From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 1, Number 4
September 1996
The Church and Salvation
Ecclesiology: Listening to the
Laity
I remember learning about ecclesiology in my basic Christian
doctrines course when I was in seminary in the mid 1970’s. I had all the
answers then. In seminary the doctrine of ecclesiology was a simple theological
and theoretical pursuit. After 16 years of ordination, of doing ministry
initially as a parish pastor, and for the past 10 years in a “specialized
ministry setting,” the question of ecclesiology seems more obfuscated than
ever. I think that now I at least know the right questions to ask.
In a
time when mainline denominations are “competing” with entertainment ministries
and sorting out how to do ministry with “builders, boomers, and busters,” when
we are trying to figure out what it means to be a multicultural vs. homogeneous
church, when participating in generic civil religion is more acceptable than
being a Christian, the doctrine of ecclesiology becomes an important topic.
Ecclesiology asks questions concerning the doctrine of the church, which is the
body of Christ.
We in
the ELCA sometimes forget that there are other Christians who are not of this
ELCA fold who also have a different handle on matters theological. One of the
gifts which African Americans bring to the ELCA is the notion that we are
members of a larger church, not defined by the sin of denominationalism but
defined by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and informed by
the Christian traditions which have allowed African Americans to survive under
circumstances and conditions in which our very lives were at stake. We are “on
loan” if you will from the historical African American Christian church to
Lutheranism.
As Pr.
Fred Aigner and I have pursued and solicited contributors to address the topic
of ecclesiology for this Pentecost issue of Let’s Talk, my concern is
that there is a notable absence of contributions by lay persons. I believe that
if anybody has a handle on ecclesiology it is the laity, without whom none of
us would be professional church leaders.
Late
last night (6/19/96), I had a conversation with Ms. Yvette Newberry, a member
of Bethany Lutheran Church (92nd and Jeffrey Boulevard). Yvette is a very
active member of the congregation where she has been a member for 20 years. She
is also the president of the Chicago Chapter of the African American Lutheran
Association and the treasurer of the national African American Lutheran
Association, of which I am the president.
This
past June we had been participants in a Washington DC evangelism event,
“Proclaiming the Power!” for African American Lutherans, sponsored by the ELCA
Divisions for Outreach and Congregational Ministries as well as the Commission
for Multicultural Ministry. Participants felt revived and were very
enthusiastic about the event.
One of
the questions Yvette and I were trying to answer in our conversation was: “What
happened in Washington DC that is not happening in our congregations?” Mind
you, I was not asking Yvette what she thought about ecclesiology! As we were
talking some of the things which Yvette said stuck in my mind, particularly in
relation to this issue of Let’s Talk. I share these with you:
· The
foundation for what it means to be a faithful church member has been neglected
during the past 20 years. While we have been taught how to take care of church
property and buildings we have not been taught how to take care of the Church,
the people of God.
· Spiritual growth is a life-long process. It
doesn’t just happen because you go to church on Sunday and support the programs
of your congregation.
· Are congregational leaders real leaders? Do they
lead the congregation in spiritual growth? Do they lead the congregation in
Bible study and prayer and other activities which promote spiritual growth? Do
they know what their responsibilities are as spiritual growth leaders and
church members?
· The foundation for church membership must be
laid when people become members of the church. The spiritual expectations as
well as all the other expectations of a church member must be made clear.
· The most important facet of spiritual growth
is exploring the answer to the question of what it means to have a personal
relationship with God, with Jesus Christ, as differentiated from a corporate
relationship.
· The onus for the spiritual growth of the
people is on both pastor and people: the people need to be able to articulate
their need and open themselves to the ways in which their professional leader
will lead them; the pastor must nurture an environment in which this growth can
happen.
· What is commitment? What is discipleship?
· The
church for Christians might be compared to the safety net for trapeze artist.
Members are able to fall into it safely and be revived and renewed when they
can no longer hold on by themselves.
Here is
a lay perspective. How do we address these concerns as we are catapulted into the
21st century?
Cheryl Stewart Pero
Coordinator, Crossings
Ministry