Being Church in Communities

by the Rev. Darrel Peterson
Assistant to the Bishop, ELCA-Southeastern Synod

Several years ago I came to appreciate the plural perspective of community, that being, communities. We quickly recognize that we live in a community. But, we also live in multiple communities. We may live in a subdivision, a community. We may live in the community of those who support a university football team. We may find ourselves in a community of families who have a student playing in a high school band. And then there are daunting communities such as the American citizenry or the community of humanity. We quickly realize how many communities there are in which we live and function.

Today, I invite us to reflect on our church communities. Our ELCA has schooled us in talking about the three expressions of our church: congregation, synod and churchwide. We all have our membership in congregations and we are structured to extend our membership and sense of relationship to one of 65 synods and to churchwide, not just a national church, but a church that extends to the ends of the earth.

Our ties with synod and churchwide need to be cultivated and interpreted, if they are to be meaningful. Many members in congregations have little or no understanding of what it means to be part of a synod or churchwide. Often these entities are perceived to be optional or an unwanted “big brother”. Folks looking for a scapegoat are wont to blame “the synod” or the ELCA for problems they experience in their congregations. Positive synod and churchwide relationships require interpretation as to why they are meaningful for us to acknowledge and identify with. Pastors and congregational leaders have a responsibility to tell the stories of mission beyond the confines of the congregation. In fact, pastors are required by their ordination and our constitutions to advocate for the support of mission and ministry in the whole church.

The recent reactions to our 2009 churchwide actions on sexuality have raised the question among some as to whether or not we need a church structure beyond the congregation. But it is a little like the folks who chafe under the decisions of the United Nations. If you were to do away with the UN, high on your agenda moving forward would be to develop a structure and process for the countries of the world to work together. Some of the churches that have left the ELCA are facing limitations of how they get qualified pastors and how they organize for mission “in the world”.

Community in the church also has local implications. Congregations often function side by side without acknowledging one another’s ministry. We have a need to develop collaboration with one another. Rostered persons need to give collegiality a high priority. We have Dean clusters and conferences. Granted that we face some geographical challenges, but we need to place a high value on coming together and sharing ministry. We need to come together around the Lord’s mission. We diminish the family when we retreat into being “a lone ranger”.

In the church we are part of many communities, in our ELCA, and in ecumenical relationships. Welcoming is important in congregations. Likewise, we need to be welcoming of one another as we work cooperatively in the body of Christ. Christ calls us not to build our individual kingdoms, but to build the kingdom of God.