hopeful news from emergent

emergent is a network in america of people engaging in the conversation about emerging church, culture, and all that (i think i've blogged about it before). i've got to know quite a lot of people in the network. they are doing some wonderful stuff... - a good web site, publishing books and resources, upsetting the evangelical establishment, running get togethers, and so on. one of the key players is brian maclaren who has been to the uk a couple of times in the last 6 months (greenbelt and an emergent uk gathering). this week i got an e-mail update from emergent from brian. the previous e-mail had been about some of the areas of struggle and challenge in the network. but this one was about what brian perceives to be strengths. i found it very hopeful and am taking the liberty of posting it.

1. We have been concerned about involving more women in our conversation since the very beginning. But we haven't done as good a job as we wished we could have in that regard. There are many reasons for this, but excuses aren't necessary. Suffice it to say that I believe we're making progress. At our Emergent Convention next year, for example, a majority of the speakers will be women. As we involved more "mainline Protestants" in our conversation, we find more and more women with experience in leadership to speak and lead; their example will encourage more and more "evangelical" women who are not given as much freedom in most settings. We have a long way to go, but things are moving. Plans are developing for a needed and important gathering for women leaders. (See the website for details, and stay tuned for new developments.) We've already received one generous give to help make this happen, and we hope we will receive some grant money and other gifts as well.

2. We're gradually expanding to be a conversation that is both post-evangelical and post-liberal. I'm hoping we can involve more Roman Catholic brothers and sisters as well. We'll be presenting a conference in November 2004 (Worship, Arts, Liturgy, and Preaching in the Emerging Culture, hosted by Asbury Seminary) that will be a partnership among mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and Roman Catholic leaders. To have these three voices (plus Orthodox voices too, we hope) will be an incredible asset, and perhaps "historic" is not too strong a word to use either.

3. Our conversation is becoming increasingly international and multicultural. We lament that we have not yet succeeded in welcoming into this conversation more minorities in Nor th America. However, it's important to realize that different minority communities face different critical issues. If it's not to their benefit to participate in this conversation at this time, we need to respect that, and there's no need to distract people from their most pressing concerns to be involved with less urgent ones. We have to stay open and welcoming, though, and we have to welcome any of the concerns of others that are anywhere close to our own. On the positive side, within three years we will have African, Latin American, and Asian networks developing to complement the American, Canadian, European, Australian, and New Zealand networks that have already begun. This will deepen and enrich everything we do. In recent weeks, new networks have begun forming in Scotland, Ireland, and German-speaking Europe, along with Spain, Sweden, and Norway. It's very encouraging.

these areas of concern and development are spot on in my view. because people have been bruised by experiences of leadership i think taking a lead in this new stuff is a real risk. being a leader these days is a bit like wearing a shirt with a target on the front - people will shoot you down. but respect to brian and the others for taking the risk. it is such a relief to get things via e-mail and whatever about the church that fill you with hope rather than being depressing...