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Is the PCUSA a Church in Exile?

Quinn Fox

Is the PCUSA a Church in Exile?

Every month the Associates for Theology and Worship meet for an hour of theological reflection. We take turns presenting our ideas, in the form of essays, to each other for comment, interaction and reflection together. It’s one of the best hours of the month. Last week was my turn to present. Here’s a small part of what I proposed.

I’ve been thinking for some time about exile. Many have seen helpful connections between the 6^th-century BC captivity of God’s people in Babylon and the current “late Christendom” situation of the church in the West. While I am not able to go all the way with Michael Frost’s evaluation that our contemporary situation can be characterized as “just like the Jewish exiles,” I still think he has a point, and I think there is fruitfulness in exploring our current ecclesial situation using the metaphor of exile. Here are some observations I raised (they are not uniquely mine).

1. As was the case with Judah in exile, the PCUSA as a denomination as well as many of our individual congregations now face a time of stress, even depression due to dislocation. People are unhappy with the situation in the church, because they are disoriented. The older ways of being church no longer seem to apply.
2. Many pastors (by analogy to Israel’s prophets) are facing difficult challenges. Several whom we know are (or would like to be) looking to leave their current situation because of difficulty. Some have, in extreme situations, been forced to resign their pastoral positions. At the other extreme, our most recent seminary graduates are finding a real challenge as they seek their first call in a shrinking economy and increasingly restricted “job market.”
3. On the other hand, a few pastors (I’m really thinking outside the PCUSA) in “successful” churches and ministries might be seen to be engaged in a kind of “false prophecy.” They have resolved the tension by cultural assimilation—something like “becoming better Babylonians.”
4. The church as we know it, and many individual congregations, are at risk of losing their identity if not their life. The situation is very serious, if not dire, in many instances.

In a future post I’ll mention some of the lessons the 21^st-century church might learn from how the Hebrew people responded to life in Babylon. I’m interested to know:  Do you think this is an accurate, helpful comparative lens through which to view our current situation in the PCUSA and the larger North American Church?

• Posted at 3:16 a.m.
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