Readers' Responses to "Has the Emergent Church Emerged?"

We recently published a column by Christianity Today online assistant editor Rob Moll that asked the question “Has the emergent church emerged?” Rob cited several secular newspaper and magazine articles that reported on these postmodern congregations led by engaging young pastors. As with language and clothing styles, what first emerges as alternative eventually becomes (or at least modifies) mainstream. Ron wondered whether press coverage of the “emergent” phenomenon indicated some movement from the fringes toward the center. A number of Weekly readers replied to that column, and we thought we’d share some of their insights. —ed.

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Enjoyed the article about Emergent churches in your newsletter. We attended Emergent (Convention) in San Diego in February 2003 and will be going to Nashville in May 2004. We are part of a small, emergent church, so we follow these stories with interest.

A megachurch here in the metro began a “postmodern service” a few months ago. They light candles, recite some poetry, drink coffee, feel “emergent” and teach the same bland, middle-of-the-road evangelical message their parent church does. In fact, the sermon is a DVD of the pastor’s head from Saturday night’s first or second worship service.

As I read these stories of emerging churches, I find that very few are more than a church growth strategy for boomer-aged pastoral staffs who realize they aren’t hip enough to reach the youngsters. So they leave it up to Sylvia Plath, Starbucks, and a nineteen-year-old with an acoustic guitar.

I happen to like all three of those things, but if they’re nothing more than a veneer to camouflage the tired old three-steps to a better life message … that the parent church is shilling to its growing congregation of consumers, then I’ll pass on the emergent thing.

We’re looking for people who are doing post-evangelical theology, post-foundationalist theology, neo-Barthian theology, and an ecclesiology that isn’t based on expediency, individualism, or, God help us, the needs of our congregants, but on the reality of the crucified life.

—Greg Horton, Oklahoma

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It appears to me that the “emerging church” has the Burger King mentality: “I want it my way.” We live in a society that degrades any part of the Bible that calls for commitment, the Lordship of Christ, living for Jesus in any manner that is not comfortable, and respect for delegated divinely appointed authority. Still, like all human beings we are incurably religious. The so-called “emerging church” is “emerging” but it is not “church” as defined by the Bible. Church is where people meet “in the name of Jesus.” The “emerging church” meets to find friends, spouses, games, recreation, a good time, and comrades who share the “let’s get together and throw some Christian terms around so we can legitimize our rebellion; clothe our rebellion in religious terms.”

While I agree that methods of reaching people for Christ ought to modify to meet the needs of the emerging culture, most of what we are seeing today in the “emerging” religious movement is just “rags of religion dressed in the best rags that money taken from the traditional church can buy.”

—J. L. Collins, Tennessee

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It’s funny, (a well-publicized emergent church) has come to us, a megachurch, to ask for financial support. The problem with these emergent churches is, young people don’t give to “the church” and these “churches” can’t support themselves.

—Weekly readers

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I agree that much of what is called “emergent” is just the same ol’ evangelical trailer with new siding. A marketing strategy, if you will, to reach a new “target.” Much of what is occurring at the grass roots in churches similar to the ones you mentioned is an infatuation with cultural relevancy. Not that relevancy is all bad. But beyond cultural relevance not much is emerging in many of these places.

I think, however, you missed a deeper point. Though the emergent church can be seen as nothing more than “little jr. growing up and becoming his own person,” it can be more—much more. Take the institution out of it, and the “emergent church” means something quite different and quite important. It’s the transformation of our ideas on and practice of community, politics, theology, philosophy, and well … life. Most emergent churches like the ones you mentioned are not doing this kind of emergent reflection and living. They’re just the same version of evangelicalism … but hipper. Big deal.

—Dave Fleming