{"id":6481,"date":"2012-07-13T10:53:27","date_gmt":"2012-07-13T15:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/?p=6481"},"modified":"2015-03-13T16:50:15","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T21:50:15","slug":"the-denouement-of-denominations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/2012\/07\/13\/the-denouement-of-denominations\/","title":{"rendered":"The Denouement of Denominations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to serve as the Scholar in Residence at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. You can listen to my sermon (on the Didache and what it has to teach the church today) at the bottom of this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

My main public lecture was titled, \u201cWhy the United Methodist Church Is the Most Screwed Up Denomination<\/strong>,\u201d a title that was chosen by the pastors! It was an interesting time. As seminarian and youth pastor Teer Hardy reports, he was surprised that so few of the parishioners at Aldersgate knew what happened<\/a> at the UMC General Conference in May:<\/p>\n

For me, a seminary student and candidate for ordination, this relationship between the congregation and denomination was an eye-opening moment in the conversation. \u00a0No wonder local congregations are not worried about paying their apportionments the same in which clergy are. \u00a0For clergy it can be a \u201ccareer move\u201d and for the local congregation there is no penalty. \u00a0Even appointments are based upon the overall success (or lack of) a pastor as they lead their congregation. \u00a0If congregations are not as \u201cattached\u201d to the denomination as their clergy are required to be does the congregation really understand what is required of UMC clergy (elders)?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, today comes a report from Gallup<\/a> that Americans\u2019 trust in \u201corganized religion\u201d is at an all-time low<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Many people are asking me what the future holds<\/strong>, and I\u2019m hesitant to speculate. On the one hand, you\u2019ve got David Lose<\/strong> suggesting one mega-denomination<\/a>, but that seems about as likely as Esperanto finally catching on.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m currently reading Diana Butler Bass<\/strong>\u2018s compelling new book,\u00a0Christianity After Religion<\/a>.<\/em> She suggests that the U.S. is at the front-end of the Fourth Great Awakening. In the past, I\u2019ve accused DBB of putting lipstick on a pig in her writing about denominational Christianity. This book is far more realistic \u2014 even dour \u2014 but she hasn\u2019t yet convinced me that a new Awakening is in the offing. I\u2019ll report back when I finish the book.<\/p>\n

My guess is that Christian communities are going to get smaller and more diffuse. More house churches, more small start-ups. Less property, less bureaucracy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, I\u2019m agreeing with George Barna. So sue me.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to serve as the Scholar in Residence at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. You can listen to my sermon (on the Didache and what it has to teach the church today) at the bottom of this page. My main public lecture was titled, \u201cWhy the United Methodist […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[177,664],"class_list":["post-6481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity-in-america","tag-denominations","tag-united-methodist-church"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Denouement of Denominations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Last weekend, I had the opportunity to serve as the Scholar in Residence at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Virginia. 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