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If scholars are right—or even in the ballpark– by 2050, emergence Christianity will be the largest group among church cultures, says Phyllis Tickle in an interview with ThinkFwd host, Spencer Burke. That means larger than any particular denomination, and this change is occurring fast. Phyllis says she became aware of the “emergence church” only about two years ago, and the phenomena of emergence-, emergent-, emerging-church has only been around about four years. But Tickle believes that traditional churches have only about 18 months before the window of opportunity to reach out to emergence churches changes into a door of urgent, mandatory response to the changing paradigm of church as we know it.
The emergence churches that are coming out of the various protestant denominations are called “hyphenated” churches: Presby-mergence, Bapti-mergence; Luther-mergence, etc. Phyllis recently participated in the first gathering of hyphenated church leaders, who came together to worship and share experiences and then broke off into their own denominational/emergence groups.
Tickle is asking—what will be the interface between the emergence and the traditional? How will they come together, or will they, can they or even should they?
She likens the interaction—which, granted, has great tension at times—to the Biblical churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. The Jerusalem church is like the traditional denominations, and they wrestle with the emerging church in Antioch—sending scouts to check it out, to see what it’s about, and to ultimately extend a hand of faith and support to them.
Protestantism brought universal literacy, along with the divisiveness of split upon split within denomination. What gifts will emergence Christianity bring to the faith? Spencer and Phyllis agree that it remains to be seen and they’d like to meet up in five years and see how the hyphenated churches have grown and developed, and how they’ve interfaced with their traditional roots.
Personal Reflections:
- How can I learn from the beauty of multiple points of view and traditions, while retaining the best of my own?
- If the hyphenated church is the latest emergence in the west, how do you think an emergence of eastern, southern, African Christianity could influence your future outlook?
Small Group or Staff Questions:
- How could we approach the church “beyond denomination” or a hyphenated church, if we are likened to the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch?
- If we have an 18-month window of opportunity, how can we bring out the best of our tradition AND support the emergence of the hyphenated church?
Resources
FEEDS
Highest Rated
- Phyllis Tickle – Beyond Denominations, the Hyphenated Church (+133 rating, 49 votes)
- Brian McLaren – Navigating Through A New Kind of Christianity (+126 rating, 42 votes)
- Andrew Marin Pt 2- Elevating the Conversation Between the Church and the Gay Community (+109 rating, 32 votes)
- Philip Clayton – Emergence Taking on a Life of its Own (+96 rating, 36 votes)
- Pete Rollins – Resurrection as Insurrection (+96 rating, 32 votes)
August 5th, 2009 at 5:17 am
i was just talking about these connections today in my post about the coptic orthodox church embracing the jesus freaks in germany. link
August 5th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Phyllis Tickle is the bomb. I value her ability to see beyond any one immediate context and connect threads from all over the place. I think that’s what’s important to the emergent movement – that it connect and bridge even as it figures out what its uniquenesses and its own directions are.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:54 am
[...] only have about 18 months left (to live.)” Phyllis Tickle, http://bit.ly/4cNLDN // Agree? Disagree?RT @mattknisely: @JustinWise #TLS09 [...]
August 5th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Well, her book The Great Emergence is an excellent book but on the point about emergent churches becoming the largest group among denominations by 2050, I think she is dead wrong. I just dont see as big a ground swell among emergents as I do multiple site churches and church planting churches. I think by 2050 there will be several distinct types of churches and none will have dominion over the numbers-emergent, multi-site, dead and dying traditional, outward focused mega churches.
My experience and observation traveling the country tell me Tickle is wrong on this one.
August 5th, 2009 at 9:48 am
[...] Phyllis Tickle- Beyond Denominations, the Hyphenated Church Published by presbyguy on August 05, 2009 at 12:48 PM in Church Growth, New Churches, Transformation and [...]
August 5th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I’d just asked a group of colleagues what needs most to be written about and discussed in this whole Emergent universe. My sense of it now is that there must be more folks standing in this interpretive gap and helping traditonalists and innovators help local congregations (traditional and mainline) make this transition as gracefully as possible. I think the 18-month window is a bit exaggerated. I live in a suburban context that is still operating pervasively out of a modern paradigm–it’s still the 1990’s here in terms of church culture. Very few in my community have a point on the compass for what Emergence even is. Good video, spencer and phyllis. This is a conversation more local churches need to be having within their own leadership and memberships.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am
As one of the denominational agency folk connecting to the emerging missional way in the United Methodist Church, from where I sit 18 months may not be long enough– either for the UMC to make any meaningfully dramatic enough shift in its life or for those of us who identify with the emerging missional way to be organized enough to connect effectively with whatever that “new opening” might be.
And from what I know of my work with other denominations in ecumenical settings, institutionally, pretty much the same would apply across the board. Denominations– especially large, more established ones (in terms of time and money) just don’t change that fast, period, and if they do, it’s usually NOT a good thing, but a panic move everyone would come to regret later.
Phyllis’s overall argument in the video, as I was hearing it, wasn’t “we’ve got 18 months, folks” or else. Spencer may have been pushing that. I was hearing Phyllis say something more nuanced– that we do have a window of some time now to “hyphenate” effectively (if we’re really going to do that), but also that if we don’t, that doesn’t mean that the existing churches/denominations are doomed by 2050 or that the emerging folk are going to “take over” or just plain bolt from the denominations by then.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I don’t claim to know what types of churches will be prominent in 2050. However, I am skeptical about denominations developing a “hyphenated” mentality. My experience has been one is either fully part of the denomination or one is not. In my own tribe of the UMC, there are several different categories of pastor, but only one category of church. The UMC and other denominations would be far more connectional if they allowed room for different categories and affiliations, i.e. hyphenated relationships.
So far, I have my doubts that will ever happen. In the end, it may be something they are forced to accept, much the same way a credit card company settles for a portion of what is owed them vs. the whole amount. Better to get some money than none. Perhaps some denominations will realize, “Better a hyphenated relationship than none at all.”
August 5th, 2009 at 10:51 am
[...] http://theooze.tv/thinkfwd/phyllis-tickle-beyond-denominations-the-hyphenated-church [...]
August 5th, 2009 at 11:40 am
I love the fact that she is so excited and looking forward to staying in the conversation – to the point of wanting to talk again in 5 years! What a great inspiration.
August 5th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
she said alot, but really said nothing. she may want to go into politics. not impressed.
August 6th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Each denomination is one confirmation. When they no longer differentiate and start to integrate, to me the most likely common denominator should be: independent confirmation. No doubt.
August 15th, 2009 at 6:39 am
I’m looking forward to a time when–within the much larger religious context–diversity in its manifold presentations will win out the day. I believe that religious perspectives are much more multifarious in scope than what seems to be most often accepted as being the case. Like Phyllis said, emergence is a phenomenon of such incredible breadth, and I believe that people are leaving the churches in droves because there is a substantial disconnect that goes beyond the purview of what many traditionalists seem capable of recognizing. The presence of cultural and religious pluralism, amongst other things, is changing the way many in America, especially the youth, see and approach Ultimate Reality, and religious fundamentalism is finally losing its grip (but it’s not going down without a fight). I thank God for this and may God help us all through this challenging time.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Because Evangelicalism is getting so out of hand due to politics, extremism, and identifying themselves with self-righteous behavior, there are a lot of xtians walking out the door on it. I saw this movement start back in the late 1980s to early 1990s and really kick up presently; bit more defined now. Very refreshing because if not, I’d be walking out on my own faith… I’d have to. Otherwise I’d have to consider changing it. It has strayed too much from what it originally started out as.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Great insights and I am amazed at the buzz this has created. I just posted this over at Emergent Village as a response to Phyllis’s article.
http://www.emergentvillage.com/weblog/the-18-month-window
TheOOZE.TV interview was designed as a discussion starter, so, this is great. The “18 month window” is an opportunity to be as creative, proactive and motivated by love to take action… I wonder if the mainlines let this “window” pass them by – then the opportunity turns into reaction, resistance and fear that will guide their response. This is an invitation to engage and dream…
I don’t think this is a mechanical opportunity. We will not control the opening or closing of this time (and the 18 months is just intuition). OPENING – it has already happened – that is why we are taking about it and people are engaging (many factors – cultural, technical, theological, global…). CLOSING – as we have learned – nothing can remain unchanged and survives. When you want to kill something say “we need to study it more”, “we don’t have all the facts”, “let’s send it to a committee”, and the list goes on… Only you and your community will know how to navigate the possibilities and adjust / evolve for a thriving future. Others (like me and Phyllis) can help challenge you and share form our own journey. But, it is your path that you will need to discover and welcome the challenge of being Jesus in the world you and your community reside in…
August 31st, 2009 at 10:38 am
[...] Phyllis Tickle interview on theOOZE.tv [...]
September 7th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Someone should gently tell Phyllis that Ray Anderson passed away earlier this year.
Glad you all covered this topic. I’m apart of the Quaker version of this (convergent Friends) and we’re happy to see this happening in other churches as well.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
[...] Phyllis Tickle: Denominations have 18 Months (ish) 2009 September 10 tags: emergence, emerging church, Phyllis Tickle, Spencer Burke, The Ooze by Christopher Cocca Video here. [...]
September 13th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
If the world economy is moving towards an ‘experience based economy’ then it would follow that the church will be morphing into this idea of emerging church. The emerging church seems to be very experience based (faith experienced through a collective narrative) and this will naturally fall in step with the way economy works. You can see how the church patterns itself in relation to the economy it exists for the last few hundred years.
December 9th, 2009 at 11:11 am
so glad to hear these thoughts and see these resources…this is one of the most important movements, and I am so excited to experience and participate….
I often hear this compared to reformation, etc….I do wonder though if the great revivals might be another possible comparison….we don’t know yet…but something very sacred and special is happening!!!