fit into each geographic “type.” Where is the largest cluster of congregations by type?

  18. SECTION II:THE ATTRACTIONAL LIFE-STYLE CHURCH IN THE U.S. AND ORGANIZATIONALLIFE-CYCLES

  19. Period 5: Changing Context 1980s to Present—The Attractional Life-Style Church • Increased Mobility • Media Culture • Late Stage Capitalism • Commoditized Consumption • Globalization • Information Technology • Emerging Postmodern

  20. Saddleback Church Purpose-Driven Willowcreek Church Seeker-Sensitive TheEntrepreneurial Leader Example 1: The Market-Driven Church

  21. Example 2: The Multi-Site and Multi-Congregation Church • Community Christian Church, Chicago • 9 Gathering Sites • Harderwyk Ministries, Holland, MI • Celebration • Fusion • Watershed • The Entrepreneurial Adaptive Leader

  22. Example 3: The Social Network Church • Powder Matters Church • For Snow Boarders, CO • The Rock: House Church Network • Puget Sound, WA • The Networking Leader

  23. Church of the Apostles Seattle, WA Solomon’s Poarch Minneapolis, MN TheParticipatory Leader Example 4: The Emerging Church

  24. Hmong Lutheran Church Saint Paul, MN Christ Lutheran Church-Capitol Hill Saint Paul, MN TheMulti-cultural Leader Example 5: Immigrant and Multi-Cultural Churches

  25. Current Literature During Time of Transition • Drawing on sending aspect of missional • Changing church in a changing context • Primarily about reinventing the church • More basic discussion required • Gospel and Culture

  26. Identity of Attractional Life-Style Congregations 1980s to the Present • DNA Logic of Congregations • Niche Market Affinity Group • Defined Purpose and Vision • Communication of Identity Type + Life-Style Ministry + Target Population

  27. So, What Happened to Denominations in the Midst of these Changes?

  28. Denominational Organizational Decline:Reactive Leadership and Regulative Agency

  29. The Re-” Denomination1970-2000s • Denominations and Judicatories • Reactive to declining membership and finances • Regulative in response • Numerous initiatives • Revision • Revitalize • Restructure • Increasing conflict and crisis interventions

  30. The Challenge Today a greatunravelling…

  31. Church Questions as Misdirecting Questions • How to make the church grow? • How to get people into church? • How to meet needs and help?

  32. in a great unravelling we need to ask different questions

  33. “God” Questions • What is God up to out ahead of us in our neighborhoods? • How do we participate more fully in what God is up to in our neighborhoods and communities?

  34. Process of Living within Liminal Spaces and Engaging the God Questions Journey Discerment Experimenting Reflecting

  35. An Experiment—Practicing One’s Way into New Thinking

  36. An Experiment—Practicing One’s Way into New Thinking

  37. The Emerging Denomination21st Century Some Hub-Spoke With Increased Distributed

  38. DiscussionUsing this presentation as your primary reference point, what are some of the key ministry challenges the Episcopal Church in MN and its congregations are experiencing at the present time?

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