From October 2015 Bethel Bell Tower newsletter
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…
~ Acts 15:28
By the time you read this, another major hurdle in my doctoral program will have been overcome. My thesis proposal is due on September 30 at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN for review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Once I get my letter of approval, that’s when the fun begins! Since my arrival at Bethel in December 2007, I have heard and witnessed many things – some faithful and encouraging, others divisive and discouraging. This is the way it is in all organizations. But, I am concerned with the overall direction of the Christian church in America. Nationwide, we are witnessing declines in church attendance, participation, and finances. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has lost about 1.5 million members since 1988. Our own church has felt the impact of these trends. Our fear about not having enough money and participation has an effect on the way we make decisions as a congregation, seems to slow us down, and takes our focus away from God’s mission. The focus of that attention becomes our fear and what we can do to make our church survive. Do you hear how suddenly the church becomes ours instead of God’s? There is no way that one pastor’s doctoral thesis will change the direction of all of these trends, but my hope is that we can take a stab at one piece that I believe will have the most significant impact at Bethel.
Specifically, I believe we must find a way to have healthy dialogue within our congregation that leads to faithful discernment and decision-making. There have been times people within the congregation have disagreed with one another—sometimes vehemently. There have been times when those seeking change have been chastised for “not being Lutheran” or for not respecting the traditions of the Lutheran church or Bethel, in particular. There have been times when those resisting change have been shut out, not listened to, or labeled “nay-sayers.” There have also been times a person or group of people have either hijacked or sabotaged a process. Perhaps you have experienced some of these yourself.
Acts 15 has been a key chapter for me as I’ve been developing this direction for my thesis. It tells of the conflict that erupted as the gospel expanded to the Gentiles. The issue was whether Gentile men had to be circumcised before becoming Christian. For the Jewish Christians, this was a significant issue because circumcision dates back to the time of Abraham and is a sign of the covenant between God and His chosen people. The question for them was “How can you be part of God’s people and inheritors of His kingdom without circumcision?” Through conversation, debate, and I’m sure quite a bit of arguing, they emerged with a decision that was announced by James as he said: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28).
What if Bethel was able to have such vigorous, open, honest discussion rooted in our faith and in our desire to pursue the greater good for this congregation? What if we were to be able to make decisions confidently, knowing that we are faithfully responding to God’s call for us? What if we were able to come to a decision knowing that all people do not necessarily agree, but everyone has had an opportunity to be heard, and, whether we agree or disagree, we move forward as one?
This doctoral program is not designed to have the students go off to a dark corner of a library and write theory. This program is designed to be practical and to be part of the relationship between the pastor and the congregation to address questions like those above. As you know, since I began this program in May 2012, I have conducted surveys, written, and talked with many people inside and outside the congregation, and I have met periodically with a group inside the congregation called My Journey Partner Team. With the beginning of this thesis project, I will need your help … all of you … especially those of you who have not been as involved in the life of the congregation over the past few years, those who have been hurt or angered by decisions and non-decisions the congregation has made, and those people who have simply felt left out.
In the next few weeks, all Bethel members and friends will receive a letter from me detailing more precisely what the next year will be like. I have received approval from Council to move forward with this study, which will involve a survey at the beginning of the study period and one at the end. In between those surveys, I will run a few experiments that will involve either the whole congregation or groups within the congregation.
I look forward to this study and the fruit that I hope it will bear for us. As always, if you have questions about this study, participating in it, or you have observations, I would love to hear them!
I pray God’s blessings and grace upon all of us as we go through this process together.
In Christ,
Pastor Jeff
Epicurious Lutheran 