Opportunity Over Obliteration
My Christian journey started many years ago, completely outside the mainline denominations. Yet, I dabbled in them, becoming somewhat of an ecclesiastical gypsy following a period in what can only be described as a fundamentalist cult. Being drawn into a Methodist church community which loved me for who I was rather than for whether I believed the right things was a revelation. Once I had engaged with the genius of John Wesley, complete with his personal peculiarities, I felt myself having come home.
And now I find myself back in an ecumenical setting. It is as if life has gone full circle.
As I have engaged with partner churches, I am left with the clear impression that denominational priorities mean that CVs will remain orphans into the foreseeable future. Each partner has aspects of its life that it holds so sacrosanct that the possibility of willingly engaging in a commitment to promoting ecumenism through holding CVs as a model for the future is becoming a diminishing dream. We are seeing increasing siloisation within the partner churches – each convinced that the priority of their distinctive characteristics is essential for the survival of the Christian Church. Or, at least, their little part of it.
As one looks at the latest Church Life Survey, the reality is that we are all in trouble. And if one imagines that looking at the age demographic biased toward senior citizens is a key indicator of impending death, then the congregations within UCANZ are the most vulnerable. Yet, my naivete, and my experience with aged congregations, suggests that we can reframe this in terms of opportunity, rather than certain obliteration. The reality is that we are continuing to grow older people – I am becoming one of them. And rather than suggesting that the need for ministry with the aged is less, I would suggest it is just as great – after all, each of us is facing one of life’s greatest challenges – the inevitable end of it.
I have had the joy of visiting with many CVs comprising mainly or exclusively older people over the past year. Some are actively engaged in mission – in either reaching younger generations, or in recognising a particular call to reaching people like themselves. And there is an energy I have rarely found in ‘pure’ denominational congregations.
I am grateful for the generosity I have been extended this year; the support from the Standing Committee and its Co-chairs, the staff in the Anglican Office of the Waiapu Diocese who do the administrative heavy lifting; and the kindness of those I have encountered over the past twelve months. I look forward to 2024 with a clearer eyed sense of the challenges and opportunities ahead.