Following module one, which looked at the
historical foundations of Reformed Christianity, and module two, which gave an
overview of how it became part of the global church and its story in New
Zealand, this final module picks up five thematic issues: leadership,
sacraments, worship, community, and theology. Each is treated broadly and can be
linked to your own situation and vision for the future of the church. There is a
particular interest in questions of leadership and mission. This module will
also provide background for your final assignment which takes up a matter of
concern in a congregation known to you.
Diversity is a fact of life in a
multicultural world and in multicultural societies. This is not something that
Reformed and other Christians have found easy to handle.
There is legitimate diversity that arises
out of the goodness of creation. This includes differences of gender,
personality, gifting, role, culture and class. There is also diversity that
arises out of failure to be who we are meant to be.
Often we are not agreed which diversity
arises out of creation and which out of sin, but both sorts have to be managed,
sometimes in similar ways, whether or not we agree which is good and which is
not.
The Presbyterian system of governance by
courts of the church handles decision processes by majority vote reasonably
well, but it struggles with diversity, whether cultural or otherwise. A test of
any democracy is the provision it makes for minorities, but whereas in politics
it may not matter whether we win a vote by a small or a large majority, in the
church it matters a great deal whether we are able to take people with us and
whether we make provision for legitimate difference. A decision which has the
numbers but which fails to earn the respect of the minority is a victory not
always worth having.
Of course there are also debates about what
is a legitimate difference and what is not! Gladstone used to talk about views
which were “fairly allowable within the church.” It may be a guide to note
whether a difference of theological understanding may also be connected to
issues culture, class, or gender. When committed Christians differ, we may still
argue, but the measure of respect we afford others may reflect some
understanding of where others are coming from.
There will always be minorities within the
church, cultural, ethical and theological, who find the views and requirements
of the majority difficult. None of us will always be on the side of the angels.
Minorities who have become majorities have rather too often found it difficult
to offer to others the freedoms they once sought for themselves.
The global context, and an increasingly
multicultural experience of church in New Zealand, helps us practice dealing
with diversity. Issues of culture and truth and acceptable Christian practice
are ones that an older generation of missionaries may have been familiar with,
yet their church on its home base may have been used to assuming that those
involved in theological debates share a common culture. It may not
actually be the case and it can make a difference.
Renewal is also a source of
diversity
Given the ongoing decline in membership of
many Presbyterian churches, particularly in Western society, a concern for
renewal is widespread, though the forms it should take also generate diversity
of opinion.
Presbyterianism has yet to show that it is
capable of relating successfully to the post-modern world – a world in some ways
more consistent with the world-view of biblical times than the cultural and
intellectual context in which our present theologies and structures were shaped.
In the next five weeks we will look at how
the structures and roles of leadership are an important part of the Reformed
tradition which has at times been a factor in the ability of Presbyterian
churches to take root in different societies. As well as concern for the
formation of Christian character and leadership gifts, the way the church
organises itself should make it more easy not more difficult for people to
exercise their gifts in a responsible way without fighting the system all the
time. We will be encouraged to think about the sacraments, including Baptism, as
being important for mission, and look at some worship issues across cultures and
generations.
Diversity is an issue not only in
discussion about culture, music or orders of service, but also in relation to
areas of conflict which can take place at any level in the church and which we
do not always handle well. Week 14 will note how a congregation changes over
time, with or without serious conflict, and also at some of the resources
available for mining cultural and theological differences for deeper
understanding. You are not asked to take sides in debates for this course, but
are asked to think about understanding those we continue to disagree with and
how issues can be better handled even when tough decisions have to be faced.
Finally we return to questions of theology
and mission. In all its diversity, including that which strains the judgement of
some that it is legitimate diversity, there are characteristic theological
principles which connect centrally to Reformed thinking about the mission of the
Church. These include:
John Roxborogh