A Parish Manifesto
New Podcast Episode on The Future of the American Church
Hi everyone,
A little while back, I wrote an article for Mere Orthodoxy about the future of the church in America. That article has since gotten more traction and given rise to more interesting conversations than almost anything I’ve ever written. So I made a podcast version of it for those who prefer to listen rather than to read. Press the play button above or, if you prefer to listen on Spotify or iTunes (below).
Synopsis:
Two central streams run throughout Scripture in seemingly opposite directions: holiness ("being set apart") and inclusion ("bringing together"). Ultimately, these two streams flow together in Christ and in his church. Yet, in practice, sometimes one stream takes center stage. Joseph's blessed relationship with Egypt at the end of the Book of Genesis was an inclusion movement. The 20th Century heyday of Evangelicalism was a Joseph Movement. By contrast, Moses's departure from Egypt was the beginning of a holiness movement. The American Church today, I submit, is entering a Moses Movement.
Again, the kingdom of God is ultimately about the marriage of inclusion and holiness. Both are needed. But the people of God must nevertheless prophetically discern different emphases from the Lord in different seasons. As such, I propose four characteristics for the future of the American church as it enters a Moses Movement, in which we reclaim holiness (without abandoning inclusion):
Parishes: Our churches should be neighborhood-based, encouraging people to re-embody their faith, worship, and obedience where they live, alongside their actual neighbors.
Steeples: Our churches should be beautiful, holy places that point heavenward with beautiful, holy rhythms that point heavenward.
Priests: Our churches must be led by priests, un-busy holy people, who represent God to the people and the people to God.
People: The church, as the priesthood of all believers, can become its own divine economy, not centered on mammon but on mutual care and love of neighbor.
You Can Also Check Out My Abridged Version: “The Future Of Our Churches”
Thanks for sharing. Incisive and clear analysis! And not just applicable in the US (coming from a non-American). Shared it with a few folks.
Hello Ross, I discovered this after reading your 'best of 2024' post. I liked the first part a lot, but got confused at your proposals.
Could you help me understand why an emphasis on holiness would include so little of what we would normally call holiness? I can see the benefits of parishes and steeples, as you explained them, but they seem like secondary concerns compared to, say, meekness or purity of heart.
Are you saying that we need to deal with malformed church environments before we see growth in the primary matters of holiness?