What follows is
informed by the former but is in many ways a response to the latter, drawing in
part on a recent Fresh Expressions article by practical theologian Michael
Moynagh exploring on how the mixed economy of church develops. It acts as a
solidification of some thoughts I have been having in recent months as I have
been observing what has been happening within the English context which may be
the basis for some serious writing in the future. I make no apology for this
being somewhat more lengthy than an average blog post. I will use sub-heading
to help the reader decide what they wish to skip if necessary. I also make note
I am paraphrasing a large body of work within this post but cannot reference every
point in this type of post....I hope at no point I fall into plagiarism.
The wider
changing context
The church in both local and nation sense is evolutionary
and organic, even at times when institutions make it seem like it is static. As
it evolves the central heart of having a good news to share remains the same
but the way in which that good news is shared changes over time. The core texts
found in the bible also remains the same on one level. However, the words used
within that text and the ways we interpret it change over time as the wider
society and its use of language develops. Each evolutionary cycle or paradigm
shift (depending upon ones view) also adds something to a central body of
tradition which develops along with the church. The experiences of those within
the church on one hand remain the same, there are some things which I believe
can be found in any society at any period in time. However, the way in which
those emotions and actions are expressed tend to differ according to the
specific context one is within. Thus, experience is contextual, particularly as
changes within the church are often linked to wider socio-economic and
political changes.
In the last 45 years we have seen an evolutionary cycle
or paradigm shift occurring in wider society which has impacted the church and
over the last decade the speed at which change has been occurring has increased
due to our move into a digital age. As numerous theologians and social
commentators have made clear that in Western Europe, Australasia and to a
lesser extent North America has led to an increase in secularisation and a
change in the way in which we do church, particularly in light of a reducing
number of children and young people in church. We have moved into a mixed
economy which Moynagh and others have been at the forefront of analysing and
explaining.
This evolution in the church occurs on both a structural
and a individual level and going back to classic Functionalist theory what
often accompanies it times of rapid change as we are currently in is a sense of
anomie, a loss of knowing what the norms and values are or a feeling of
isolation. This can be linked to feelings of dissonance when what you
"know" and what you "experience" don't match up. This is
currently what many within the church are facing with regard to sexuality and
gender identity issues as well as wider issues of theology.
Having listened to some of what he said yesterday at a
earlier Two:23 meeting as well as yesterday I believe this is at the root of
the experience of many people like Steve Chalke, who discussed within his AE
talk how his attitudes have changed over a period of the last fifteen years or
so.
The
changing LGBT Christian Context
Over this current period of change part of the evolution
within the church has included changes of thinking over the issue of sexuality
and a growing understanding that this one area where norms and values in wider
society are changing and that it is an area the church needs to address.
There have been several waves of groups working for the
rights of and/or providing pastoral support for LGBTQI Christians emerging
during this current evolutionary cycle. In the mid/late 1970's the group now
known as Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement emerged as did the EvangelicalFellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians. Whilst the latter seems to have been
working more on providing safe networking opportunities and providing some
level of support the former was involved more in working for structural change
in the church and providing safe spaces for Christians to meet together in
fellowship type groups. One of the fellowship type groups which developed out
of LGCM was YLGCM for young lesbian and gay Christians. It was out of this stage
of the movement many of the denominational groups seemed to have emerged.
It is also worth noting at this point that there was a
binary focus within these groups which is reflected in their names and which
have in some cases been the reason for embedded attitudes and language
continuing until very recently.
From roughly the early 1990's up to the early millennium
there was a shift going on in the evangelical wing of the church which saw the
rise of post-evangelicalism (see the work of Dave Tomlinson and others) and the
emerging church movement and the beginning of a
challenging of the apparent consensus within the evangelical church on a
range of issues including sexuality. It is apparent that at this point there
were a number of people who left evangelical backgrounds and became part of
mainstream denominations/ churches. It was at this point in history which
Courage led by Jeremy Marks who is now one of the patrons of AE moved from
being an ex-gay ministry to being an affirming ministry. It was also the time
in which AE was founded by Benny Hazlehurst. As Hazlehurst says at this point
whilst people were challenging the consensus thinking almost all were unwilling
to do this publicly. At this point I believe Greenbelt also starts to become
increasingly significant in providing a networking/ teaching space for the LGBT
Christian community. Some local groups also emerged at this point.
Over the couple of years there has been another shift
occurring which in part represents a handing over of power from one generation
to another and also comes from the experiences of those people who left the evangelical
churches in the previous wave but in many ways never gave up on evangelicalism.
What has happened in this current wave reflects the type of mixed economy which
Michael Moynagh refers to the church having moved into in his article. In this
wave there has also been a change occurring within the movements which come out
of the two earlier waves. It is this current wave which I want to reflect on
now, having shown how the three waves have developed.
The
Current Situation
Whilst in his article Moynagh refers to the way in which
the mixed economy develops in a range of ways relating to Fresh Expressions I
believe he provides a useful model to show what has been happening within the
LGBTQI faith community.
Moynagh says one way the mixed economy develops is
through a blended church experience where some people will develop commitment
to more than one church community. This, I would argue, is what some LGBTQI
people have done and is one of the ways in which MCC has grown from the
anecdotal evidence I have heard over the years.
The second aspect I want to pick up on from his article
is church at large and I want to argue this has been a key aspect of what has
been happening. As I say from the second wave onwards Greenbelt has provided a
focal meeting point for many people and over the years residential weekends and
retreats have been important for first wave groups. What has been happening
more in recent times is the rise of specific meetings to which "lost
generation" LGBT Christians have been travelling for worship as well as
discussing LGBT issues. Two:23 is a specific example of this model and is
something which has succeeded in attracting a mix of dechurched and churched
evangelical Christians.
On line groups such as GCN and GCE and special interest
forums on sites such as Ship of Fools have also had a specific role in the
development of these types of relationship. There is one set of online
relationships which have in many ways developed out of the second wave
discussed and relate to Christians now in their late twenties to mid forties.
Through the type of off line opportunities referred to in the previous
paragraph and more leisure based gatherings relationships and networks have
developed which are now seeing new leaders emerge.
The online element has also facilitated the rise of a new
group of younger LGBTQI Christians specifically through the launch of DiverseChurch which is focusing on providing support for 18-30 year old evangelicals.
Again this is taking on the type of model discussed previously which involves a
mix of online and offline interaction.
The result of this for LGBTQI Christians is that
denominational identity has become less important in some ways. Besides the
fact that some have moved almost as refugees into denominations which are not
their own there is also more ecumenical mixing and fellowship occurring.
Therefore, it becomes problematic when denominational LGBTQI groups are not
part of wider networks and when groups such as AE concentrate on building links
with a narrow band of denominations. Methodism, for example, does contain an
evangelical wing and we need to build links with them, rather than falling into
old flawed understandings about who is liberal and who is not. (Moving away
from these categories is something Chalke referred to in his talk).
The Outcome post asks about how to get in touch with the
under 30's who are largely unrepresented in their survey. I would suggest that
this can be done in two ways. Firstly, by connecting with those involved in
denominational youth participation strategy and asking for their input and
ideas. It may be the survey is the wrong way to engage with this group and what
might be better is to hold a listening exercise at 3 Generate and/ or ECG for
example. The second is by networking with groups such as Diverse Church who are
working explicitly with this age group of LGBTQI young people and may include
Methodists amongst their numbers.
There is another
element to the current wave which is important to note and that is there are a
number of big names in the Christian sub-culture who are willing to associate
themselves with the LGBTQI Christian cause. This has included those who have
taken what Warner in his writing describes as a more entrepreneurial approach
to church have broken their silence on the LGBTQI issue and become allies.
Steve Chalke is probably the foremost amongst them. The place of straight allies is very important and I think we need to utilise them all we can whilst not falling into the trap of having straight cis people talking on our behalf.
There have also been some
significant coming outs by some very media savvy evangelicals, not least Vicky
Beeching's. What this all seems to be resulting in is a long overdue more
professional approach being taken by these organisations who have for many
years been working on a shoestring and a handful of dedicated volunteers.
A note of warning here which I pick up on from yesterdays
AE event and the moving interview with Vicky in particular. Coming out is not
an easy process, particularly if you have aspects of your career or housing
which could be effected. For many it has loss as well as relief associated with
it. The support and pastoral care element of these groups or if they don't
provide that themselves the signposting aspect is very important and must be a
clear part of any strategy.
There is also the element of those who are LGBTQI and in authority not wanting to be labelled as being gay and so having the rest of their identity marginalised as a result. I think this is an important issue to wrestle with. We need to ensure that people don't become seen just via this element of their personality and we don't put pressure on them to be out or publically out if that is not right for them. We need to ensure that people have the option of being private or public members (as AE do) and that we respect the level of involvement they wish to have. Referring to the "glass ceiling" comments in the Outcome report this is what I think we need to address...we need to make people feel comfortable that in being members of Outcome the organisation will not seek to put them in difficult or compromising positions rather that we will seek to treat and support them as we would any other member with respect.
This professionalism I spoke of also seems to be coming
from the fact institutionally the LGBTQI groups are now being taken seriously as voices who
need to be heard within current discussions and we are at a point where we know
we have to be working for change on an equal basis as those who are working
against it. What I am pleased to note is that amateur doesn't seem good enough
anymore, strategy, fundraising and growing membership are being put forward as
important issues to wrestle with. This quality appears to be extending to the
new groups which have been emerging over the past year or so.
This latter point is important, as I see it, because the
current wave appears to have a edge to it focused on real discipleship building
and being more missional which does require real resourcing. The current wave
is not interested in licking wounds rather they are focused on building God's
kingdom which will happen to include LGBTQI people. There is a real
understanding that the exclusion of LGBTQI people has been one factor
contributing to secularisation. An aspect Chalke picked up excellently in his talk.
A final aspect I want to bring out is that
intersectionality is being taken seriously and the previous binary where the
focus on lesbians and gays at the exclusion of others in the LGBTQI spectrum
seems to be disappearing. Trans issues, for example, are being taken on board
by these groups although as the language at the beginning of the Outcome
article shows there is still some learning / refocusing required.
So
where do we go from here?
As I see it the next two years are going to be a critical
time and that is widely acknowledge by all. We need to all be working together
to ensure that true and full inclusion occurs.
With regard to the Methodist situation which Outcome are
addressing I believe that means working towards a situation where there are no
spaces in Methodist churches which are unsafe for people to come out as LGBTQI in
and no spaces where they will find they are not affirmed (and so working
towards our current CPD being worked out in practice). This will mean having a
specific goal of seeking to monitor practice and being able to call for
accountability where the practice is not meeting what Conference has agreed. It
also means being ready to support allies.
The building of alliances needs to continue so part of
the focus of future strategy I would argue should be on building a coherent and
well networked movement. This movement needs to continue to be based on sharing
worship and fellowship as much as it does campaigning. As I see it the Spirit
appears to be moving because what is happening in many of these movements also
includes discipleship building and a focus on getting back to the bible. The
need for good theology which Chalke refers to in his talk is not just to enable
us to discuss with others but also because there is a need for us to grow as
disciples of Christ.
I would also say we need to work towards situations where
ministers are able to treat marriages between people of the same sex exactly as
they do ones including people who have been divorced, as a matter of
conscience. We need to work to get inclusive liturgy which can be used by all.
In terms of these and other strategic goals the building
of wider alliances with allies in our denominations and beyond both in
religious organisations and secular ones such as Stonewall is also important.
As the new AE strap line says we are "better with everyone".
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