What Is Area Ministry?
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an edition of THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN CHURCH THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA September 2008 PACIFICNEWS VOL. 19 No. 9 What is Area Ministry? Lambeth: A look back — and uring the past year, the term Church of England, which is finding forward — from the fringe “Area Ministry” has been new ways of being the church. It’s not By the Rev. Vicki Gray to the closing Eucharist at Canterbury Dheard around the diocese with about worship, the way we Episcopalians Cathedral. Having journeyed six thousand increasing frequency. It was used in the usually think, but rather going to where ow more than a week after its miles for the occasion, I was almost bishop’s address at Special Convention the people are. One church in England closing Eucharist, I remain moved to tears as the Cathedral’s massive in May and will be a theme of the went out to a skateboard park, but rather hesitant to write about the West Gate was slammed shut before me. th N 159 Diocesan Convention in October. than trying to bring those young people to results of Lambeth, primarily because the I stood more than a few minutes in the Diocesan House staffer Monica Burden the church, they built relationships with nature of those results remains so unclear drizzle, contemplating the huge green recently sat down with the Rev. Canon them. Over time what’s developed around from the perspective of someone still very copper Christ above the gate, his face and Michael Barlowe to ask him to explain them is really like a church, where instead much on the fringe. I hope, therefore, that out-stretched hands seeming to say “I did more about Area Ministry. Here are some of a nave and pews there’s a skate park. you will accept what follows as the very the best I could.” excerpts of that conversation. Fundamentally, Area Ministry is about personal reflections of one pilgrim on a To be sure, a degree of security is What is Area Ministry? not being passive. I think we’re pretty continued journey. always necessary at such events and Area Ministry is a mission strategy good about opening our doors and then In Canterbury, the nature of that the bishops needed and deserved the for reimagining the church and getting us sitting back in our pews and saying “ya’ll fringe was quite literal, with “fringe opportunity to get to know each other back to our missional roots. That mission come”; we’re not so good about opening events” being listed as such at the end in peace and quiet. Still, the panoply does not take place only in our church our doors and then going out and finding of the official program and most often of barriers bespoke symbolically of the buildings or in isolated parochial where people are and bringing the being held away from the University of exclusion felt not just by members of the communities, but rather in the church to them. Kent campus where the bishops met daily LGBT community, but by the laity in neighborhoods and among the But many parishes in under a blue circus general. I for one people around us. Area Ministry this is the Diocese of California tent and in smaller felt very uneasy is also a strategy not a are struggling— Indaba groups. … like an object church for evangelism to membership is The fringe event rather than a subject. underrepresented dwindling, their on sexuality and Having one’s groups in our church, buildings are falling mission that I spoke life in the church particularly young apart, and they have at with South Africa’s discussed without adults, and to connect trouble getting enough Nomfundo Walaza, a voice or without with the multicultural people to run coffee for example, was even being privy reality of our mission hour. What do you say held at St. Stephen’s, to the discussions environment. The to a parish like that Hackington, a lovely is alien to being an best way to make about mustering up parish church a few Bishop Marc joined Communion Episcopalian. those connections is the strength to do this miles away. colleagues in a march for the MDGs. But we were (PCN photo, the Rev. Kate Salinaro) by cooperating with kind of work? St. Stephen’s there to witness, to one another. We need One of the things was home to the two dozen LGBT convey to the bishops and anyone else to open the doors of that Jesus talked about organizations that made up the Inclusive who would listen the lived experience our churches and look is the reality that Church Network at Lambeth. From its of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or and engage outside. If the more you give parish hall, our communications center, transgendered in an Anglican Communion we’re looking outside something away the the Network produced a very professional that continues to judge us harshly. The of ourselves, we’ll see more there is. The daily newsletter, The Lambeth Witness, opportunities to do so were limited, the one another as well. this is a church quickest way to lose that was much in evidence on the Kent venues often imperfect, the responses This is our area. our faith is to conserve campus. Our hosts at St. Stephen’s sometimes hostile. But we did the best we What do you mean it so much that nobody deserve our special thanks and blessings, could and I am satisfied that our voice — by cooperation? else has it, including ourselves. The having received a flood of hostile however faint — was heard … especially Most Episcopalians experience quickest way to build strength and energy messages for their hospitality. in one-on-one conversations that are the church inside our congregations, and and faith is to give it away. It’s debilitating Adding to the sense of stuff of relationship. that’s an important aspect, but there are to put all our energy into maintenance. If marginalization were the fences and During my week on Lambeth’s many other kinds of institutions that all we ever did in our homes was to keep police presence that cordoned off the blue fringes, I had several such conversations are part of our historic mission, such as the drips from overflowing and plaster tent. Then there were the color-coded with bishops from Africa, Canada, Episcopal Charities, Good Samaritan from falling in, we’d never be able to lanyards that restricted access to that and England, and, yes, other dioceses in the Family Resource Center, and many other enjoy our home and it would be a dreary other venues. Lacking an official one and United States. And, despite the complaints groups. Area Ministry is about connecting life. The essence of church is not the feeling playful, I bought a multi-colored of folks like Egypt’s Bishop Mouneer people, so it’s also important to be in building or figuring out how to pay a staff; lanyard at the Lindisfarne booth in the Anis, we did not “chase” or “shout” at cooperation with our neighbors and their it really is about our lived faith out in the “Marketplace.” It bore the message “A anyone. We engaged others quietly — in concerns. world. Area Ministry isn’t about figuring Christ Centered Life.” That, however, What kind of mission do you see out ways to get more people to come in so proved insufficient to gain admittance 4Fringe: Page 2 parishes undertaking through Area we can keep the status quo. It’s far more Ministry? subversive and radical, going back to our One thing we might do is to walk roots of not the gathered community, but our talk a little bit more, and get to know the dispersed community, bringing the our neighbors and find out what their good news of God’s love to all. concerns are. We need to bring the Good What kinds of resources do you News to them, not just by preaching the envision being shared by Area Ministry word but by actually bringing witness teams? through relationships and ministry. What We live in a consumer society, and do people need? What do they want? we’re all consumers. Some families, for What are their aspirations? Some of it instance, might choose the megachurch might be social service ministries, and a that offers programs for them and their lot of it might not that far different from children rather than the small Episcopal what we do already. We’ve been learning church down on the corner. We don’t want from an English priest, Ian Mobsby, about Diocesan Convention, p. 9 Politics in the Pulpit, p. 3 the Fresh Expressions movement in the 4Area Ministry: Page 4 Lambeth Reflections Listening Process to the Lambeth Conference are akin to the Lambeth Conference will lie in the the dynamism Jesus talked about in his extension of the relationships into our The Lambeth Conference came to parable about a mustard seed — small, diocese and beyond. As I wrote in a blog its conclusion on Sunday, August 3. I seemingly insignificant, but in the end posting, part of the way bishops must would like to thank the courageous — generous and unmistakable. now fulfill their ministry of unity is by “acting from the heart” — people who actively extending the relationships they came to Canterbury from many places to Relations have to others, and even understanding tell their stories as lesbian, gay, bisexual, that these relationships need to develop or transgendered people, as part of the The document that came out of the apart from the bishops themselves.