Raised in the evangelical movement, I attended a church that placed emphasis on activities, outreach and marketing that included young people. My church had no qualms about using the latest communication methods to reach a larger audience. There was even a ministry where people with savvy multimedia skills could serve God in innovative and “hip” ways. Congregants utilized most parts of the body of Christ using their gifts and skills to work together like an athlete’s well-trained physique. While the evangelical movement might limit new members based on their theology, I cannot deny their success in translating and spreading their message to the current age. They have a large young adult contingency.
Unlike many evangelical churches currently experiencing an increase in membership, the Episcopal Church’s work is going largely unnoticed not because it isn’t the work of Christ but because people are unaware of its programming, vision or why a person would consider the Episcopal Church over other commitments. If it were not for my friend who invited me to church, the Episcopal Church wouldn’t have reached my radar screen. My perception of the church was mostly ambivalent. I saw the church as a grand gesture rather then a pertinent part of God’s creation.
As a permanent first-time visitor on this trip, I saw how a church’s visibility was critical when selecting churches. I used the web to do my research from town to town. For me, it was important to find a friendly, comfortable and young “feeling” church. That meant that I favored churches with a current website that was clean in design, branded and creative. I also searched for churches with updated online calendars that had cultural programming targeted at my age group. I especially loved programs that brought the church to the world instead of requiring that the world enter the church.
The author cites the discredited Debra Bass Butler and follows Ms Bass’ method of searching for anecdotal examples of ‘diverse’ (read liberal) parishes that aren’t tanking. This is equivalent of findings examples of ‘healthy’ smokers and ignoring the terrible health ramifications of tobacco. The reality is such that liberalization of mainstream denominations with devastating effects, and one can show correlation – the more liberal the faster decline.
The parishes she cites were not uniformly liberal. St. Martin’s, Houston is noted for being conservative; St. David’s was certainly evangelical in the 50s – 70s. NOTE: I was a member there and lost touch about 1980, so not sure what’s happened since then, but their numbers are tanking:
http://tinyurl.com/ncrmmd
This, however, is truly bizarre:
…the evangelical movement might limit new members based on their theology, I cannot deny their success in translating and spreading their message…
This is as incoherent a post-modern statement as I have read in awhile. But more to the point, it places on display the fundamental flaws in modernist religion, which include a denial of the function of belief in human life. It also oversimplifies complex facts: evangelicals are, in fact, tremendously diverse in some doctrinal matters, while Episcopalians actually recite creedal statements as part of corporate worship. Granted, many do so dishonestly, but at least a creedal structure exists.