end the members voted to remain independent. Since the congregation could no longer afford to pay my salary I resigned, convinced there was a better way to engage in God’s mission and be the church. In the two decades since, I’ve
Walking together
By Paul D. Erickson I
was three years into my first call, serv- ing as the pastor of
16
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served congregations in Wiscon- sin and Minnesota and in a synod office. And I’ve discovered that this story is common, repeated count- less times in church basements and meeting rooms natiownide. Even before the economic downturn of recent years forced congregations, synodical structures and church- wide organizations in the U.S. to squeeze their budgets and reduce staffs, Christians of all denomina- tions have known that we are living in times of significant change and upheaval, and that many congrega- tions are in trouble. For the last five years I’ve studied
on the path of renewal
a small, inner-city congregation on Chicago’s Northwest
Side. I had never worked harder in my life. But the congregation was still in trouble: the savings account was dwin-
dling, worship attendance hovered between 50 and 60 people each Sunday, the aging building was in need of significant repairs, and the Norwegian immigrants who had lovingly built the congregation over the previous 90 years had long since leſt the neighborhood, replaced by Polish and Puerto Rican immigrants and young, white, urban professionals. None of the new residents seemed interested in helping us keep the congregation going. Te church treasurer had just finished giving the monthly financial report
to the council. He looked at me and said, “I don’t know, pastor. What do you think we should do?” Te truth is, I was out of ideas. We had tried everything I could think of
and had accomplished a lot, but it wasn’t nearly enough to turn things around. We ended up exploring a merger with a nearby congregation, but in the
congregational mission and leader- ship, focusing my research on four Midwestern ELCA congregations identified by their synod staffs as experiencing a significant renewal in their life and mission. I learned that renewal is possible. While change can be a long, slow and winding road, there are certain characteristics and practices that can guide us along the way.
Accompaniment Te single most important charac- teristic of the congregations in my study was a clear and vibrant under- standing that God had a specific calling for them. It wasn’t enough to grasp that God had a mission in the world, nor was it sufficient to claim that the congregation had a reason for existing. Rather, congregations needed to embrace the truth that God had a plan, that it included them, and that God was with them every step of the way.
SHUTTERSTOCK
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