Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Seeking the Peace of the City Ministry in the Urban Context

SUMMER 2005 VOL.35 NO.1 summer 2005 1 contents THE MINISTRY MAGAZINE OF GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SUMMER 2005 VOL.35 NO.1

3 Christian Values and a Seven-Mile Run Paul Burton

6 A Vision for the City: The Jeremiah Paradigm for the City Eldin Villafañe

9 The Urban Church: A 1st Century A.D. Model Ken Shigematsu

11 Pastoring in the City Anne B. Doll Building Healthy Neighborhoods, page 22 20 Urban and Suburban Churches: Partnering to Serve Craig W. McMullen

Board of Trustees Paul E. Toms Mr. Joel B. Aarsvold Robert E. Cooley, President Is Christ in Community? Mrs. Linda Schultz Anderson Emeritus 22 Mr. Richard A. Armstrong, Chair Michael L. Colaneri Dr. George F. Bennett Editorial Advisory Rev. Richard P. Camp, Jr. Committee Mr. Thomas J. Colatosti Dr. Sidney L. Bradley A Theology of the City: Is it Time for Another St. Augustine and Mr. Charles W. Colson Dr. Barry H. Corey 24 Dr. Leighton Ford Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. a Roland Allen to Set the Case for the City Once Again? Mrs. Joyce A. Godwin Dr. Alvin Padilla Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Dr. William F. Graham Rev. C. Ronald Riley Dr. Michael E. Haynes Dr. Haddon W. Robinson Mr. Herbert P. Hess, Treasurer Dr. Kenneth L. Swetland Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr. Mrs. Nina L. Walters 26 Contexualized Urban Theological Education: The Center for Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Mr. David Zagunis Urban Ministerial Education’s Guiding Philosophy Mr. Caleb Loring III Mrs. Anne Graham Lotz President Eldin Villafañe Dr. Christopher A. Lyons Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Mrs. Joanna S. Mockler Fred L. Potter, Esq. Chief Development Officer Urban Youth Ministry and a Theological Education Shirley A. Redd, M.D. Howard Freeman 28 Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Jr. Dean Borgman David M. Rogers, Esq. Director of Communications Mr. John Schoenherr and Editor of Contact Rev. Ken Shigematsu Anne B. Doll The Center for Urban Ministerial Education: An Historical Mrs. Virginia M. Snoddy 30 Mr. John G. Talcott, Jr. Assistant Director of Overview Joseph W. Viola, M.D., Secretary Communications J. Christy Wilson III, Esq. and Assistant Editor of Contact Alvin Padilla Dr. John H. Womack Michael L. Colaneri William C. Wood, M.D., Vice Chair Graphic Designer Shepherds in the City? Emeriti Members Nicole Rim 32 Allan C. Emery, Jr. Tim S. Laniak Roland S. Hinz Photography Robert J. Lamont Matthew Doll Richard D. Phippen Nicole Rim There’s Gold in the City! Samuel J. Schultz 34 Gregg Detwiler

Inquiries regarding #/.4!#4 may be addressed to: Editor, #/.4!#4 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 130 Essex Street, S. Hamilton, MA 01982 36 Seminary News Tel: 978.468.7111 www.gordonconwell.edu GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE ON Opening The Word THE BASIS OF RACE,GENDER,NATIONAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN, AGE, HANDICAP 47 OR VETERAN STATUS. William Spencer

2 summer 2005 ON THE FRONT LINES

It’s 4 a.m. and the alarm clock rings. More than 100 young boys are about to start their day with a rude awakening: a seven-mile run. “Let’s go; let’s go; let’s go,” Ron Burton, Jr. sings out at the top of his voice.

“Time to get up! It’s another salubrious day. Get your sweats on; put your feet on the floor; let’s go.”

With eyes half shut and the moon still out, the campers In fact, Burton wasn’t born with much, but two parents slowly put on their sweat suits, and lace up their New Bal- who loved him and a grandmother who transformed his life. ance sneakers for a jog. They know it won’t kill them; it will When Ron Burton was a young boy, all the neighborhood kids only make them better. “Remember, young men, take it slow. used to tease him because he was so poor and had no athletic This is not a race,” Paul Burton exclaims. “Remember to skills. Burton was given the nickname “Nothing.” pace yourself up those hills and keep pumping your arms, and “I used to cry every single day because of the way I was before you know it the run will be over. You can do it!” After treated,” Burton would say. In fact, the only place he would a quick stretch and some encouraging words, the campers go where he was treated nicely was his grandmother’s church. begin their journey that will help “re-shape” their lives. Every Ron’s mother, Mary, died when he was just a teenager, and summer more than 100 young boys ages 11-17 come out to his father grew ill. The only person Ron could truly count a small, remote town called Hubbardston, located in central on was his grandmother, Shayne, who was a devout Gospel Massachusetts. Most of the kids come from some of the tough- preacher. Shayne shared with Ron the saving Gospel message est inner-city neighborhoods around. And to understand why of Jesus Christ all throughout his early years. “I got connected they are here is to know of a man who started with “nothing,” to Christ at a very early age, which brought me incredible and still managed to build his dream... peace,” he would later say. “The only problem I had now was Ron Burton was a skinny, poor kid from Springfield, I wanted to stop the laughter.” Ohio, who figured out early in life that it didn’t take size or Growing up in the State of Ohio in the 1940’s, football was status to outrun every kid in his town. He wasn’t born with the only sport people paid attention to. Ron loved the game much talent. of football, but he really had no abilities to play it well. For

Christian Values Paul Burton, ‘02 and a Seven-Mile Run

summer 2005 3 ON THE FRONT LINES

All of the kids come to the camp for five weeks straight, and they leave with a sense of hope and determination to make something of their lives. The entire camp is run on love.

4 summer 2005 ON THE FRONT LINES

many years he was the only kid to whom teams would not Building Bright Futures give a football uniform. It wasn’t until his eighth-grade year Most of the kids who attend the RBTV come from broken that he was given a uniform, but he never played a down. It homes and very difficult situations, like the three young men wasn’t until the last play of the last game of his eighth-grade you’re about to meet. Nineteen-year-old Ben Riggan says he year that his coach called Ron’s name. “And I want everybody never knew his father growing up. And when he came to the to know that my coach did not call my name because all of camp at age 11, Ben admits, he was a quiet, angry kid. “I a sudden he developed a fondness toward me,” Ron would pretty much came to RBTV with nothing and left with a fam- recount. “It was only because all the other players ahead of me ily. I don’t know how to explain much better than that.” got hurt. I was the only player left on the bench.” Ron got in Ben attended the RBTV for eight consecutive years and be- the game and ran for 12 yards. A first down. “It was prob- came one the camp’s top leaders. Many colleges and universi- ably the most important 12 yards of my life.” That’s because ties have taken a great interest in the RBTV. Bentley College, after the game, another coach came up to Ron and told him Stonehill College and Northern Michigan have all created their that in order to get better at football, he had to learn how to own full scholarship programs for the top campers who gradu- train. What that coach didn’t realize is that he was talking to a ate from the village. West Point and the Air Force Academy young kid who was willing to pay any price to get better and also recruit kids straight out of the village. Ben Riggan is cur- stop the laughter. The very next day, Ron Burton got up at rently a sophomore at Stonehill College on a full Ron Burton 4:00 a.m. and began his seven-mile run. Training Village scholarship. By the time he was a senior in high school, Burton was George and Charles Toulson of Delaware entered the camp an All-American. He received 47 scholarship offers to all the together in 1987. Their mother heard Ron Burton speak at major football schools. He chose to attend Northwestern a banquet one day and decided to send her two young boys University. In 1959, while at NU, Ron became All-American to the camp. Charles and George attended the camp for six and was a Hiesman Trophy finalist. In 1960, he was the first straight years, and both graduated with high honors. George round draft pick for the NFL and played six successful seasons went on to attend Yale University and Charles attended Duke with the Boston Patriots. Burton later went to work for John University. “I would have to say the greatest feeling was the Hancock Insurance and became a wealthy executive. Ron sense of accomplishment after every summer,” George says. succeeded off the field in every way. He became a national mo- “At such an early age, I was instilled with such a hard work tivational speaker and did public outreach. In 1990, Ron was ethic. And not only as it pertained to sports, but also in life, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. education and even in my relationships with people. By the In 1985, he opened the Ron Burton Training Village, a end of the summer, just being able to get through that, you non-profit Christian sports camp for young boys. Burton had a come out with the attitude, that, like wow, I can do anything.” dream to start a camp where kids would come free of charge George is now a financial advisor for Vanguard Insurance. to train and obtain personal growth for success in every facet After graduating from Duke University, Charles’ life-long of life. The athletic, spiritual and academic focus of the RBTV dream was to become a doctor. Today, Dr. Charles Toulson is is designed to help each youngster achieve his personal best. an orthopaedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Mary- Achievement is important at RBTV. The real aims are mental, land. “When I first came to the camp I was this skinny little physical and spiritual development: values Ron’s grandmother kid with very little talent,” Dr. Toulson says humbly. “But taught him. The camp’s motto, “Love, Peace, Patience, Humil- now I know there is nothing I cannot accomplish by the grace ity,” is found on all the clothes kids receive. RBTV employs of God. I know that since 11 years old, I’d gotten up at four in Christian values as the foundation upon which character is the morning. I ran seven miles a day. I did competitive sports. built. There are SAT prep courses, Bible study classes, all And those are the things that helped get me through medical aimed at helping young kids reach their dreams. The theme school and tests and even helped me become a good resident of the camp is “Me Third”: God first, others second, and me physician in the hospital.” third. The RBTV teaches the youngsters never to drink, swear Those are just a few of many stories about kids who have or partake in any form of substance abuse. All of the kids come out of the Ron Burton Training Village, their lives come to the camp for five weeks straight, and they leave with changed, and headed for success. a sense of hope and determination to make something of their lives. The entire camp is run on love. Above the cafeteria door, a wooden sign that says “Love One Another” is posted for all Paul Burton, ’02, is a reporter on the news team of ABC6 in Providence, RI. A former athlete, he was an All Big Ten the campers to see every day. punter at Northwestern University, a part of two Big 10 Ron Burton passed away in 2003 of bone cancer. His four championships and played in the 1996 Rose Bowl and 1997 sons and daughter are now in charge of keeping their father’s Citrus Bowl. After a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks, he hung up his cleats and picked up a microphone to begin his legacy alive. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the Ron career as a journalist. Burton received BA in Communica- Burton Training Village. Since its inception, more than 2000 tions and Masters in Journalism degrees from Northwestern, young men have been impacted by its message. a Master of Arts in Urban Ministry from Gordon-Conwell, and is currently pursuing a D.Min. degree in the seminary’s The Preacher and the Message tract. He also directs the Ron Burton Training Village.

summer 2005 5 AVision for the City: The Jeremiah Paradigm for the City Eldin Villafañe, Ph.D.

Our Cities – Our Nations A Second City Our cities are not what they were 50 years ago, 25 years Our cities can be further described in the words of Charles ago, or even 10 years ago. Our cities are multiethnic, multi- Dickens as !4ALEOF4WO#ITIES (“It was the best of times, cultural, and increasingly multilingual. They are increasingly it was the worst of times”), for there is a “second city” in divided between the “haves” and “have-nots” and between all our urban areas. This “second city” is the apt classifica- people of color and white. tion of the former governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, at While Marshall McLuhan spoke of a “global village” to Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government a few years ago highlight the critical communication and interdependency of (February 23, 1999). His eloquent speech, labeled “prophetic” contemporary life, we need to further qualify it to read an by the secular media, underlined the plight of those living in “URBAN global village.” The apparent contradiction of urban/ the “second city.” A “second city” is one that increasingly village underscores the reality of the global process of people/ must live with a second-hand education, second-hand housing, ethnic movements from village to major urban centers. This second-hand security, second-hand health services and second- worldwide phenomenon is also, given our immigration pat- hand clothing. A “second city” is one that increasingly must terns, the experience of cities in the USA. Be it Boston, New live with the deterioration, the breakdown, of its moral and York, Philadelphia, Chicago or Los Angeles, each is undergo- spiritual foundation. ing this globalization process: a multiethnic and multicultural I am concerned for the city—particularly that inner city reality increasingly defining its ethos. reality, the “second city.” And I am deeply concerned with a Ben Wattenberg, the author and demographer, speaks Church that needs a holistic vision for the city. of our cities and our nation as experiencing “the dawning of the first universal nation.” The notion of the United States A Biblical Paradigm as a “universal nation” is not new since historically the great In view of the phenomenon of urbanization and globaliza- American experiment has represented this very aspiration. It is tion, and the problems and promises that go along with it, I important to note that this internal development is consistent need to raise a few critical questions: What is the role of the with the external “global mission” of America found in its cultural people of God in the city? What is the vision of my church narratives—stories that shape American images of self and world.1 for the city?

6 summer 2005 A very wise man of long ago, a man that knew a little of I am helped by the etymology of the word church (EKKLE the complexities of the city, said: “Where there is no vision, SIA). In ancient Greece it referred to the congregation or as- the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). The NIV reads as follows: sembly of the “called out ones” to discuss the situation of the “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” POLIS. The Church gathers to worship and to equip itself to The absence of vision (or revelation) results in a “social melt- impact the POLIS. It does not live for itself, but for the king- down,” a moral and spiritual disintegration. Individuals and dom (rule, sovereignty, lordship) of God. The Church cannot institutions—including the Church—that are to model and live be indifferent to the human needs in the city—be they physi- out a vision are often themselves visionless. A vision, whether cal, political, economic or spiritual. It does not hide; neither we apply it to an individual or an institution, gives direction, does it integrate falsely in society. The people of God do not focuses energies, informs content and character, and sets the compromise its identity. It knows that it must be present IN the framework for “seeing” and “valuing” life’s true meaning and city, WITH and FOR the city; yet it also knows that it is not OF goals. It shapes the image of self and world. the city. The Church is present as salt and light (Matthew 5: Through the years, many books and persons have inspired 13-16) in all the affairs of the POLIS. and challenged my work in urban ministry. Yet, time and Moreover, a key word/concept that clarifies the Church’s again, I have been driven by God’s Spirit to find fresh inspi- presence in the city is contextualization. Contextualization is ration in the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “And seek the the SINEQUANON of all faithful and effective urban ministry. peace [SHALOM] of the city... and pray to the Lord for it; for in It may be best defined by the biblical paradigm of incarna- its peace [SHALOM] you will have peace [SHALOM]” (29: 7). tion (John 1:14; Philippians 2: 5-11) While urban ministry is to Jeremiah’s words are instructive here. They present a new serve the whole city—the neighborhoods as well as the greater challenge to God’s people metropolitan area—it in a new reality. You are begins with and con- familiar with the histori- The people of God do not compromise its textually expresses a cal background of Jer- commitment to and sol- emiah 29—the people of identity. It knows that it must be present idarity with those with God are captive, exiled whom Jesus did. In the in Babylon. From Jeru- in the city, with and for the city; language of Leonardo salem, Jeremiah writes Boff or Gustavo Gutier- a radical letter! It ad- yet it also knows that it is not of the city. rez, it manifests “a dresses their question, preferential option for our question: What is the the poor”—for those role of the people of God in the city? Or, to bring it closer to who live in the “second city.” Urban ministry is challenged to home: What is the role of the Church (God’s people) in the city humbly express an “urban KENOSIS.” It must struggle to empty today? Jeremiah’s answer—I call it “The Jeremiah Paradigm for itself of the prerogatives, prestige and power so highly valued the City”—is an overarching, holistic vision for the city, one by the world, and pitch its tent among the poor and marginal- that can inspire our work in urban ministry. ized communities in our cities.3 Jeremiah’s answer, particularly verses 4-7, involves three fundamental theological elements critical to any theology of ur- A Theology of Mission/Ministry ban ministry. Said differently, Jeremiah’s paradigm stems from: 0EACE Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace of the city,” speaks to (1) a theology of context, (2) a theology of mission/ministry, the Church of our mission in the city. The word and con- and (3) a theology of prayer (or spirituality). Corresponding to cept “peace” {3HALOM} best sums up for me the mission and it are three key words: presence, peace and prayer. ministry of the Church. Scripture presents to us at least three It’s important to underline here that recent New Testament dimensions of 3HALOM, three dimensions of peace that we are scholarship has affirmed the significance of this passage of Jer- encouraged to seek. They can be summarized as: peace with emiah for the early church and for us today. Bruce W. Winter God (Romans 5:1), the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) and in his 3EEKTHE7ELFAREOFTHE#ITY#HRISTIANSAS"ENEFACTORS (seek) the peace of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). AND#ITIZENS posits as his major thesis that of all letters in the In the Old Testament, 3HALOM speaks of wholeness, sound- New Testament, it is 1 Peter that considers the theme of the ness, completeness, health, harmony, integrity, prosperity, rec- welfare of the city in detail (particularly 1 Peter 2:11-3:17). onciliation, welfare, justice and salvation—both personal and He further states that 1 Peter’s call to “seek the welfare of the social.4 The Church is an instrument, a servant, of peace in the city” is based on Jeremiah 29 as the key theological paradigm city. It preaches and lives out the 3HALOM of God. to “do good and seek peace” (3:11)—a text that informs these The essence of the gospel is 3HALOM. In Christ, peace (EI first century Christians of the DIASPORA to be engaged in the RENE, in the New Testament is a word richly informed by the POLIS—the city!2 Old Testament word SHALOM) has come (Luke 1:79, 2:14); by him it is given/bestowed (Mark 5: 34; Luke 7: 50) and his dis- A Theology of Context ciples are its messengers (Luke 24: 45f). The Church needs to 0RESENCE Jeremiah 29: 4-6 speaks to the Church of our relation- be reminded, in the words of Peter at the house of Cornelius ship to the city, to culture and society. Jeremiah’s words to those (Acts 10:36): “You know the message God sent... telling the exiled in “wicked” Babylon are still relevant. Against the false GOODNEWSOFPEACE through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” prophets who might call for “assimilation,” “revolution” or “es- We are exhorted by Paul in Ephesians 6:15, and I like the way capism,” Jeremiah called for “critical engagement”—for presence! the New Revised Standard Version renders it, “As shoes for

summer 2005 7 your feet, put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim (EISTHE,ORDOVERTHENATIONS AND(EANSWERSTHEPRAYERSOF the gospel of peace.” (ISPEOPLE The Church must be an embodiment and an agent of 3HA 4HEEVIDENCEOF'ODSSUPERNATURALWORKTHROUGHOUT LOM in our cities—particularly in those places of brokenness HISTORYSHOWSUSTHATPRAYERMOVESTHEHANDOF'OD0RAYER and hopelessness, the “second city.” Expressed in the classical CHANGESTHEFATEOFNATIONS0RAYERBRINGSVICTORYATTHEBRINK missiological categories of the Church’s mission, it means: KER OFDEFEAT7HENTHE#HURCHISATITSWEAKEST ITSTILLHASACCESS YGMA—speaks of a church that proclaims by word and deed the TOTHEPOWEROF'ODTHROUGHPRAYER5 Good News of peace through Jesus Christ; KOINONIA—speaks of A true urban spirituality knows that the struggle requires a church that lives in fellowship and in authentic community, the nurturing and “caring of the soul.” Spiritual power encoun- one that has experience and models for society “the peace of ters are indeed present in the POLIS. Equipped with the whole God that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7); DIAKO armor of God, we go out to confront the “principalities and NIA—speaks of a church, and of Christian ministry or service of powers.” SHALOM to a hurting and broken humanity—an agent of recon- In the last part of this text, Jeremiah states a great truth ciliation, welfare and justice; and LEITOURGIA—speaks of a church (and a seemingly ironic appeal to “enlightened self-interest”) that celebrates and worships the Prince of Peace! when he encourages them and us “for in its peace [that of “wicked” Babylon] you [the people of God] will have peace” A Theology of Prayer (Spirituality) (7b). Our challenge is clear. We should pray and seek the 0RAYER Jeremiah 29: 7b, “and pray to the Lord for it,” speaks peace of the city, if not for “Babylon’s” health, at least for the to the Church of the spirituality needed to struggle and live Church’s health!

1 See, Roger G. Betsworth, 3OCIAL%THICS!N%XAMINATIONOF!MERICAN-ORAL4RADI TION (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1990), pp. 107-37; see also “Toward the First Universal Nation,” 4HE"OSTON'LOBE, March 16, 1991, p. 22. 2 Bruce W. Winter, 3EEKTHE7ELFAREOFTHE#ITY#HRISTIANSAS"ENEFACTORSAND #ITIZENS ((First-Century Christians in the Graeco-Roman World) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), 1994. 3 See, Eldin Villafañe, 3EEKTHE0EACEOFTHE#ITY2EmECTIONSON5RBAN-INISTRY (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing House, 1995). 4 See among the many works, Perry B. Yoder, 3HALOM: 4HE"IBLES7ORDFOR3ALVATION *USTICEAND0EACE(Newton, Kansas: Faith and Life Press, 1987); Walter Bruegger- mann, ,IVING4OWARD!6ISION"IBLICAL2EmECTIONSON3HALOM (New York: United Church Press, 1982); and Robert Banks, “Peace” in Carl F.H. Henry, ed. "AKERS $ICTIONARYOF#HRISTIAN%THICS (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), pp. 494-495. 5 Peter Kuzmic, “Prayer: The Church’s Strength” in -OUNTAIN-OVERS, Vol. 36, No. 2, February 1994, pp. 5-6.

in the city. A true urban spirituality knows the critical impor- Eldin Villafañe, Ph.D., Professor of Christian Social Ethics, tance of prayer. Prayer is a radical and revolutionary act. Karl was founding director of Gordon-Conwell’s 29-year-old Boston Barth states it well: “To clasp the hand in prayer is the begin- Urban Ministry campus, the Center for Urban Ministerial Edu- ning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” cation (CUME), which annually serves nearly 400 multilingual and multicultural students. He has also served as Minister of Read carefully the words of my colleague, Peter Kuzmič, Education at Iglesia Cristiana Juan 3:16 in the Bronx, New Paul E. and Eva B. Toms Distinguished Professor York, then the largest Hispanic church in the nation. From 1996 to 2000, he was also Executive Director, The Contex- of World Missions and European Studies, on the theme of tualized Urban Theological Education Enablement Program prayer: )N%ASTERN%UROPE WEHAVESEENTHEHANDOF'ODBRING (CUTEEP), a PEW Charitable Trust funded national re-granting DOWNCOMMUNISM0RAYERISTHESTRONGESTPOLITICALPOWERIN program. He has been named one of the nation’s 10 most influential Hispanic reli- gious leaders and scholars. Among his books are The Liberating Spirit: Toward An THEWORLD7EHAVESOMETIMESCONlNEDITTOOURPERSONAL Hispanic-American Pentecostal Social Ethic; Seek the Peace of the City: Reflections PIETYANDCONCERNS BUTOUR3AVIORNOTONLYMEETSINDIVIDUAL on Urban Ministry; and A Prayer for the City: Further Reflections on Urban Ministry. NEEDS (EISALSOTHE#REATOR THE3USTAINEROFTHEUNIVERSE

The Church must be an embodiment and “an agent of Shalom in our cities— particularly in those places of brokenness and hopelessness, the ‘second city.’” 8 summer 2005 the urban church: A 1st Century A.D. Model

Rev. Ken Shigematsu, ‘95

uilding a church isn’t like starting a McDonalds’ franchise. This may sound obvious, but it is significant for us in a B With McDonalds, you achieve success by replicating the time when persuasive voices in the church growth movement same taste all over the world. Whether you’re in Boston, have emphasized the need to target homogenous units of Budapest or Beijing, a Big Mac should taste pretty much the people (often people just like the leaders). The reasoning goes same. If it tastes different, look around you; you may be in that people will be more receptive to the Gospel if they don’t Burger King! have to cross ethnic or economic lines to come to Christ. So When it comes to building a church, however, we can’t sim- target a specific ethnic group or socio-economic group like ply download the franchise game plan for the “perfect church.” young professionals or a specific generational group, like Gen We can, however, learn from other models. Evangelicals of- X or Y, so people won’t have to cross social barriers to come ten look to large, contemporary, suburban churches as “model to Jesus. A church that focuses on a razor thin demographic churches.” City pastors, however, may be better off looking slice may expedite “numerical growth,” but also contradicts back at ancient urban models. Our postmodern cities, as schol- the reconciling power of the Gospel! ars have noted, have many similarities to the first century cities The church at Antioch was passionate about reaching featured in the New Testament. people of different ethnic backgrounds with the Gospel and, Antioch, for example, was a city we might recognize. It had as a result, people were not only reconciled to God, but with people from all over the world: Europe, the Middle East, Af- each other. Urban missiologist Ray Bakke points out that rica, India and East Asia. Antioch was a port city and a center Antioch was a city that had both an exterior wall and interior for trade and commerce. Antioch also housed a great library walls that separated the various ethnic groups: Greeks, Syrians, and fostered scholarship. The city was religiously pluralistic Jewish, Latin and African. As people were reconciled to God, and pleasure seeking. they began to cross the interior walls of the city and experienced Given Antioch’s urban ethos and the Holy Spirit’s trans- reconciliation with people who had been their cultural enemies. forming work there through the people of God, the church at Following the lead of the church in Antioch, part of our Antioch serves as a powerful model for those of us called to vision at Tenth Avenue Church in Vancouver is to serve as a urban ministry. community where people of all backgrounds (racially, cultur- ally, socio-economically and religiously) can discover a rela- International Outreach tionship with God through Jesus Christ. As people experience Up until the “Antioch Era” of the early church, the Gospel reconciliation with God, we see them connect with people of Jesus Christ had been communicated almost exclusively to very different from themselves. Jewish people. In Acts 11:19, we read that followers of Jesus Urban churches that follow Antioch’s lead will be passion- who had been scattered throughout Asia Minor had been tell- ate about a Gospel for all that leads to reconciliation with God ing the message of Jesus “only to Jews.” But, in Acts 11:20, and others. we read that some people from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began communicating the news of Jesus with Spiritual and Social Outreach “Greeks also...” We also see that the church at Antioch met both the “spiri- A theological cornerstone for those of us involved in urban tual” and “social” needs of people. ministry is the conviction that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is The church at Antioch (Acts 11: 27-30) was a place where for all people. a hunger offering was taken to bring relief for people who had

summer 2005 9 been victims of a famine in Judea. This may have been the first Like the church at Antioch, God calls us to come to atten- disaster relief offering in the history of the Christian church. tion before him in worship, prayer and fasting, ready to hear Each member of the church gave according to his or her abil- God’s voice and prepared to be sent by the Holy Spirit. ity. This love offering was then hand delivered by Barnabas Planning and strategy are important, but we must always and Paul to those in need (vs. 29). be open to altering our course in response to the movements of The Emperor Julian in the first century wrote to a pagan the Holy Spirit. priest asking him to explain why the Christian way was grow- Several years ago, Cathy Ito, a member of our church in ing so quickly, given that they had no political clout and little Vancouver, began to ask herself, “Is it just a coincidence that money. The priest explained that Greeks helped Greeks, Ro- I am a physiotherapist, or does God have some larger purpose mans helped Romans, Africans helped Africans, but Christians for me?” She began to pray for guidance and some time later helped everyone. she had a dream of Sudan. She didn’t know where Sudan was Philip Jenkins, author of 4HE.EXT#HRISTENDOM, points on a map, but looked it up on an atlas. She went to Missions out that the reason churches in the 2/3rds world are growing Fest (a Vancouver-based missions conference) and picked up is because the churches are preaching the Gospel and feeding information on the international Leprosy Mission. She ap- people, providing health care, and teaching people the skills plied and went to England for an interview. At the end of her they need to survive in a rapidly developing society. interview Cathy asked her interviewer, “Where might you send The conservative branch of the Protestant church has typi- me?” “To Sudan,” the interviewer said. Cathy told me she cally been committed to helping people make sure that their would be glad to stay in Vancouver, but was ready to go Af- sins have been forgiven and that they are leading morally rica if God made it clear she was to go. After more prayer and upright lives. The liberal wing of the church has often been confirmation, Cathy ended up serving as a medical missionary committed to justice for the poor and social issues. to the lepers of Sudan. Like the church of Antioch, urban ministry leaders won’t The term “Christian” was first used to describe the followers want to wear either a conservative or liberal straight-jacket! of Jesus in Antioch. It was a word that described followers of We will be committed to offering a Gospel that faithfully inte- Jesus who were part of a multiethnic community, reaching out grates both the spiritual and social sides of the Gospel. to the spiritually and socially needy, and a church ready to send Even a church like Tenth Avenue, which is not large by out its best members in response to the Holy Spirit. That defini- U.S. standards, can be involved in evangelism and feeding the tion of Christian—as an international, holistic, Spirit-led move- hungry and housing the poor, helping to provide a safe house ment—also serves as a worthy vision for our urban churches. for recovering addicts, and deploying resources to Asia and other disaster stricken areas of the world. The Rev. Ken Shigematsu is Senior Pastor of Tenth Avenue A Sending Church Alliance Church in Vancouver, B.C., an inner city church ministering to those in need, immigrants, and business and The church of Antioch was prepared to not only send financial cultural leaders. A Gordon-Conwell Trustee since 2001, resources, but also human resources. In Acts 13, we read that he was a keynote speaker at the seminary’s inaugural national as the church was worshipping the Lord, praying and fasting, preaching conference in 2002. He is also on the faculty of the Sandy Ford Fellowship, a scholarship program for semi- the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Saul and Barnabas... for the narians who show promise in evangelism. He received work I have for them.” an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell in 1995.

like the church at antioch, god calls us to come “ to attention before him in worship, prayer and fasting, ready to hear god’s voice and prepared to be sent by the holy spirit.”

10 summer 2005 The call to pastor in urban settings brings with it unique opportuni- ties and considerable challenges. The following articles provide a snapshot of how four pastors are advancing the Gospel in major multicultural cities. Articles are written by Anne B. Doll, Director of Communications, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

PASTORING IN THE CITY Lion of Judah Church Roxbury, Massachusetts

ome days, in his role as senior pastor of the 1000-member setts, he earned a degree in international affairs at Princeton S Lion of Judah Church, a predominantly Latino inner city University and a Ph.D. at Harvard. congregation in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Dr. Roberto Miranda In 1982, his fledgling Lion of Judah Church began meeting consults his “manual,” the Bible, and wonders, “Where is there at Boston’s Emmanuel Gospel Center, which has served as an in Scripture provision for this? incubator for many of the city’s churches. Six months later, the “Since we are very evangelistically oriented, we bring a congregation moved to a church building in Cambridgeport in- lot of people into the church, and some of the things that herited from a dying Conservative Baptist Anglo congregation. I deal with are like the doctor dealing with diseases that are There, the church continued to flourish, attracting Latinos very rare...I leaf through every text that I know. It calls for from throughout the greater Boston area. refining every day my understanding of Scripture,” biblical Then in 1993, Roberto recounts, the Lord called the congre- principles such as grace versus holiness, keeping intention and gation to leave their comfortable, rent-free, ideal environment many more. and move across the Charles River to inner city Roxbury. Much like the ministry challenges the Apostle Paul con- “Even though the Lord had allowed the church to grow well, fronted in his First Century pagan context, Miranda explains we felt we could be so much more effective by coming where that the city, “because of its dysfunctionality, the diversity of the large portion of the community found itself.” The church people that you find there, the brokenness many times of the bought and rehabbed a four-story warehouse “with a lot of cultures that come into play in the city, requires a complexity volunteer labor and sacrificial giving on the part of the congre- of ministry, a finesse in ministry that is really very demanding.” gation,” and moved to the new facility in 1997. At Lion of Judah, that complexity of ministry is often In the years since, he says, “God has just transformed the defined by the most basic human needs: three families living in mentality of our congregation, our concept of ministry, our a two-bedroom apartment; undocumented individuals having concept of the city, our understanding of the calling of the difficulty getting jobs and scrambling to survive; non-English Church to the city and even to the general culture as a whole.” speakers who require help going to the hospital or an office; To meet its continuing growth, the church will soon construct Central and Latin Americans working to send money home a new sanctuary on its parking lot “able to hold a larger and suffering extreme loneliness, depression, guilt and sexual number of people and serve as a good, solid foundation for pressures spawned by loneliness. ministry in the city.” Ministry is also defined by the needs of first generation be- Ecclesiastically, the church has dual affiliations with the lievers who had never been touched by the Gospel: alcoholics, Conservative Baptist and American Baptist Churches of the drug addicts, and individuals from broken, single families. “In USA denominations. “We like to say we’re kind of schizophren- order to respond to all those needs,” Roberto explains, “you ic,” he quips, “but we are a charismatic church. That’s one of really need to conduct a different kind of ministry.” the distinctives of our church. We place a lot of importance on Born in the Dominican Republic, Roberto moved with his the gifts of the Spirit, of being a Spirit-led church, on allowing family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was 10 years old. play for strong prayer, spiritual warfare, intense worship.” Following graduation from Andover prep school in Massachu- Likewise, he says, “...we would like to model the highest

summer 2005 11 values of the Word of God....A lot of charismatic churches, The church is currently renovating an adjacent five-story build- one of the inner critiques I would offer about ourselves, is ing for use as a community ministry center. “We do work in that we are very much into the experiences of the Spirit, into counseling for families and we hope to expand into what will the intensity, the power of the Spirit, but often, not as much be a major center for counseling to the community that is in grounding ourselves in the Word of God...I always want faith-based, with professional Christian counselors who will to keep that tension in our church between the Spirit and the offer services to anybody, regardless of religious background.” Word, because the Word is the foundation.” In addition, through a $700,000 grant from the Lilly Foun- Programmatically, in addition to its strong emphasis on dation, the church, in cooperation with Emmanuel Gospel evangelism, the church strives for excellence in community Center, has also created the Institutes for Pastoral Excellence, a involvement, administration, and training members and leaders ministry to train Latino pastors. Over a two-year period, these to be effective servants of Jesus Christ through an extensive typically self-taught pastors are exposed to aspects of minis- education program on Sundays and throughout the week. try ranging from administration to biblical education in the “Community involvement is crucial,” he points out. “We Church, counseling, systems thinking and community involve- feel we are called as a congregation and as people of God to ment. “These are ways we hope to strengthen the capacity of go back into the world to do our part—to be salt and light pastors to be effective, and to encourage them on a lifelong to the community, journey of learning and self development.” to show the love of “I don’t think we have designed any of the ministries we God...and [to use] now have,” Dr. Miranda observes. “God has brought us into the giftings of God to them and it’s the way we want it to be—a very organic kind attack the problems of experience.” that beset our com- Lion of Judah is presently engaged in an intense process of munities, so that we evaluating and strengthening its entire administrative infra- have the wisdom of structure, toward the goal of becoming an efficient, functional God and the answers institution better able to minister the Gospel effectively. “The that contribute to the more people you have, the more diversity...the more ambitious solutions.” you are for community involvement, this forces you to develop To that end, one your infrastructure,” he points out. “Otherwise, you are just of the church’s major broken by the burden of increased demands... initiatives is the High- “It’s not easy,” he adds. “That is why so many churches er Education Resource and ministers don’t go through that process, because it de- Center (HERC), a mands a lot of self questioning, re-visioning and sometimes non-profit, faith-based even conflict...But it is utterly necessary for us to go to another organization with level of ministry...Many evangelical churches have the fireplace its own budget and but no fire and the house freezes. Many charismatic churches staff that annually have the fire but no fireplace, and we end up burning down the Dr. Roberto Miranda has been pastor of Lion of Judah for more than 20 years. receives several house. The challenge is to bring those two together.” hundred thousand dol- What does he see as the urban church’s contributions to lars in government and philanthropic funding for educational the life of the city? “The urban church—its potential—lies in initiatives. These include a mentoring program, computer providing to the community a Gospel that while addressing literacy classes, SAT and MCAT training, college and career spiritual, eternal needs, also shows that it has utility for the counseling, a yearly college fair, training for parents and Eng- temporal, social needs,” he responds. “It’s other worldly, but lish as a Second Language. it’s also for this world. I think the urban church is called to “All of these different ministries are related to showing bring these two together, to take eternal truth and translate it the love of God in a different way, exposing unbelievers to a into temporal, effective truth as well... church that identifies with them and the needs of the commu- “How do we do that? Reconciliation is a key element. I nity beyond the strictly religious and spiritual,” Roberto says. think God wants to use the Latino Church, just as he wants “We’ve been effective in bringing a lot of those people into the to use all these other ethnic groups in the community, to be a church [by] showing the merciful side of the church through blessing to the Anglo community. We have been blessed by the those ministries.” Anglo European community through all the missionaries that One of the church’s most satisfying ministries extends sup- were sent to Latin America and the Third World. Now it’s port to families from Latin America whose severely burned or time for us to give back. disfigured children are undergoing reconstructive surgery at “I believe that God is raising the ethnic church in America Shriners Hospital. “God has done a wonderful job of allow- to share some of the fire that they themselves generated genera- ing us to evangelize these families, support them while they tions ago in our own countries—a wonderfully ironic but very are here, connect them with a community that loves them and beautifully symmetrical kind of process that God is bringing loves their children, and then stay in touch with them when together. We want to be a church of reconciliation. God has they go back to Latin America. It’s an amazing, beautiful min- given us a lot of gifts and we want to share them.” istry that allows us to communicate the love of God in a way that is so graphic, so dramatic.” For more information, visit www.leondejuda.org.

12 summer 2005 PASTORING IN THE CITY Morning Star Baptist Church Mattapan, Massachusetts

he Rev. John M. Borders III is wrestling with an enviable to that. And we’ve seen that kind of growth every week since T dilemma: how to refashion a church that in 16 weeks we’ve been here.” burgeoned from 1000 members to the 2400 to 2800 people Because of its vastly expanded membership, John says who show up for its Sunday services and tap into its other that programmatically, the church is in a state of transition. ministries. “We had a sanctuary that seated at most 300 people. We had His former 200-member youth program has nearly tripled. reached the point where we had three services. The whole ex- John pastors Morning Star Baptist Church of Mattapan, perience (of growth) meant that we had to change the way we Massachusetts, located in the heart of Boston’s urban commu- do ministry: the level of professionalism required in running nity. Its congregation is predominantly African American and this building, the level of organization it takes...We need three Caribbean American. Theologically, it is what John describes times the amount of people to do everything we did in the old as a “dynamic Baptist Church,” one that “is aflame with the building. presence of God.” “Thinking in terms of a larger responsibility to the people, “We believe in the gifts and operation of the Holy Spirit,” a larger responsibility to the community, more people coming he says. “We believe in the supernatural presence of God in a to be saved, needing discipleship, families needing more care, person’s life and in the community of the church, and we also more social services—all those things were what God had to believe...in faith grounded in reason. It shouldn’t be a reckless prepare me for over the years.” faith. It should be built by people using their minds to ask the John describes Morning Star’s vision as the biblical vision questions and see God answer them.” for the church as Jesus and Paul articulated it, coupled with a Morning Star’s explosive growth occurred immediately after mission to be an instrument of revival in the City of Boston. the church opened a new $11 million building in late 2004, a Certain components, he says, reflect the church’s identity as a towering facility that touches the sidewalk of a busy Mattapan congregation. thoroughfare. Its sanctuary seats 1,000. ”One is worship; I call it flaming worship. We believe in “I thought that the growth would be quick because of the praise and worship and expressions to God that come out novelty of the new edifice; I didn’t know it would be this of hearts on fire for the Lord. Another is fellowship. Morn- quick,” John comments. “We took in 45 members on Easter ing Star is very conscious not to lose the Southern hospitality Sunday. We took in 80 people during the three weeks prior characteristic of the church. Another is discipleship. With the

summer 2005 13 church growing in such numbers, we’re working night and day to-one witnessing the message of Jesus Christ,” he explains. to develop a discipleship program where we move people from “That paradigm is almost outdated. The new paradigm is being new members to growing disciples of Jesus Christ.” providing social services. You extend social services by way of Youth ministry figures prominently in the life of Morning outreach. You bring people into the context of the Christian Star. The church had already been serving 200 children and community and give them the message of Jesus Christ while teens in its former facility through programs ranging from Sun- you’re giving them a plate of food or a coat to put on. That’s day school to tutorial services, help with college counseling and the new paradigm of evangelism in the inner city.” trips to prospective colleges, liturgical dance, an annual retreat Once in the church, individuals are led to salvation, dis- and fellowship. Currently it is increasing its budget, allocat- cipled and equipped, and they, in turn, begin to serve as well. ing more space and time for As John explains, “the thing youth activities, and expand- that is always happening in ing its Christian Education Evangelism used to be door-to-door witnessing, any church...people come in team from a staff of less than and their lives are improved. 10 supplemented by volun- or one-to-one witnessing the message of Jesus They know someone who teers, to one that will include has a job, so they find work. 60 people. Christ. That paradigm is almost outdated. They find social services; Service also defines Morn- they gain hope and their ing Star, with members in- The new paradigm is providing social services. lives are improved; and they volved in numerous outreach wind up joining in the work ministries: the Long Island force, or reaching higher in Shelter for the Homeless, the Italian Home for Children, the the work force, and they turn around and help other people. AIDS wing of Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, and resources and sup- “What I’ve noticed frequently though at Morning Star is port for natural disasters locally and globally. Service also en- that God is sending graduate students to the church on a level compasses support for individual crises that, according to John, I’ve never seen before. I’m seeing students from Harvard Medi- “happen a lot in urban ministry—the crises that take place in cal School, Harvard Law School, some from Boston Univer- people’s lives. We try to address those things quickly.” sity, from Tufts, many students from Berkeley and Simmons Likewise, members are taught to give, not only to sustain College, who are attending the church while they’re in school. the expenses of a large church community and facility, but to Many of them live out of state and they’ve found Morn- support benevolence—provided in food, clothing and other ing Star to be...a home-like feeling reminding them of their physical needs of people in the church and community. churches at home. This holistic approach to advancing the Gospel in the city “The numbers are growing all the time, so we wind up by meeting people’s spiritual and physical needs represents, in seeing more young doctors and lawyers in the church get- John’s view, “a paradigm shift in church growth. ting involved. And that’s one of the things that is different “Evangelism used to be door-to-door witnessing, or one- about this generation. It is a generation of faith. They believe

14 summer 2005 in the Lord. They’ve been scared. They’ve been educated to fear the parasitic and destructive elements of In the early 1990s, Boston experienced a siege of gang-related the community that would lead to youth violence that was claiming young lives nearly daily, and culmi- drugs, teenage pregnancies, problems nated in what was later dubbed “the Boston Miracle.” of violence, and division and gang involvement. Rev. John Borders’ Morning Star Baptist Church in inner city Mat- “Although those things exist, there’s tapan found itself in the vortex of that crisis—the church where a violent event lit the fuse for massive community intervention. a generation of people now who just seem to know the perils of those things. “Essentially what happened was this,” he recounts. “I was perform- Instead, they’re getting an education; ing a funeral at Morning Star for a young murder victim who was not they’re getting support from their in a gang. He was just an innocent bystander shot out of a window. family; and they’re remaining faithful Gang members from all over the city attended the funeral in our to the Church.” small building. Rivalries broke out in the parking lot of the church. They started fighting; then they started shooting. Some of the gang To John, the Church’s role in the members ran inside Morning Star after the person they were inten- city is many things. “First, it’s the tionally trying to kill. This young man was stabbed eight times. same role and mission that Jesus gave I thought he was dead.” the Church before: to bring glory and honor to his name and be a means When John sprang from the pulpit, intending to fall on the young man to prevent further harm, the 15 assailants fled and were met of salvation. The African American at the door by police. That night, the event made national news. “A Church is still the meeting house for news reporter in Boston who is now on CBS said to me, ‘You’ve got people in the community. We are still Boston Miracle to do something.’ So I called a press conference for the next day, asking preachers and community leaders to come out and stand with me to discuss this and to pray. At that time, 50 ministers came out.

“We had the support of Senator Ted Kennedy, Archbishop Cardinal

of the Law, and judicatorial heads from every major religion. We stood together and talked about a strategy to resolve the gang problem in the City of Boston. But we also knew that the eyes of the world were on us to address now the gang problem in the United States In the Vortex In the Vortex of America—because when violence had come into the Church, we had gone too far. We had lost our sanity.”

Shortly thereafter, the group met again, and this time 300 pastors showed up at Morning Star. During the next six months, the group hammered out an urban agenda to solve the problem that John says “involved street workers, the court system, prisons systems and how police do arrests, what families needed to do at home, and what churches needed to do to be more responsible. Out of that was born the Ten Point Coalition that gained national recognition.”

Rev. John M. Borders III is a former member How did the term “the Boston Miracle” come to be? John explains that during that time, “the of the seminary’s Boston Board of Advisors. whole city heard about what happened at Morning Star, and the whole city went into prayer for John Borders and Morning Star Baptist Church. Every time I turned on the television or the radio, there were people praying for Morning Star and John Borders. It went the haven for social service programs. on for weeks. We’re still the psychologist’s of- fice. We’re still the headquarters for “Two years later, me not knowing why God had allowed this, I was listening to Dan Rather on CBS Radio talking about the Boston Miracle and stating that this all started at a small church political activism. But the climate, in Mattapan—and that the murder rate among teenagers had gone down to zero. And that the atmosphere, just has a bit more existed for two solid years!” tension in it, and it demands a little more action and imagination to get Gang violence is on the rise again in Boston, and recently John performed another funeral, things done.” this time for a young man who was shot on a bus at point blank range.

“When I performed the funeral in our new edifice, we had more people than I have ever seen at any funeral we have had—probably 700 to 800 people, mostly teenagers and youth from Read more about Morning Star Baptist Church at www.msbc-bos.org. the communities surrounding the church. There was more tension and anger in that funeral than I have seen since 1992. And it told me something—that there’s a generation now that does not remember what happened in the Boston Miracle, and that the violence we saw back then could potentially emerge again because those who were involved are now older. There’s another generation coming up.

“But when I delivered the message, 300 of them stood up to ask Christ into their life as Lord and Savior.”

summer 2005 15 PASTORING IN THE CITY New Life Fellowship Elmhurst, Queens, New York

eventeen years ago, Rev. Dr. Pete Scazzero (‘85) launched down the street from Pete’s English congregation, has 1500 S his multiethnic, multicultural New Life Fellowship in Elm- members and its own staff. All the overseas churches were hurst, Queens, New York, by sharing the Gospel on the streets planted by former church members, reflecting New Life’s mis- then inviting people to a Bible study—a tact he describes as sion strategy to develop people from different countries who “very aggressive evangelism.” return home to serve Christ. From a church that began with Pete and his wife, Geri, their Community outreach plays a key role at New Life. When little daughter, and a handful of others, New Life has mush- Asian nurses in the church developed a heart for overseas medi- roomed to 800 to 1000 individuals who attend its two Sunday cal missions, church leaders considered the long flight times to services and participate in its cell groups and other ministries. other countries, and the nurses’ limited vacations. Then they Its goal is still evangelistic: to glorify God by leading people looked around at the mission field in their own back yard. to a personal relationship with Christ. Its commitment to dem- Now, the nurses provide care and prayer to their multiethnic onstrate the love of Christ across racial, cultural, economic and neighbors under tents set up in community parks for church- gender barriers finds fertile soil at its very doorstep. sponsored health fairs. Located on one of the busiest street in Queens in a neigh- Under a separate arm, New Life Community Development borhood of people from 123 nations, the church membership Corporation, a permanent medical clinic is currently under reflects this diversity: African Americans, Latinos, people from construction, and corporation officials have applied for designa- every Asian country, Palestinians, Jewish believers, Russians, tion as a Federally Qualified Health Center. If successful, the Poles, Turks—55 nations in all. Community development and new facility can receive insurance reimbursement, and medical racial reconciliation expert John Perkins has called New Life students agreeing to serve there after graduation can receive “the most reconciled, diverse church in the nation.” Pete calls it financial assistance for their schooling. “a real taste of the Kingdom, of Revelation, and very wonderful. Community development services, which flow from what “We are very much into equipping and being a quality Pete describes as a commitment “to coupling the preaching of church in the midst of the city that truly models the spirituality the Gospel with a commitment to social justice,” also extend that embraces emotional health. Reconciliation for us is part of to a legal clinic for the poor, teaching English as a Second the Gospel, so everyone deals with their issues of racism and Language, an after school program, a food pantry and a music tensions between cultures and races.” recording ministry, the Beats and Blessings Academy, to get Long before Pete began evangelizing on the streets of at-risk youth off the streets. There, youth can write and record Queens, he and Geri had a vision to start an urban church their own rap music, gain training in music production and planting movement in the U.S. and around the world. At perform their music in various venues. Rutgers University, Pete had helped plant new Christian groups Some of these kids end up in the church’s 100-plus youth for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, in the process becoming group—a diverse assortment of Bloods and Crypts gang heavily involved in cross cultural ministry. After receiving an members, individuals coming out of prison and the “church M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell, the two set off for a year kids,” like two of Pete’s four daughters. Leading this team is in Costa Rica to learn Spanish. the Director of Youth Ministry who is a professional rap artist, The church planting vision has born fruit in 12 New Life and a youth pastor who’s a former drug dealer. Pete says this Fellowships, six in the U.S., two in the Philippines and one husband-wife team has built “a phenomenal ministry” in which each in Columbia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Chile. young people are “very committed and very on fire... One of their U.S. church plants, a Spanish congregation just “The thing about our setting is that either you’re going to be

16 summer 2005 New Life Fellowship Elmhurst, Queens, New York

for Christ or you’re not. You’re not going to have this ‘churchy For the first time, I understood what it meant to minister out of group.’ These kids are serious, very multicultural, because we’re who you are, not what you do. My discovery was contagious. committed to kids on the streets. So the group has an evangelis- We went from being ‘human doings’ to ‘human beings.’ The tic thrust.” Figuring in this thrust is a once-a-month event, The result has been a rippling effect, very slowly, through the entire Spot, which integrates rap and hip hop music. church.” A few years ago, Pete hit a crisis that was to shape an un- Pete’s contention is that “the overall health of any church or derpinning of ministry at New Life Fellowship. “What happened ministry depends on the emotional and spiritual health of was that we planted the church in September 1987 and the church its leadership.” His book, which won the Gold Medallion was growing, but basically something was wrong. I was tired, Award for the best book on Christian Ministry for 2004, looks stressed and hurried personally. We had a split in one of the theologically at issues that impede emotional and spiritual Spanish congregations. I was health, such as grieving, angry and depressed; my wife limits, loving well and more. was unhappy. It looked like My commitment is that people would know and He is presently writing a we were going to be another new book, %MOTIONALLY urban casualty—another min- love Christ, out of which they would become the (EALTHY3PIRITUALITY, that istry casualty—because there integrates the contemplative are casualties everywhere. men and women God has called them to be and into emotional health. And it was very hard to be Pete says that leading a a pastor. Through that whole serve him and serve other people. church in the 21st Century is journey, God met my wife a challenge—in rural Kansas and me in a very extraordinary way and transformed our life.” or a major metropolitan city—adding, “Sometimes I think New The crisis that sparked their journey was Geri’s pronounce- York City is easier because people are so broken, so there is ment that she was quitting the church. During the next two more openness to the Gospel... years, in a process that seemed initially to Pete like death, he “What’s the greatest gift we can give looked honestly at issues that had fueled the crisis, such as fear the City of New York and the planting of of confrontation and conflict, inability to set limits and many churches both here and overseas? It is the others. In his wrestling, he ultimately forged a broader theology living Jesus. I am committed to meeting of discipleship. practical needs, of course, but I am not In his subsequent book, 4HE%MOTIONALLY(EALTHY#HURCH primarily a social worker. My commitment (Zondervan, 2003), Pete recounts: “The sad reality we discov- is that people would know and love Christ, ered was that Jesus had penetrated only superficially into the out of which they would become the men depth of our persons—even though we had been Christians for and women God has called them to be and almost 20 years...With all my background in prayer and the serve him and serve other people. Dr. Pete Scazzero planted New Life Fellowship Bible, it was quite a shock to realize that whole emotional lay- “So I am about Christ Jesus— in 1987. ers of my life existed that God had not yet touched.” the Living Lord. That’s why I’m here.” What God did through Pete and Geri’s own journey “spilled out into the church immediately, beginning with our staff team, then our elder board, and eventually the rest of our leadership. For additional information, visit www.newlifefellowship.org

summer 2005 17 PASTORING IN THE CITY Cambridge Community Fellowship Church Cambridge, Massachusetts

ev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah’s greatest satisfactions as an urban The church’s vision for transformation plays out in inten- Rpastor occur in those moments when he sees individuals in tional initiatives, a process, as Pastor Rah describes it, that his church grasp “God’s heart for justice and compassion,” and begins with educational awareness, and progresses toward the make life-changing decisions as a result. ultimate goal of lifestyle and values transformation—where in- When this takes place, “it’s very satisfying that the Gospel dividuals live, what that community should look like, the type is really transforming lives, not only on a personal level, but in of career they choose, and how they will live out their lives in how it is directed externally,” says the senior pastor of Cam- the city. Pastor Rah says that because many in the congregation bridge Community Fellowship Church, and a Gordon-Conwell have lived in the suburbs, their worldview is not necessarily a alumnus (M.Div.’94, D.Min.‘05). concern for the city. Transforming understanding of, and responses to, issues of “We are trying to transform their values based upon Scrip- social justice and reconciliation have been key values of Pastor ture—that Scripture talks about concern for the poor, about Rah’s Evangelical Covenant church since its founding in 1996 reconciliation among races, and concern for those who are in the Central Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lo- disenfranchised and marginalized in our society...And as we cated in the shadow of Harvard and MIT, its 300 members are progress through this, we also want individuals to have theo- primarily college and graduate students, and younger adults. logical knowledge of what it means to be an individual who While most are Asians, 15 to 20 different ethnic groups are has a concern for God’s justice, and how to live that out. The represented as well. way we’ve done that is to give individuals practical opportuni- “A big part of our vision is to be a church concerned about ties to serve the community in some form.” God’s heart for compassion, mercy and justice in the urban Service can take place through the church’s own minis- context,” he explains. “Related to that is a concern that God tries, or through existing community programs with which is calling all people to him, and a part of that is reconciliation the church partners. Much of its own outreach is to youth in along racial and ethnic lines.” the community, including a church planting effort that birthed

18 summer 2005 VOICE ministry, an outreach to Vietnamese gang and at-risk article about multiracial churches, “Harder Than Anyone Can youth in Dorchester. For youngsters, the church holds Vacation Imagine,” (April 2005), Pastor Rah commented that his 3-year- Bible Schools and Children’s Church. Members can also serve old daughter, now at the age where she is beginning to distin- senior citizens through their church’s ongoing outreach to the guish different ethnicities, “thinks it’s normal to have a Haitian Vernon Hall Nursing Home. auntie, a Jamaican uncle, a Caucasian big sister, to have half In addition, through the church’s relationship with Lion of of her friends be biracial. That is the kind of environment that Judah Church, members are helping start a mentoring program I want for my kids, and this is a part of what the Church is all for teens at that church’s Higher Educational Resource Center about.” (HERC), and have also supported through volunteer service the It is a Church, he adds, where “despite differences that can- initiatives for at-risk youth of the Boston Ten-Point Coalition, not be downplayed because they’re part of what we were cre- Boston Youth Organizing Project, the Ella J. Baker House, and ated for, we can still live in unity, still live as family members PREP, an inner city Christian community computer center. part of the same body.” Political activism also figures in the church’s vision for He admits, however, that building a racially reconciled com- social justice and reconciliation, and the church’s Health Care munity can be difficult. “There’s actually a spiritual resistance in Caucus helps members put feet to their faith. Caucus members that we’re confronting spiritual warfare at the front lines of faith,” are currently working in partnership with the Greater Boston he explains. “We going against the issue of race which has divided Interfaith Organization to identify healthcare needs within their this nation for centuries—the stronghold of racial segregation— own church and the city. and obviously there is going to be spiritual resistance... Pastor Rah says his church has been actively involved with a “In addition, it’s so much easier to live with folks who are number of different churches and synagogues as a moral voice similar to you. Life is a lot easier if all you do is hang out with of the community, calling for legislation to provide healthcare people like yourself, people with similar socioeconomic and for the city’s uninsured. In Massachusetts, a half million people educational backgrounds. Life gets more complicated when you are without health insurance, and most are from communities have to cross cultures, when you have to cross socioeconomic of color. barriers. It can feel like more of a struggle because there’s a lot “We’re involved because we feel that God’s call for justice—to more you’re up against.” feed the hungry and care for those who are hurting—really needs For Pastor Rah, modeling the Gospel is pivotal in reach- to be practical and real, and backed up with action...We want ing Postmoderns, especially college students who, he says, are to live out justice and not looking for an authentic just speak about justice.” Transforming worldviews on reconciliation witness. “They’ve heard The church also spon- the Word; they know the sors OnRamp, a residen- facts of Christianity, but tial experience in inner occurs, in part, simply in the living out of it. they really want to see city Dorchester to help re- that lived out...That’s cent college graduates become more involved in the urban com- why the urban ministry component is so critical in terms of munity. Five to six young adults live for a year in intentional student outreach...We want to show in the decisions we make, community, receive discipleship training by resident directors, how we treat our neighbors, how we have compassion for the and learn urban outreach and practical measures for expressing poor, and how we advocate for justice that we are trying to justice in the city. Church leaders are hoping that of the five live out what God’s call for us is. That’s much more evangelis- current OnRamp participants, four will remain and continue to tic...than just to go knocking [on doors].” minister in the city. Pastor Rah says not everyone follows the developmental Cambridge Community Fellowship Church wants, as well, to path toward worldview transformation; but sometimes a life is be a racially and ethnically reconciled church and to see members transformed—like that of a young man in the congregation. transformed in their understanding and responses to this dimen- As with many of the college students in the church who sion of the Gospel. “One of the things that’s happened—and I come from affluent, upper middle or middle class suburbs, this believe it is a God thing—is that God is bringing the different student came from a suburb in the Midwest. “He had not been nations right here to the United States,” Pastor Rah explains. “I exposed to a whole lot of the Gospel that is directed outward, think for us to live in this community is in some way honoring and was very much coming out of a pietistic, personal faith what God is doing, because God is trying to build unity. tradition,” Pastor Rah relates. “But after being a part of our “How sad it would be if the secular world is able to recon- church, he began to really see God’s heart for the poor. So he cile different races and ethnicities, and the church is unable to changed his major from engineering to urban studies, because do that. In fact, the Church is actually one of the worst orga- he felt God was calling him to minister in the city. nizations about doing that. That’s a pretty strong indictment... “Then God began to place on his heart a particular passion that we remain as segregated and separated as we are, because for the poor overseas. And so right after he graduated from a Christ gives us images of a united, reconciled body, and it’s in very prestigious university in Cambridge, he was on a plane to the Scripture that we are challenged to examine and live this a very poor third world country. He now lives in the slums of out in the Church. So we feel that as Christ reconciled himself that country and ministers to the poor in his neighborhood.” to us, and God reconciled himself to us, another expression of our call is how we are reconciled one to another.” Transforming worldviews on reconciliation occurs, in part, CCFC was founded in 1996. Read more about Cambridge Community simply in the living out of it. In a recent #HRISTIANITY4ODAY Fellowship Church at www.ccfconline.org.

summer 2005 19 Craig W. McMullen, Partnering to Serve M.Div. ‘85, D.Min, ‘01

Over 40 years ago, Rev. Dr. Michael E. Haynes, a young African American pastor of the historic Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston’s inner-city neighborhood of Roxbury, met Rev. Dr. Donald S. Ewing, Senior Pastor of the suburban Trinitarian Congregational Church of Wayland, Massachusetts. This day began a lifelong friendship that became a major foundation for many urban and suburban partnerships.

Dr. Douglas Hall, President of the Emmanuel Gospel Center, and Urban Ministries Professor for Gordon-Con- well Theological Seminary, recalls how he arranged for these two pastors to meet. “Trinitarian Congregational Church had expressed interest in urban ministry and we had been working with them in some collaborative efforts, particularly with children. At one point Dr. Haynes, who had heard Dr. Ewing in his radio program, expressed a very real interest in meeting him. Knowing the two men, I doubted that this would amount to too much, because they seemed so politically distant, but I did arrange for them to meet. (I didn’t go to the meeting myself.) To my great surprise, this produced one of the most enduring relationships between an urban and a suburban church that I have ever known. It was all based on the very close relationship they developed between each other.” These men were as different in their philosophies as they were black and white, yet their love for the Lord and each other forged an authentic relationship that brought their respective congregations together, as they shared as mutual advisors over evening meals in each other’s homes. They became like family members to each other, presid- ing over each other’s children’s weddings. Rev. Haynes became an honorary pastor of the Wayland congregation and Twelfth Baptist Church named one of its church halls after Dr. Ewing. Through this relationship, the two con- gregations moved beyond the traditional pulpit and choir exchanges towards building significant partnerships where each church was challenged to share equally with each other their resources of people and finances. Their ministerial staffs shared regular dinner discussions where the urban youth ministers and seminarians found a new home to share their gifts, and Wayland’s executives helped build technical capacity structures for the Roxbury church. At this time I came to this historic black Baptist Church as a seminarian participating in Gordon-Conwell’s Urban Ministry program. As a white male from Seattle, Washington, little did I see how my life would be influenced by the friendship of Haynes and Ewing. After seven years of serving on the ministerial staff, Dr. Haynes appointed me to be his Minister of Children and Youth over one of Boston’s largest youth ministries. One of my first projects

Urban and Suburban Churches: was to plan a youth retreat with families with little finances and a limited budget. Remembering that the Wayland congregation owned its lake front retreat center in New Hampshire, I called my youth ministry counterpart in the

20 summer 2005 suburbs and proposed a joint youth retreat at the lake front to close the digital divide. Today, this one center has multi- facility. He accepted the idea! Out of this retreat, entitled plied into the Association of Christian Community Computer “Coming Together,” and other youth gatherings over the next Centers (AC4). There are over 500 centers in this association, 10 years, more than 60 urban/suburban partnerships between and in 2003, they served 108,865 participants in technology various youth groups throughout New England were estab- programs with budgets totaling more than $16.5 million. lished through the Coming Together Christian Youth Leader- Today, Dr. Doug Hall’s Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) ship Movement. The Emmanuel Gospel Center’s research has in Boston is engaged in applied research, exploring the barriers confirmed what these young people discovered was the key to that have limited urban/suburban partnerships. One of the such partnerships—relationships! “The key to anything multi- major barriers identified is that the urban church is seen by cultural is, first, relationships, relationships, relationships. And, the suburban church as a needy place, not as an asset. As mod- second, the suburban community needs to serve the urban eled by Haynes and Ewing, reciprocity is crucial for effective community, and not lead.” partnerships. EGC research into mental models shows what During the 1984 Billy Graham Crusade in Boston, a number people are thinking: “In collaborations and partnerships [as an of churches, who did not want to participate in the crusade if urban church], you have to fit into someone else’s structure. In it had no way of reaching out to social needs, asked the Em- urban-suburban partnerships, [it’s customary to ask] who’s the manuel Gospel Center (EGC) to design a social component for dominant one in the partnership, because [you think] the sub- the evangelistic effort. If EGC did this, they would participate urban church is big, has money, and has no needs, so you don’t in the Crusade. In response to this request, EGC developed come to the table as an asset, but as a mission. Have you ever an urban/suburban partnership program that became known heard anyone say, ‘Let’s do a missions trip into the suburbs?” as “Love in Action.” The primary work EGC did was train Each of these examples models reciprocal relationships as suburban people to sensitively interview urban social ministries the foundation key for effective partnerships. Emmanuel Gos- for inclusion in a directory of social service opportunities that pel Center’s research on ministry facilitation supports this prin- EGC published, with the intention of making it available to ciple. “There are no short cuts to building relationships, trying churches involved in the crusade. The booklet was distributed to get out and be with key people, get their feedback, learn during that event, but no significant connections were made what they’re doing. Trying to start with their vision so that for its use until Grace Chapel of Lexington, Massachusetts, it’s not something we’re creating, but something that’s relevant through Rev. Mary Ann Mitchener (’87) incorporated the ap- and productive for them...The easiest way to mobilize a team proach in Grace Chapel’s Bridge Builders program. Through is pragmatically: from an activity to a relationship and partner- her ministry, more than a dozen Boston churches and minis- ship. But it is more effective and transformational to start with tries received volunteers and support from Grace Chapel. relationship and then develop activities and partnerships.” One of Rev. Mitchener’s most successful urban partner- Michelle Mitsumori, research coordinator on ministry fa- ships developed through her relationship with activist Rev. cilitation for a ministry of the Emmanuel Gospel Center called Dr. Bruce Wall. Mitchener’s introduction to Wall’s campaign “CityServe,” stated that as a church resource center, EGC was against urban violence and drugs came when he invited her to continually faced with people who had received an invitation participate in the “Yes We Can” movement marches against to serve in the city, yet had no one who could facilitate this street violence. Their relationship grew into partnerships that work. One of their research interviewers said that the number extended beyond Boston and its suburbs when they combined one barrier to effective partnerships between urban and sub- youth groups on a mission trip to Haiti. This trip exposed urban churches is busyness. “Who’s busier – the senior pastor suburban prejudices held against Haitians, yet highlighted the at a large suburban church with a full-time staff, or a bi-voca- effectiveness of a bi-racial team. This important principle was tional urban pastor who has a smaller congregation and has to applied in 1995, when Mary Ann and Rev. Wall co-led four answer his own phones?” teams to help rebuild five arson stricken churches in Tennes- Today, I join with the many people mentioned in this arti- see. Mitchener’s workers provided the construction expertise cle who are thankful that Dr. Michael E. Haynes and Dr. Don- and Wall’s team members provided the needed community ald S. Ewing reached out across the barriers of busyness and outreach and evangelism. cultural differences to commit to an authentic and reciprocal Also during this period, several couples from Gordon Col- relationship that paved the way for so many significant urban lege with whom I had begun a relationship through my teach- and suburban partnerships. Boston and its suburbs are much ing, had established the Boston Project Ministries, Inc. This in- closer to the Kingdom of God because of their friendship. ner-city Dorchester organization trains and coordinates urban and suburban volunteers for compassionate service in Boston Craig W. McMullen, D.Min., was the first Anglo American through home repairs, neighborhood development, building a ordained by Twelfth Baptist Church, an historic African Ameri- can church in Roxbury, MA. As the church’s Minister to Youth, children’s park and staffing a homework center, collecting and he established the COMING TOGETHER: Christian Youth distributing furniture donations and coordinating partnerships Leadership Movement, which brought together more than 60 for outreach to the homeless. New England youth groups for a ministry of reconciliation, student leadership development and social action. In 1993, In 1999, an MIT University dot com computer tech named he and Rev. Dr. Bruce Wall were called as an interracial team Andrew Sears from the Cambridge Vineyard Christian Fellow- to co-pastor Dorchester Temple Baptist Church, a multiracial ship, connected with Rev. Angel Halstead of Bruce Wall congregation in Boston’s inner city. After earning a D.Min. de- gree from Gordon-Conwell, he joined the faculty of Gordon College, Wenham, MA, Ministries to establish their first PREP community computer as founding director of Gordon in Boston, a residential semester of urban studies. center in Boston’s inner-city neighborhood of Dorchester. Here, hundreds of people receive computer training in an effort

summer 2005 21 Michael L. Colaneri Is Christ in Community

Building community is an integral part of the Church. Congregations have un-

derstood the need to foster and build community within their four walls. But is

the Church also called to be an agent of community-building outside the fellow-

ship of believers? Should a local church be a vital member of its community?

Rev. Paul Bothwell, ’75, thinks that the church should be But when you have so many needs right in front of you, it “about redeeming the community,” a subject he has been pas- can be difficult to do more than just stay afloat. “So, you can sionate about almost all of his adult life. spend your whole time ‘fire-fighting,’ or dealing with surface Bothwell was born to missionary parents in the Republic of level issues, but really need to deal with deeper and more com- Congo, Africa. After moving back to the United States at 15, he plex issues, like why are there so many fires [in the neighbor- eventually graduated from the University of Colorado and then hood] and who might be profiting from that?” came to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The neighborhood was given time to think about those is- After earning his Master of Divinity degree in 1975, Both- sues through a grant from the Riley Foundation. During that well began an urban church plant with Mission to the Americas time, “there was a process of community thinking and planning. (MTTA), and helped to found the Jesus Helps Neighborhood We were asking the questions, ‘Where do we want to go, what Church in 1977 in the Dudley Street section of Boston. After is it that we want to see here, and how might we possibly get the plant became self-sustaining, he then moved on to other that done?’” churches and other roles in MTTA. However, it was during The answers to those questions eventually took the form of this time that Bothwell saw the immense physical, emotional the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), an organiza- and spiritual dismembering that occurs in the inner city. tion in which Bothwell has been involved from the beginning. According to Bothwell, the Dudley street area, in the Rox- Their mission is “To empower Dudley residents to organize, bury/North Dorchester section of Boston, was in shambles. plan for, create and control a vibrant, diverse and high qual- “Half the neighborhood was missing,” he recalls. Basic services ity neighborhood in collaboration with community partners.” weren’t being provided, and trash companies were using empty According to Bothwell, it is “a community-controlled umbrella lots as illegal dumping sites. Residents of the neighborhood re- organization that constantly brings people together to bring ferred to it as “the Bermuda triangle.” A local attorney toured about change.” the neighborhood in 1984 and said it “looked like Beirut.” Since its inception, DSNI has had a number of significant “The community was devastated at that time,” says Both- successes. Its first campaign sought to shut down some of well. For a number of reasons, the neighborhood had fallen the worst offending illegal trash transfer stations in the area. into intense disrepair and the community was fractured. Even Through their efforts, the mayor of the city came in and pad- fundamental services were neglected. “We were just trying to locked two of the lots shut. force the fire department to come sooner ... or at all. There In 1988, DSNI was granted eminent domain authority over were so many fires during that time. Houses burning, businesses abandoned lots within its boundaries, for acquiring land to burning, people burning. And you don’t have to have too many build new housing. It is the only community-based non-profit in people burning right in front of your face before you realize the U.S. to be given such authority. that you need to do something.” No one would argue that the DSNI has been a community

22 summer 2005 revitalization success. But is that the business of the church? cans. And my heart just stopped, as did everyone else’s. You “Yes,” says Bothwell. “The church is and must be Christ incar- know, we thought, what could have happened to her today. So nate here in a given place. [Building community] is a demon- I ran over there with a bunch of others, and she has her head stration of the kingdom, a visible manifestation of the kingdom. over the trash can and turns her head up and looks at us with Now, the work of the kingdom is certainly about church plant- this big, bloody smile on her face and says, ‘Isn’t this an excit- ing, about saving souls, and a lot of other things, too. And, ing day to lose a tooth?’ practically, the church should not be in and leading every single “She was so excited. Then she turned her head back to the effort in the community. That’s crazy. The church does not trash can and then back up at us, eyes sparkling, and said, need to be everything or be involved in everything, but it needs ‘After today, there’s not going to be any more shooting and to be what it can be...what no other entity can be – the heart, killing in this neighborhood, is there?’ You just stand there the soul of the movement.” and your heart drops. Her mother says to the girl, ‘Well, you Bothwell continued,“There was an African proverb I learned know, baby, that isn’t going to happen until the kingdom of while growing up, ‘Together we find the way.’ We need to God comes.’ Then there is another pause, and another woman learn to reconnect with the community that we are a part of, standing around the trash can, a powerful, courageous, Chris- whether here in the city, or the suburbs of Wellesley, or wher- tian woman in the community, says, ‘You know what, honey, ever the church is located. We are connected to that commu- the kingdom of God is here. And we are it.’ nity. We use the sidewalks, utilize the trash pickup. We enjoy “If we are talking about community transformation, and the the streets and the sewer system that works. One very simple healing of broken and bleeding communities and devastated way of connecting is by praying for your community. We pray urban areas, then we sure best be doing the job.” for the people who carry the mail, who pick up the trash, the city councilors, for example – and together we find the way.” He illustrates this with a story. Find out more about DSNI at www.dsni.org “In the community, one piece of land was recently made A book was written about DSNI called Streets of Hope: The Fall and Rise of an into a park devoted primarily to toddlers and young children. Urban Neighborhood, by Peter Medoff and Holly Sklar. A documentary was created Last year was the big celebration for the dedication of this about DSNI called Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street, by Mark Lipman and Leah Mahan. park. It is dedicated to the memory of Trina Persad, a 10- year-old girl who was shot and killed in this neighborhood in Michael L. Colaneri is Assistant Director of Communications at Gordon-Conwell gang crossfire. Her mother and younger siblings still live here. Theological Seminary. So, during the celebration, her younger sister comes running through the crowd crying, with blood dripping out of her mouth and she runs right past me and over to one of the trash

summer 2005 23 A Theology of the City

Is It Time for Another St.Augustine

and a Roland Allen to Set the Case

for the City Once Again?

Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Ph.D.

URELIUS!USTIN !UGUSTINE BISHOPOF(IPPO!$n IN2OMAN .ORTH!FRICA COMPOSEDHISFAMOUS#ITYOF'ODCn ASAN A APOLOGETICTHATANSWEREDTHEALLEGATIONSAGAINST#HRISTIANITYTHAT THE#HRISTIANSWERERESPONSIBLEFORTHESACKOF2OMEIN!$)NTHIS NOWFAMOUSWORK HEREVIEWEDTHEHISTORYOFTHE"IBLEANDTHE2OMAN WORLDANDINTERPRETEDEACHTHEOLOGICALLYUNDERTHERUBRICOFTHEhTWO CITIESvCIVITAS$EIANDCIVITASMUNDI!NDSOITHASBEENSINCETHATTIME FOR!UGUSTINEGAVEUSA"IBLICAL4HEOLOGYOFTHE#ITYASASTRATEGY FORATHEOLOGYOFCULTUREANDFORTHEMINISTRYOFTHE#HURCHINTHEURBAN SETTINGSOFTHISEARTH "UTWEHADTOWAITUNTILTHETHCENTURYTOGETOURNEXTGREAT THINKER 2OLAND!LLENn !LLENSEQUALLYFAMOUSWORKIN ANDWASCALLED-ISSIONARY-ETHODS3T0AULSOR/URS!3TUDY OFTHE#HURCHESINTHE&OUR0ROVINCES!LLENSHOWEDHOWTHECITYHAD BECOMETHESPHEREINWHICHTHEWORKOF'ODWASPROMOTEDANDADVANCED *ESUS THEDISCIPLESANDTHEAPOSTLE0AULWENTPRIMARILYTOTHECENTERSOF POPULATIONTOCLAIMTHEWHOLEAREAFORTHE'OSPELWITHOUTREJECTINGTHE RURALAREASASWELL.OCITYSEEMEDTOBEIMPERVIOUSTOTHEIRMISSION *ERUSALEM !NTIOCH %PHESUS #ORINTH !THENSAND2OME%ACHWASCENTRAL TOTHETASKOFREACHINGTHEREGIONSSURROUNDINGTHEM THUSTHEAPOSTLES SPOKEOFPROVINCESMORETHANOFTHECITIES THOUGHTHECITIESCONTINUEDTO BETHEKEYTOREACHINGTHEPROVINCES

24 summer 2005 "UTSOMECITIES JUSTASEASILYASSOMETOWNSANDVILLAGES TWOCITIESREQUIRESAMUCHMORECAREFULANALYSISTHANMIGHTBE COULDBEGRAVESFORAWORK/THERCHARACTERISTICSAND SUGGESTEDATlRSTBYADICHOTOMIZATIONOFALLHISTORYINTOTWO COMPONENTSHADTOBEPRESENT ACCORDINGTO!LLEN4HEYHADTO LEVELSOFREALITYTHEMATERIALANDTHESPIRITUAL BECENTERSOF2OMANADMINISTRATION FORTHEYREPRESENTEDMORE 7HERESHALLWELOOKFORANEW3T!UGUSTINEANDANEW SECURITYANDGREATERTOLERATION4HEYREPRESENTEDAWORLD WIDE 2OLAND!LLEN 7HOWILLGIVEUSANEW"IBLICAL4HEOLOGYOF EMPIRE ACOMMONCITIZENSHIPINSHORT ALAUNCHINGPADANDA #HRISTAND#ULTURETHATTELLSUSTODOMORETHAN(2ICHARD PREPARATIONCENTERFORADVANCINGTHEKINGDOMOFOUR,ORD .IEBUHRn GAVEUSINHISCLASSIC#HRISTAND %VERYCENTER0AULCHOSEWASALSOACENTEROF'REEK #ULTURE 3URELYTHE'OSPELMUSTPENETRATETHECULTURE AS CIVILIZATION FOR'REEKWASTHEMEDIUMINWHICH0AULPREACHED .IEBUHRADVISEDINONEOFHISOPTIONSFORSOLVINGTHISTENSION THE'OSPEL WROTEHISEPISTLESANDTAUGHTTHEPEOPLE"UTEACH BETWEEN#HRISTANDCULTUREBUTITMUSTALSOTRANSFORMITBY OFTHESECENTERSWASLIKEWISEACENTEROF*EWISHCULTUREAND THEPOWEROFTHE,IVING7ORDANDTHE7RITTEN7ORDOF'OD INmUENCE0AULTOOKADVANTAGEOFTHESPECIALSTATUS*EWSENJOYED !NDALARGEPARTOFTHATTRANSFORMATIONMUSTNOTONLYBE THROUGHOUTTHE2OMANWORLDTHESEWHOWEREFREEOFEMPEROR MINISTRIESOFCOMPASSIONWITHMENTAL PHYSICALANDSOCIAL WORSHIP MILITARYDRAFTANDFREETOADMINISTERTHEIROWNFUNDS HEALINGITMUSTHAVEAMINISTRYTHATSPEAKSTOTHETOTAL 4HESECENTERSOFWORLDCOMMERCEBECAMETHECROSSROADSOF TRANSFORMATIONOFTHEHEARTBYTHEPOWEROFTHE7ORDOF THEWORLD4HROUGHTHEIRGATESmOWEDTHEMATERIAL INTELLECTUAL 'ODASWELL/URGENERATIONOFBELIEVERSMUSTTAKETHESAME ANDSOCIALWEALTHOFTHEWORLD REVOLUTIONARYSTANCETHATWASTAKENBYTHE/LD4ESTAMENT 4HUS THEAPOSTLE0AULSETASTRONGURBANORIENTATIONFORWORLD PROPHETSOFAFORMERDAY4HEYWEREREVOLUTIONARIES INDEED EVANGELISM#ONTRARYTOTHE1UMRANCOMMUNITYSESCAPISTAND BUTTHEYDIDNOTATTEMPTTOTRANSFORMSOCIETYBYATTACKINGTHE SEPARATISTMENTALITY WHICHWITHDREWFROMSOCIETYINISOLATION INSTITUTIONSORGOVERNMENTSOFSOCIETY.O INSTEAD THEYWENT THE EARLY PIONEERS FOR INEVERYCASEFORTHE THE #HRISTIAN FAITH Our generation of believers must take the TRANSFORMATIONOF BLAZED AHEAD WITH A THEHEARTSANDSOULS 3PIRIT LEDINVESTMENTOF same revolutionary stance that was taken by the Old OFMENANDWOMEN THEIRLABORSRIGHTINTHE BOYSANDGIRLSAS HEARTOFTHEKEYCITIES Testament prophets of a former day. THEIRlRSTORDEROF OF INmUENCE WEALTH BUSINESS3OMUST COMMERCE AND CULTURE THAT REACHED OUT TO LARGE SURROUNDING WE WITHOUTDROPPINGTHEBALLONWORKINGJUSTASEARNESTLYON AREAS BEYOND THE CITYS BORDERS ! GOOD ILLUSTRATION OF THIS MINISTRIESOFCOMPASSION-ANYAREHURTINGSOBADLYINBODY STRATEGYCANBEFOUNDIN)4HESSALONIANS 0AULNOTESTHAT MINDANDENVIRONMENTTHATTHEYCANNOTHEARTHEBEAUTIFUL THE'OSPELCAMETO4HESSALONICAhNOTSIMPLYINWORDS BUTALSO WORDSORTHEPOWEROFTHE'OSPEL4HUS LIKETHE3ALVATION WITH POWER WITH THE (OLY 3PIRIT AND WITH DEEP CONVICTIONv !RMY OFTENWEMUSTGIVETHECITIESOFTHEWORLDTHATARETHE VS   4HESE BELIEVING 4HESSALONICANS BECAME hA MODEL TO KEYREGIONALINmUENCERSSOUP SOAPANDTHENSALVATION TOPUT ALLTHEBELIEVERSIN-ACEDONIAAND!CHAIAvVS ASTHOSEIN THEMATTERINREALASWELLASlGURATIVETERMS 4HESSALONICAWHOlRSTHEARDTHE'OSPELBECAMEhIMITATORSOF 4OWARDTHATEND THEMINISTRYOFOUR#ENTERFOR5RBAN USANDOFTHE,ORDvVS (ERE THEN EXISTSAMODELFORUSTO -INISTERIAL%DUCATION#5-% IN2OXBURY "OSTON WILL BY ALSOADOPTINOURDESIRETOPLANANDACTSTRATEGICALLYINTHEKEY 'ODSGRACE SERVEASAMODELOF'ORDON #ONWELLSLOVEFOR CITIESOFTHEWORLD OUROWNNEIGHBORINGCITY"OSTON THEMODERN!THENSOFTHE .ORSHOULDWEEXPECTANYTHINGLESSFROMASTUDYOFTHE WORLD ANDASOURSTAKEINTHEHEARTOFTHECITYFORTHESAKE CITIESINTHE/LD4ESTAMENT&ROMTHElRSTCITYBUILTBY OFTHE'OSPEL!NDITWILLDEMONSTRATEADESIREFORTHECITIES #AINTOTHElNALCITYBUILTBY'OD COMINGDOWNFROMABOVE OFTHEWORLDTOBEMINISTEREDTOASSTRATEGICALLYAS2OLAND!LLEN INTHEBOOKOF2EVELATION  THEREISBOTHCONTRAST MAPPEDOUTALMOSTYEARSAGO ANDASCULTURALLYANDTHEOLOGICALLY ANDOPPORTUNITY,ETUSNOTFOCUSONTHEEVILSOFTHECITYAS SENSITIVEAS3T!UGUSTINETRACEDINHISWORKYEARSAGO IFTHISIMPERSONALREALITYWASTHESOURCEOFOURPROBLEMS)T 'ODHELPINGHISPEOPLE MAYANINVASIONOFTHELOVING ISNOT
)THASTHEVERYSAMEPROBLEMSTHELOCAL#HURCHHAS SERVANTSOFOUR,ORDFROM'ORDON #ONWELLINGENERAL PEOPLE
7EARETHEMAINPROBLEM
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TOAFUTUREERA 3OCOMPASSIONATEWASOUR,ORDOVERONECITYONEARTHTHAT Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Ph.D., is President and Colman M. Mockler HEWEPTWITHREALTEARSANDSORROWASHECRIEDOUT Distinguished Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. An internationally recognized Old h/*ERUSALEM *ERUSALEM YOUWHOKILLTHEPROPHETSAND Testament scholar, Dr. Kaiser continues his classroom teaching STONETHOSESENTTOYOU(OWOFTEN)HAVELONGEDTOGATHER and is a popular Bible preacher and teacher at churches and YOURCHILDRENTOGETHER ASAHENGATHERSHERCHICKS BUTYOU conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad. He formerly served in leadership capacities at Trinity Evangelical Divinity WERENOTWILLINGv-ATT .)6  School including the position of academic dean, and has 4HEREFORE TODEPICTTHECITYASEVILWOULDBETOMISSTHE authored over 30 books, among them, Revive Us Again: Biblical PROBLEMOFSINANDTHEFACTTHAT3CRIPTURELOCATESSINSROOTS Insights for Encouraging Spiritual Renewal, Toward An Old Testament Theology and A History of Israel. He received M.A. INTHEHEARTSOFMENANDWOMEN4HUS OURPROBLEMOFTHE and Ph.D. degrees from Brandeis University

summer 2005 25 New CUME building at 90 Warren Street #ONTEXTUALIZED5RBAN4HEOLOGICAL%DUCATION 4HE#ENTER&OR5RBAN-INISTERIAL%DUCATIONS'UIDING0HILOSOPHY Eldin Villafañe, Ph.D.

Introduction /NEOFTHEMANYCHALLENGESTHATCONFRONTSTHEURBANCHURCH THECITY*EREMIAH ,OCATION0ILGRIM3EMINARY #5-% TODAYISTHENEEDFORTRAINEDLEADERSHIPˆNOTJUSTMORECLERGY ISSITUATED BOTHADMINISTRATIVELYANDPROGRAMMATICALLYINTHE BUTGRASSROOTSLEADERSHIP WOMENANDMEN WHOAREBOTHCALLED CONTEXTOFITSMINISTRYˆTHEINNERCITY4HOUGH#5-%DOESHAVE BY'ODANDEMPOWEREDBYTHE3PIRITTOMAKEADIFFERENCEIN ANADMINISTRATIVEBUILDINGHOUSINGOFlCES AFUNCTIONALLIBRARYAND THEIRCOMMUNITIES4HEOLOGICALEDUCATION GEAREDTOTRAININGTHE TWOSMALLCLASSROOMS THROUGHOUTOURHISTORY WEHAVETAUGHT INDIGENOUSLEADERSHIPOFURBANCHURCHESINTHECONTEXTOFTHEIR COURSESINDECENTRALIZEDCLASSSITES UTILIZINGEXISTINGCHURCHAND EVERYDAYMINISTRY ISNEEDEDONALLLEVELS5NFORTUNATELY MUCH PARACHURCHFACILITIESTHROUGHOUTTHECITYANDTHE'REATER"OSTON OFTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONDOESNOTCRITICALLYlTTHEURBANSCENE AREA0RESENTLYCLASSESARETAUGHTINABOUTDISTINCTSITES.OT CHOOSINGTOIGNORETHECITYASAPOSITIVELOCUSOF'ODSREDEMPTIVE ONLYDOESTHISREmECTBIBLICALSTEWARDSHIP BUTTHEPRACTICEOF ACTIVITY4HERESULTISANEDUCATIONALPROCESSANDPRODUCTWHICH SITUATINGCOURSESINAVARIETYOFLOCATIONSISALSOAWAYTHAT#5-% APPROACHESURBANMINISTRYASAPROBLEMTOBESOLVED RATHERTHAN ISINFORMEDBYTHECONTEXTOFMINISTRYANDEXPOSESSTUDENTSTOTHE ASANOPPORTUNITYTODISCOVERTHESIGNSOF'ODSREIGN RICHNESSANDDIVERSITYOFTHECITY#OMPOSITIONOF!DMINISTRATIVE 4HUS MANYINSTITUTIONSANDPROGRAMSARENOTCONTEXTUALIZEDTO 3TAFF &ACULTYAND!DVISORY"OARDS4HEADMINISTRATION FACULTYAND THEURBANENVIRONMENT DONOTTAKEINTOACCOUNTTHEEXPERIENCE !DVISORY"OARDSARECOMPRISEDOFREPRESENTATIVESOFTHECONSTITUENT GIFTSANDEXPERTISEOFTHEEXISTINGLEADERSHIP ANDARENOTREmECTIVE COMMUNITIES&OR#5-% THEFACULTY ADMINISTRATIVESTAFFAND OFTHECOMMUNITIESTHATAREINTHECITY4HEIREDUCATIONALPOLICIES BOARDSAREREmECTIVEOF"OSTONSMULTIETHNICANDMULTICULTURAL CURRICULUMANDTEACHINGMETHODOLOGIESDONOThlTvADIVERSE REALITY WITH!FRICAN!MERICANS (ISPANICS "RAZILIANS (AITIANSAND CONSTITUENCY4HECOMMUNITYHASNOhOWNERSHIPvOFTHEPROGRAM !NGLOSREPRESENTEDINVARIOUSPOSITIONS0RESENCEOF,IBERATING ANDTHUSPARTICIPATESTOAMARGINALDEGREE)NCONTRAST THE#ENTER 3TRUCTURESAND0OLICIES'IVENTHEUNIQUESOCIOCULTURALREALITY FOR5RBAN-INISTERIAL%DUCATION#5-% HASGRAPPLEDWITH NEEDSANDGIFTSOF#5-%SINNERCITYCONSTITUENCIES #5-%SEEKS THESEREALITIES DETERMININGTOPRESENTTHE'OSPELINITSHOLISTIC TOSERVEITSSTUDENTSWITHAMINIMUMOFBUREAUCRACY4HEREISA DIMENSIONSˆFROMEVANGELISMTOSOCIALJUSTICE)NDOINGSO #5-% DISTINCTEMPHASISONFACE TO FACEANDPERSONALCONTACTSREmECTING HASSTRUCTUREDITSELFTOBEINTHECITY OFTHECITYANDFORTHECITY THEORALCULTURETRADITIONOF#5-%SCONSTITUENCIES4HEMENUOF *EREMIAH  COURSEOFFERINGSINTHELATEAFTERNOON EVENINGSANDONWEEKENDS 5NDERGIRDINGALLOF#5-%SEDUCATIONALPHILOSOPHYAND ACCOMMODATESTHEREALITYTHATTHEMAJORITYOF#5-%SSTUDENTS STRUCTURE FROMTHEDIPLOMATOTHEDOCTORALPROGRAMS ISTHECONCEPT AREBI VOCATIONAL#OMMITMENTTO!FFORDABLE%DUCATION#5-% OFCONTEXTUALIZEDURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATION#ONTEXTUALIZATION ISMINDFULTHATTHECOSTOFASEMINARYEDUCATIONISOFTENABARRIER MEANSMANYTHINGSTOMANYPEOPLE BUTTHEBESTIMAGEANDBIBLICAL FORINNER CITYCHURCHLEADERS4HROUGHTHECONTINUEDSUPPORTOF INSIGHTINTOITSMEANINGISTHE)NCARNATION)TISTHEh(OLY/THERv 'ORDON #ONWELL4HEOLOGICAL3EMINARY THETUITIONCOSTSAT#5-% PITCHING'ODSTENTAMONGUSINTHEPERSONOF*ESUS#HRIST*OHN HAVEBEENKEPTATALEVELCOMMENSURATEWITHITSCONSTITUENT 0HILIPPIANS  #ONTEXTUALIZINGANEDUCATIONALENDEAVORIN STUDENTPOPULATIONS#OMMUNITYh/WNERSHIPv#5-%SEES THEMIDSTOFACITYMEANSEXPRESSINGANhURBANKENOSISvˆEMPTYING ITSRELATIONSHIPSWITHTHESURROUNDINGCOMMUNITYASVITALLY ONESELFFORTHESERVICEOFOTHERS4HETHEOLOGY CURRICULUM TEACHING IMPORTANT)NAVERYREALSENSE THEREARESEVERALhCOMMUNITIESv METHODSANDACADEMICPOLICIESAREINFORMEDBYTHECONTEXTOF WHICHAREREmECTEDBYTHELANGUAGECONSTITUENCIESTHATCOMPRISE MINISTRYIEBYTHECITYANDITSCONSTITUENCIES  #5-%SSTUDENTBODY/WNERSHIPBYTHECOMMUNITYTAKESMANY 7HILEURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONENCOMPASSESMINISTRYTOTHE FORMS AMONGTHEMCURRICULUMANDMENTOREDMINISTRYINPUT MIDDLECLASSANDTHEWEALTHYINOURCITIES #5-%SPRIMARYFOCUS REPRESENTATIONONTHE!DVISORY"OARD SUPPORTOFFUND RAISINGFROM ISMINISTRYTOTHEhINNERCITIESvOFOURGREATMETROPOLISES4HE THECOMMUNITIESOFSERVICEANDACTIVERELATIONSHIPSWITHCHURCHES SPECIlCITYOFEDUCATINGPEOPLEFORMINISTRYAMONGTHEhPOORvHAS ANDDENOMINATIONALJUDICATORIES MAINTAINEDTHROUGHPERSONAL BIBLICALWARRANTSASWELLASSOCIOCULTURALRELEVANCY CONTACTS

Contextualization as Missiological Contextualization as Serving a Multiethnic and and Structural Integrity Multicultural Constituency #ONTEXTUALIZEDURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONAT#5-%INCLUDESBUT !BASICQUESTIONTHATMUSTBEASKEDBYANYEDUCATIONALINSTITUTION ISNOTLIMITEDTO THEFOLLOWINGDIMENSIONS IS7HOMAREWEEDUCATING 4HEQUESTIONOFCONSTITUENCYIS #OMMITMENTTOTHE3HALOMOFTHE#ITY#5-%SEESITSELFAND ADDRESSEDBY#5-%INSEVERALWAYS!h0EOPLEOF'ODv0ARADIGM ITSEDUCATIONALMISSIONASCONTRIBUTINGTOTHEOVERALLSHALOMOFTHE #5-%SEEKSTOTRAINALLOF'ODSCHILDRENTOEXERCISETHEIRGIFTS CITY INPARTNERSHIPWITHTHEURBANCHURCH)TSEEKSTHESHALOMOF INSERVICETOTHE#HURCHANDTHEWORLD#5-%HASPURPOSELY

26 summer 2005 STRUCTUREDITSCLASSESFORBOTHCLERGYANDLAITYTOBEENGAGEDIN BESEENIN3AMUELANDTHE3CHOOLOFTHE0ROPHETS *ESUSANDTHE THEOLOGICALSTUDYTOGETHER4HEDYNAMICWHICHEMERGESFROM $ISCIPLES AND0AULANDTHE3CHOOLOF4YRANNUS!CTS  THEhPEOPLEOF'ODvPARADIGMPROVIDESFORRICHINTERACTIONAS -ENTORED-INISTRY!PPROACH&ORDEGREESTUDENTS AVERYSPECIlC PEOPLEREmECTUPONTHETASKOFURBANMINISTRY!-ULTIETHNICAND WAYOFEMPHASIZINGTHEACTION REmECTIONMETHODOLOGY ASWELL -ULTILINGUAL%MPHASIS(ISTORICALLY OURCITIESHAVEBEENTHELOCUSOF ASTHEADULT STUDENT DIRECTEDLEARNING ISFOUNDINTHE-ENTORED ETHNICANDCULTURALDIVERSITY4HEYARE INEFFECT AMICROCOSMOFOUR -INISTRY0ROGRAM-ENTORED-INISTRYISABRIDGEFROMTHE WORLD4HEhTRADITIONALMINORITIESvˆ!FRICAN!MERICAN (ISPANIC CLASSROOMLEARNINGENVIRONMENTTOTHEPRACTICALREALITIESOFMINISTRY AND.ATIVE!MERICANˆARENOWBEINGJOINEDBYTHOUSANDSOFNEW INTHElELD4HROUGHTHEINTEGRATIONOFTWOTOFOURCOLLOQUIATWO IMMIGRANTS FROM"RAZIL (AITI THE#ARIBBEAN ,ATIN!MERICAAND FOR-!STUDENTS FOURFOR-$IV WITHPEERREmECTIONGROUPS !SIA RESULTINGINACHANGINGMOSAICINTHEGREATER"OSTONAREA ANDASTRUCTUREDMENTORINGEXPERIENCEWITHATRAINEDMENTOR 2ECOGNIZINGTHATTHECHURCHESINTHECITYPARALLELTHEDEMOGRAPHIC THESTUDENTEXPERIENCESADYNAMICAPPROACHTHATEMPHASIZESTHE SHIFTS #5-%HASALWAYSEMPHASIZEDTHENEEDTOOFFERCOURSESINA INTEGRATIONOFSEMINARYLEARNINGWITHTHEIRPERSONALEXPERIENCES VARIETYOFLANGUAGES4HUS CLASSESAREOFFEREDIN%NGLISH 3PANISH .ON TRADITIONAL$EGREE!DMISSION3TRUCTURES#OMBINEDWITH &RENCH#REOLEFOR(AITIANS 0ORTUGUESEFOR"RAZILIANS !MERICAN -ORE4RADITIONAL/NES&ROMITSVERYBEGINNINGS #5-%HAS 3IGN,ANGUAGEPERIODICALLY AND+HMERFOR#AMBODIANS !N SOUGHTTOSERVETHEMATURE#HRISTIANLEADERBYPROVIDINGIN SERVICE )NCLUSIVE!PPROACH #5-%HASINTENTIONALLYSOUGHTTOREmECTTHE TRAININGWHILEINTHECONTEXTOFMINISTRY4HEEXPERIENCESANDPRIOR INCLUSIONOFWOMENINALLLEVELSOFITSMINISTRYˆADMINISTRATION LEARNINGANDKNOWLEDGEOFSTUDENTSARENOTONLYAFlRMED THEY FACULTYANDSTUDENTS7OMENARETRAINEDONPARWITHTHEIRMALE ARESEENASESSENTIALTOTHEEDUCATIONALTASK"ECAUSEASIGNIlCANT COUNTERPARTS REGARDLESSOFTHEQUESTIONOFTHEROLEOFWOMENWITH PORTIONOF#5-%SSTUDENTSLACKTHETYPICALPRE SEMINARY WHICHSOMEDENOMINATIONSCONTINUETOWRESTLE!HIGHPERCENTAGEOF CREDENTIALSEGABACCALAUREATEDEGREE BUTARECAPABLEOFSERIOUS THE#5-%STUDENTBODYAREWOMEN-ULTIDENOMINATIONAL$IVERSITY ANDRIGOROUSTHEOLOGICALSTUDYANDREmECTION WHILEENGAGEDIN 4HEDIVERSITYOFTHECITYINCLUDESITSRELIGIOUSDIMENSION#5-% MINISTRY #5-%PROVIDESANALTERNATIVEDELIVERYSYSTEMOFGRADUATE WELCOMESANDAFlRMSAMULTIPLICITYOF#HRISTIANDENOMINATIONSAND THEOLOGICALEDUCATION4HE$IPLOMAWASDESIGNEDTOPROVIDEDA RELIGIOUSCONFESSIONS WHICHAREREmECTIVEOFTHEMANYSTOREFRONTAND KINDOFhACADEMICPROVINGGROUNDvFORTHOSESTUDENTSWHOLACK INDEPENDENTCHURCHESTHATDOTTHEURBANLANDSCAPE THETYPICALPREREQUISITEUNDERGRADUATECREDENTIAL7HENCOMBINED WITHASTUDENTSMINISTERIALEXPERIENCEANDAPPLICATIONPORTFOLIO Contextualization and the Urban Curriculum THE$IPLOMAPROVIDESFORASOLIDASSESSMENTOFASTUDENTSACADEMIC 4HEREARETHREEOVERARCHINGOBJECTIVESTHATCOMPRISE#5-%S ABILITY7HILETHE$IPLOMAMAYBEANENDINGCREDENTIALFORSOME CURRICULARFOUNDATIONA 4OFORMLEADERSAMONGTHEPEOPLEOF FOROTHERSITISASTEPPINGSTONEINTOONEOFTHEMASTERSDEGREEOR 'ODB BYINFORMINGTHEMABOUT3CRIPTURE TRADITION REASONAND DOCTORALPROGRAMS4HUS #5-%HASPROVIDEDANON TRADITIONAL EXPERIENCEINSOCIAL CULTURALANDCONCRETEHISTORICALCONTEXTS WAYFORSTUDENTSWHOARECALLEDBY'ODINTOMINISTRY BUTWHO SOTHATC THEYMAYSERVEASAGENTSOFTRANSFORMATIONINTHEIR INTHEFACEOFTHETRADITIONALENTRANCEREQUIREMENTSFORSEMINARY CHURCHESANDCOMMUNITIES4HECURRICULUMINVOLVESNOTJUSTTHE EDUCATION WOULDTYPICALLYBEDENIEDACCESSINTOTHEOLOGICAL CONTENTTOBECOMMUNICATED BUTALSOTHEPROCESSESBYWHICHTHIS EDUCATION OCCURS4HUS WHATIShTAUGHTvTHROUGHEXAMPLEORETHOSTHE 4HOSESTUDENTSWHOCOMETO#5-%WITHANUNDERGRADUATE IMPLICITCURRICULUM ANDWHATISNOTTAUGHTTHENULLCURRICULUM DEGREEORHIGHER AREELIGIBLEFORADMISSIONTHROUGHTHETRADITIONAL COMBINESWITHTHEACTUALCOURSEOFFERINGSANDPOLICIESTHEEXPLICIT APPLICATIONPROCESSES%XCELLENCE#ONTEXTUALLY$ElNED#5-% ORMANIFESTCURRICULUM TOCREATETHETOTALCURRICULARVEHICLEIN ISCOMMITTEDTOEXCELLENCE(OWEVER THECONCERNFOREXCELLENCE WHICHTHESTUDENTPARTICIPATES3EVERALFACTORSDISTINGUISH#5-%S ISNOTDElNEDINRELATIONSHIPTOTHEUNIVERSITYSEMINARYhGUILDv CONTEXTUALIZEDURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONAPPROACH WITHITSEMPHASISONTHEORETICALCONTENTMASTERY%XCELLENCEIS CONTEXTUALˆDElNEDBYANOVERARCHINGCONCERNFORSTUDENTSTO !DULT#ENTERED%MPHASIS /NEOFTHECHARACTERISTICSOFADULT DEVELOPHIGHQUALITYPROFESSIONALMINISTERIALSKILLS KNOWLEDGEAND LEARNERSISTHEIRDESIRETOBERESPONSIBLEFORTHEIROWNLEARNING PRACTICEFORURBANMINISTRY4EACHINGISCENTEREDAROUNDPROVIDING PROCESSES#OMINGASTHEYAREFROMRICHLIFEEXPERIENCESAND THENECESSARYTOOLSFORSTUDENTSTOCONTINUEREmECTIVESTUDYON MINISTERIALBACKGROUNDS #5-%STUDENTSOFTENAPPROACH THEIROWNONCETHEIRSEMINARYEDUCATIONHASBEENCOMPLETEDˆTHUS THEOLOGICALEDUCATIONFROMAPROBLEM CENTEREDVIEWPOINT4HEY LIFELONGLEARNINGSKILLSAREEMPHASIZED SEEKCONCRETESOLUTIONSTOSPECIlCLIFEMINISTRYSITUATIONS!TTHE 4HEFOREMOSTEMPHASISFORFACULTYISONQUALITYCLASSROOM SAMETIME HOWEVER #5-%RECOGNIZESTHATTHEFELTNEEDSOFMANY TEACHING3CHOLARLYPRODUCTION WHILEIMPORTANT DOESNOTDETRACT MAYONLYBETHETIPOFTHEICEBERGINTERMSOFFULlLLINGDEEPER FROMTHEQUALITYOFTHECLASSROOMEXPERIENCE BUTINFORMSTHE NEEDSOFITSADULTLEARNERS4HESTUDENTSEXPERIENCESAREMARRIED PROFESSORSTEACHINGCONTENTANDMETHODOLOGIES0ROFESSORSARE WITHTHETHEORETICALCONCEPTSOFMINISTRY!CTIONn2EmECTION SELECTEDUPONTHEIRCOMPETENCEINAlELD EXPERIENCEINMINISTRY 0RAXIS "ASED-ETHODOLOGY"ECAUSEOFITSADULTEDUCATIONALFOCUS ASWELLASTHEABILITYTOCOMMUNICATETHEKNOWLEDGEANDSKILLS #5-%AIMSTOFOSTERAHIGHDEGREEOFTHEOLOGICALREmECTIONIN UTILIZINGAPPROPRIATEMETHODOLOGIESANDTECHNIQUES ITSSTUDENTS"EGINNINGFROMTHESTUDENTSEXPERIENCESINMINISTRY #ONTENT#LASSICAL 9ET#UTTING%DGE#5-%ADHERESTOTHE CONNECTIONSAREMADETOTHEORETICALANDPRACTICALCONCEPTSTAUGHT MISSIONSTATEMENTOF'ORDON #ONWELL WITHITSUNSWERVING INTHECLASSROOM4HUS ADIALECTICBETWEENTHEORYANDPRACTICEIS FAITHFULNESSTOTHEBIBLICALREVELATIONANDEVANGELICALSTATEMENTS ENCOURAGED&ORSOMESTUDENTS THISTAKESTHEFORMOFLABELINGWHAT OFTHE#HRISTIANFAITH4HECLASSICALDOCTRINESOFOURFAITHARE THEYINTUITIVELYHAVEBEENDOINGINMINISTRYFOROTHERSTHISPROCESS COMMUNICATEDWITHANEYETOWARDHELPINGSTUDENTSBIBLICALLYAPPLY INVOLVESMOVINGFROMTHEORYTOPRACTICE TRYINGOUTNEWSKILLSAND THEIRFAITHTOCONCRETESITUATIONS4HEMOTIFOFhDOINGTHEOLOGYv CONCEPTSINTHEIRMINISTRYSETTINGSANDEVALUATINGANDRElNINGTHEM ISMARRIEDWITHTHETRADITIONALhSTUDYINGTHEOLOGYv3TUDENTS ASTHEYRECEIVEFEEDBACK4HEGOALOFALLOF#5-%SCURRICULUMIS AREENCOURAGEDTOAPPLYBIBLICALKNOWLEDGETOTHEEVERYDAYLIFE TOTEACHSTUDENTSHOWTOMOVEFREELYBETWEENTHEORYANDPRACTICE EXPERIENCE3TUDENTSARETAUGHTSKILLSTOHELPTHEMEXEGETENOTONLY REmECTINGUPONWHATISBEINGDONEINMINISTRYANDWHY"IBLICAL THE"IBLE BUTTHEIRCOMMUNITIESASWELL4HUS STUDENTSLEARNAND MODELSWHICHUNDERGIRDTHEACTIONREmECTIONMETHODOLOGYMAY EXPLORETOOLSFORSOCIALANALYSISANDSOCIALTRANSFORMATION

summer 2005 27

Urban youth ministry is different from suburban or rural youth ministry. So is the teaching of urban youth ministry in an urban setting. So is theology in an urban context.

9OUMAYHAVEBEENWITHMEUNTILTHATLASTSTATEMENT,ETMEQUALIFYANDEXPLAIN4HEREARE ABSOLUTESANDUNIVERSALSINTHEOLOGYBASEDON'ODSREVEALEDTRUTHIN#HRISTTHELIVING7ORD AND3CRIPTURE THEWRITTEN7ORDOF'OD"UTTHEQUESTIONSASKED THEPRIORITIESSETANDTHE APPLICATIONSEMPHASIZEDMAYDIFFER4HESTYLEOFTHEOLOGYINBARRIOORGHETTOISBOUNDTOBE DIFFERENTFROMTHEOLOGYINMOREAFmUENTSETTINGS !TTHESEMINARY THEREAREALSOABSOLUTESANDUNIVERSALSINTHETEACHINGANDPRACTICEOF YOUTHMINISTRY"UTTHEDYNAMICSINTHECLASSROOMARESTRIKINGLYDIFFERENTBETWEENACLASSOF %UROPEAN AND!SIAN !MERICANSTUDENTSONEORTWOYEARSFROMCOLLEGE WHOHAVENOTSTRUGGLED WITHPOVERTYORSTREETVIOLENCEORCOLORDISCRIMINATION ANDAGROUPOF!FRICAN !MERICANS REFUGEESFROMTROUBLEDWARZONESAND#ARIBBEANIMMIGRANTSWHOAREACCUSTOMEDTOTHERAW REALITIESOFLIFE WHOAREOLDER MARRIEDANDTAKINGCAREOFTHEIROWNCHILDRENWHILEWORKING

Professor Dean Borgman FULLTIMEANDBEINGEXPECTEDTODOTOOMUCHATCHURCH4HEFORMERCOMESTOCLASSFROMADAY

Urban Youth Ministry Urban Youth and a Theological Education OFOTHERCLASSESANDSTUDYTHELATTERFROMWORKANDAVARIETYOFPRESSURES#5-%STUDENTS TENDTOHAVEMORELIFEEXPERIENCEBEHINDTHEMTHANTHETYPICALMIDDLE CLASSSUBURBANSTUDENT) LOVETEACHINGTHEMBOTH AT(AMILTONORINURBAN2OXBURY)LIKEITBESTWHENTHEYAREMIXED INTHESAMECLASS 9OUNGPEOPLEANYWHEREAREREACHEDASWEPAYATTENTIONTOTHEM CAREABOUTANDRESPECT THEM ANDWHENWEEXTENDTRUTH LOVEANDHOPETOTHEMIN*ESUS#HRISTANDTHEPOWEROFTHE (OLY3PIRIT!hNATURALvYOUTHWORKER WILLINGTOPAYTHEPRICEANDTAKETHETIME CANRELATE TOANDENCOURAGEYOUNGPEOPLEINANYSETTING"UTTHEREARESUBTLEDIFFERENCESACROSSCULTURES DIFFERENCESTHATCANMAKEORBREAKAMINISTRYINTHELONGRUNˆANDSOMETIMESTHESHORTTIME 4HEREAREALSODIFFERENCES OFCOURSE AMONGURBANSEMINARIANS3OMELOVE-ARTIN,UTHER +ING *R/THERSGETMOREEXCITEDABOUT-ALCOLM83OMEHATEHIP HOP/THERSSEEITAS THEBIGGESTTHINGINTHEWORLDANDANIMPORTANTPARTOFDYNAMICYOUTHMINISTRY3OMETHINK RACISMISATIREDISSUEOTHERSBELIEVEITREMAINSAFORMIDABLECRISIS)TISPOSSIBLETOTEACHAT #5-%ANDAVOIDTHESEISSUES"UT-ARTINAND-ALCOLMREMAINENDURINGICONS ANDWENEED TOKNOWWHY(IP HOPSHOULDHAVEGONEAWAYBYNOW BUTITISSTILLTHESTYLEOFTHEYOUNG

28 summer 2005 2ELATIONSHIPSBETWEENSUBURBANANDURBANBROTHERSANDSISTERS EARLYINSPIRATIONCAMEFROM'ORDON #ONWELLALUM 0ETER CANBENICE BUTTHEYWILLNEVERGODEEPWITHOUTEXPLORINGTHE +ISPERT WASINTHETHICKOFITALL ATTENDINGSCORESOFFUNERALS DAMAGINGEFFECTSOFRACISMONALLOFUS UNTILHECOULDHARDLYTAKEANYMORE(ETOLDUSABOUTHIS 9OUMAYAGREETHATTHEPRECEDINGPARAGRAPHISACHALLENGE STRUGGLESATONEOFMYCLASSESAT4WELFTH"APTIST#HURCH!FTER TOTHECURRICULUMOFURBANMINISTERIALEDUCATION"UTIFYOU ANEXTRAORDINARYATTACKATAFUNERALINACHURCHSANCTUARY DO YOUARETHEREBYSUGGESTINGTHATTHESEISSUESMUSTALSOBEA PASTOREDBYTHE2EV*OHN"ORDERS SEVERALBLACKMINISTERS PARTOFSUBURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATION CAMETOGETHERTHEBEGINNINGOF"OSTONS4EN0OINT#OALITION  /NETHINGISCERTAINABOUTURBANYOUTHMINISTRYANDURBAN .OONEHADEVERHEARDOFGANGMEMBERSDISREGARDINGTHE THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION THEY ARE CONTROVERSIAL 4HE URBAN SANCTITYOFACHURCHINTHISWAY/UTRAGE HUMILITY DESPERATION EXPERIENCEˆTHATIS REALLYBECOMINGINVOLVEDINTHELIFEOFTHE ANDCOURAGEBROUGHTPASTORSANDYOUTHWORKERS SECULARAND INNER CITYˆIS BOUND TO CHALLENGE PREVIOUSLY HELD CONCEPTIONS #HRISTIANLEADERSTOGETHERINANUNPRECEDENTEDCOLLABORATION AND LIFESTYLES !NYONE WHO 0ASTORSTOOKTOTHESTREETS GOES TO THE CITY TO SERVE OR The urban experience–that is– really becoming involved ATNIGHTPAROLEOFlCERS TO TEACH WILL END UP ON THE ANDPOLICEWORKEDIN LEARNING END !NY hONE in the life of the inner city–is bound to PARTNERSHIP#OMMUNITIES WAY STREETv EVANGELISM OR SAID h.OMORETHISIS #HRISTIAN INSTRUCTION WILL ENOUGHWEWILLNOTPROTECT END UP IN PATERNALISM AND challenge previously held conceptions and lifestyles. THEPERPETRATORSv&ROM COUNTER PRODUCTIVE EFFORTS THESTORMOFVIOLENCECAME $R$OUGAND*UDY(ALL LEADERSOF"OSTONS%MMANUEL'OSPEL ANUNUSUALCALM.OTEENAGERWASKILLEDINOVERTWOYEARS
#ENTER ARELONG TIMESTUDENTSOFTHISPHENOMENON )TWASCALLEDTHE"OSTON-IRACLE ANDWASSTUDIEDBYCITIES )N )WENTTO-ANHATTANS,OWER%AST3IDETOHELP AROUNDTHECOUNTRY OUTAYOUNGERFRIEND)STARTEDTOSERVExYES )DIDSERVETHOSE .OW INTHISNEWCENTURY TEENAGEVIOLENCEISAGAINONTHE WHOWEREWILLINGTOKICKTHEIRHEROINHABITS THOSEWHOHAD RISE!NDTHISVIOLENCE ALONGWITHSEXUALPROMISCUITY DRUG GOTTENKICKEDOUTOFHOMEORSCHOOL ANDSOFORTH"UTMOSTLY ABUSEANDSUICIDE ISGROWINGIN"OSTONANDELSEWHERE-OST )WASLEARNING AND)HADSOMUCHTOLEARN YOUNGPEOPLEARECOPINGADMIRABLYWITHMEDIAANDOTHER )N )WANDEREDDOWNTO"OSTONANDDIDSOMEWORK PRESSURESOFMEDIAˆANDWEAKNESSESINSOCIALSYSTEMSTHAT WITHURBANYOUTH"Y )WASTEACHINGAT#5-%)HAD USEDTOSUSTAINTHEIRAGEGROUP"UTAMINORITYOFYOUTHIS SOMETHINGTOGIVE SOMETHINGTOTEACH"UTAGAIN )FOUND GETTINGINTOSERIOUSTROUBLE MYSELFBEINGSTRETCHEDANDLEARNING!NDTHATPROCESSGOESON 4HISISTHECHALLENGEANDTHEBENElTOFYOUTHMINISTRYˆ FORMEINTHISNEWCENTURY ANDESPECIALLYURBANYOUTHMINISTRY+EEPINGUPKEEPSUSALIVE 3O WHATSTHEDIFFERENCEBETWEENBEINGASTUDENTˆORA MAKINGITREALDEMANDSOURGROWING5RBANANDALLOTHER TEACHERˆATASUBURBANHIGHSCHOOLANDITSCOUNTERPARTIN YOUTHMINISTRYSHOULDKEEPUSHUMBLE KEEPUSDEPENDINGON ANURBANCOMMUNITY !NDHOWISYOUTHMINISTRYDIFFERENT 'ODANDTHE"ODYOF#HRIST4HEBENElTSOFYOUTHMINISTRYTO ATSUBURBANANDURBANCHURCHES )TWOULDTAKEABOOKTO ALLTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONSHOULDBEEVIDENT ANSWER-UCH INALLCASES ISTHESAME"UTTHEDIFFERENCES )THINK)SEETHE%NEMYSSTRATEGYINCREATINGADIVIDE LIEINACONmUENCEOFGEOGRAPHICAL HISTORICAL FAMILY ETHNIC BETWEENURBANANDOTHERYOUTHMINISTRIESPERHAPSEVEN INCOMEANDSOCIALFACTORS"ESIDESALLTHIS YOUTHCULTURESARE BETWEENURBANANDOTHERMINISTERIALEDUCATION7ENEED CHANGINGRAPIDLY EACHOTHER"UTSUCHSYNERGISMCANONLYCOMEASWESEEKTO )N"OSTONDURINGTHELATES URBANHOMICIDESAMONG UNDERSTANDANDRESPECTEACHOTHERˆPUTTINGAHIGHPREMIUMON YOUNGMALESBEGANTOESCALATEFORSEVERALREASONS"UTASTHE WHATTHEOTHERCANTEACHUS VIOLENCEROSE AREMARKABLEWORKOFTHE3PIRITAMONGURBAN ANDSUBURBANYOUTHANDYOUTHLEADERSEMERGEDALMOSTASAN ILLUSTRATIONOF2OMANSB 4HESEYOUTHLEADERSBROUGHT Professor Dean Borgman holds the Charles E. Culpeper Chair of GROUPSTOGETHER4HEYSHAREDSTORIESANDENCOURAGEDONE Youth Ministry at Gordon-Conwell—Boston, and is also founder/ ANOTHER4HEYDREAMEDDREAMSANDBEGANTOCARRYTHEM director of the Center for Youth Studies. He established Young Life in New England and was a streetworker on Manhattan’s OUT4HEMEDIAWEREFORCEDTONOTEAPARADEOFMORETHANA Lower East Side, where he also developed Young Life’s Urban THOUSANDTEENAGERSFROM"OSTONSHISTORIC4REMONT4EMPLE Training Institute. He has taught youth ministry courses at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox, Fuller Theological and Ontario Theological DOWNTOTHE"OSTON#OMMONS&ORMER.EW%NGLAND0ATRIOTS Seminaries, Daystar University College in Nairobi, Kenya, and WIDERECEIVER)RVING&RYERWASONEOFTHESPEAKERS!TAN Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology Among his EXCITING-ARTIN,UTHER+ING *RBREAKFAST ANOTHERTHOUSAND books are When Kumbaya Is Not Enough: A Practical Theology for Youth Ministry and God at the Mall: Youth Ministry That LISTENEDTOSPEAKERS THETEENAGERSOFWHOMWERETHEMOST Meets Kids Where They’re At. He is an Episcopal priest. ELECTRIFYING4HIS"OSTONYOUTHMOVEMENTWASlTTINGLYCALLED h#OMING4OGETHERv 3TILL GANGMEMBERSWEREKILLINGEACHOTHERANDINNOCENT BYSTANDERSASWELL4RACY,ITHCOTT A#5-%STUDENTWHOSE

summer 2005 29 The Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME):

An Historical Overview* Alvin Padilla, Ph.D., ‘84

!FTERMANYYEARSOFPRAYER -ASTEROF$IVINITYCOURSESWEREOFFEREDFORTHElRSTTIMEINTHECITY DIALOGUEANDCONSULTATIONWITH ATTHE%MMANUEL'OSPEL#ENTER0ROFESSORS3TEPHEN-OTTAND$EAN PASTORSANDCHURCHLEADERSOF "ORGMANDROVEFROMTHE(AMILTONCAMPUSTOTEACHINTHEPROGRAM THEURBANCOMMUNITYOF"OSTON TYPICALLYALSOTAKENBY(AMILTONCAMPUSSTUDENTSDURINGTHEIRSECOND 'ORDON #ONWELL4HEOLOGICAL MIDDLER YEAR-OTTAND$OUGAND*UDY(ALLOFTHE%MMANUEL 3EMINARYS#ENTERFOR5RBAN 'OSPEL#ENTERBEGANTEACHINGTHECORECOURSES NOWKNOWNAS)NNER -INISTERIAL%DUCATION#5-% #ITY-INISTRY)))"ORGMANALONGWITH2EV6A#OUNTESS*OHNSON OPENEDIN3EPTEMBER UNDER ALSOSURVEYEDPASTORSANDCHURCHLEADERSIN TOASCERTAINNEEDS THEPIONEERINGLEADERSHIPOF ANDINTERESTFORANADULTLEADERSHIPPROGRAM Architect’s rendering of the new CUME building $R%LDIN6ILLAFA×E The Beginning of CUME 4HE#ENTERWASFOUNDEDTOPROVIDETHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONSPECIlCALLY #5-%SFORMALHISTORYBEGANIN%LDIN6ILLAFA×E A0UERTO DESIGNEDFORPASTORSAND#HRISTIANLEADERSSERVING(ISPANIC !FRICAN 2ICAN 0ENTECOSTALPASTOR HADLECTUREDONSEVERALOCCASIONSINTHE !MERICAN #ARIBBEAN !SIANANDOTHERCOMMUNITIESINURBANSETTINGS URBANMIDDLEYEARPROGRAM(ECAMEUNIQUELYQUALIlEDFORTHETASK 4HE#ENTERHASALSOPROVIDEDRESOURCES MINISTERIALFELLOWSHIPSAND BEFOREHIM!RESPECTEDMEMBEROFTHE!SSEMBLIESOF'OD 3PANISH STIMULATIONFORCROSS DENOMINATIONALANDCROSS CULTURALENDEAVORSIN %ASTERN$ISTRICT HEHADSERVEDAS$IRECTOROF%DUCATIONATWHATWAS EVANGELISM CHURCHGROWTHANDSOCIALJUSTICEMINISTRIES THENTHELARGEST0ROTESTANT(ISPANICCHURCHINTHE53! h#HRISTIAN #HURCH*OHN vIN.EW9ORK#ITY Historical Antecedents 'ORDON #ONWELLHIRED6ILLAFA×EIN*ULY CHARGINGHIM ASHE )N ONEOFTHEMANDATESOFTHENEWLYFORMED'ORDON #ONWELL EXPLAINS WITHhESTABLISHINGANEWPROGRAMWITHTHEPEOPLEOFTHE 4HEOLOGICAL3EMINARYWASTOENGAGETHECITYINMEANINGFULWAYS INNERCITY MYPEOPLEv(EWASTOHAVEDUALROLESAS$IRECTOROFTHE 4HETWOFORERUNNERINSTITUTIONS THE#ONWELL3CHOOLOF4HEOLOGYIN 5RBAN-IDDLE9EAR0ROGRAMATTHE(AMILTONCAMPUSAND!SSISTANT 0HILADELPHIAANDTHE'ORDON$IVINITY3CHOOLINURBAN"OSTON HAD 0ROFESSOROF#HRISTIANITYAND3OCIETYATTHESEMINARY4HEREWASNO HADHISTORICALCOMMITMENTSTOURBANMINISTRY4HEORIGINALBLUEPRINT BLUEPRINTGIVENTO6ILLAFA×E EXCEPTTOhDEVELOPSOMECOURSESFOR FOR#ONWELLSURBANPROGRAMHADASITSAREAOFCONCENTRATIONTHE MINORITYPASTORSv(ESTARTEDAMERETWOMONTHSBEFORETHEFOUNDING hSPECIALCONCERN;FOR=THETRAININGOFMINISTERSFORTHEINNER CITY ANDOFlCIALOPENINGOF#5-%IN3EPTEMBER CHURCHv"UTTHESPECIlCSHAPEANDFORMFORTHISENVISIONEDPROGRAM )TWASWITHOUTEXAGGERATIONAWHIRLWINDOFASUMMERTWO DIDNOTMATERIALIZE ALTHOUGHINITIALSTEPSWERETAKENIN0HILADELPHIA MONTHSTOSETUPANOFlCEANDADMINISTERTHEPROGRAM PUBLICIZE 3UCHANURBANCENTERWOULDSTILLBESEVERALYEARSINTHEMAKINGˆTHIS ITSOFFERINGS RECRUITANDADMITSTUDENTS ANDYES TEACHTHECOURSES TIMEINTHECITYOF"OSTON 6ILLAFA×ESENERGYANDENTHUSIASMWEREEQUALTOTHETASKATHAND $R-ICHAEL(AYNES RECENTLYRETIRED3ENIOR0ASTOROFTHEHISTORIC #5-%OPENEDTHEDOORSOFURBANTHEOLOGICALEDUCATIONhWITHOUTA 4WELFTH"APTIST#HURCHIN2OXBURY ANDALONGTIME4RUSTEEOF GLITCHvIN3EPTEMBERWITHSTUDENTS 'ORDON #ONWELL WASASTRONGADVOCATEFORTHESEMINARYSNEEDTOBE 7ITHTHEFOUNDINGOF#5-% 'ORDON #ONWELLNOWHADTWOURBAN INVOLVEDINTHECITYAROLEWHICHHEHASCONTINUEDTOPLAYTHROUGHOUT MINISTRYPROGRAMSTHE-IDDLE9EAR0ROGRAMFOR(AMILTONBASED #5-%SHISTORY $R$OUGLAS(ALL 0RESIDENTOFTHE%MMANUEL STUDENTS ANDTHE#ENTERFOR5RBAN-INISTERIAL%DUCATION#5-% 'OSPEL#ENTERIN"OSTONS3OUTH%ND HADSUBMITTEDABRIEFPROPOSAL FORPASTORSAND#HRISTIANLEADERSOF"OSTON)N THE-IDDLE9EAR SUGGESTINGATHREE PRONGEDSTRATEGYFORURBANINVOLVEMENTBYTHE 0ROGRAMWASPLACEDUNDERTHEADMINISTRATIVEOVERSIGHTOF#5-% THUS SEMINARY)TRECOMMENDED !PROGRAMFORRESIDENTIALSEMINARIANS INTEGRATINGALLOF'ORDON #ONWELLURBANMINISTRYEFFORTS TOLEARNURBANMINISTRY  ANEXTENSIONSEMINARYPROGRAMFOR #5-%SLOCATIONATTHE-ARTIN,UTHER+ING*R(OUSEOF4WELFTH URBANPASTORS AND ARESEARCHCOMPONENTTOINFORMBOTHOFTHESE "APTIST#HURCHINTHEHEARTOFTHE!FRICAN!MERICANCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS)N $R3TEPHEN-OTTANDASMALLCOMMITTEEAT PLAYEDANIMPORTANTROLEINITSOUTREACHTO"LACKCHURCHES4HElRST THESEMINARYDEVELOPEDAPROPOSALFORAYEAROFURBANTHEOLOGICAL CLASSESWERETAUGHTIN%NGLISHAND3PANISH-ANYOFTHElRSTSTUDENTS EDUCATION ANDSUBMITTEDITFORFACULTYAPPROVALIN!PRIL WEREFULL TIMEMINISTERSWHOALSOWORKEDFULL TIMEJOBS#5-% )NACADEMICYEAR  WITHTHESUPPORTOFTHE0RESIDENT SOUGHTTOACCOMMODATETHEIRLIFESTYLESBYOFFERINGCOURSESINTHE $R(AROLD*OHN/CKENGA ANDTHE$EAN $R7ILLIAM.IGEL+ERR EVENINGSANDONWEEKENDS WITHTUITIONSUBSIDIZEDBYTHESEMINARY

1969 Gordon-Conwell founded 1973-74 First M.Div. courses 1982 MRE degree introduced; with mandate to engage the city. offered at Emmanuel Gospel Center enrollment swells to 170

1971 Proposal for year of 1976 CUME opens with 30 students at Martin 1989 Full M.Div. degree introduced urban theological education Luther King, Jr. House of Twelfth Baptist Church 30 summer 2005 TOKEEPSTUDENTCOSTSLOW0HILOSOPHICALLYANDPRACTICALLY #5-% TRAININGFORSTREETWORKERSANDOTHERSSERVINGURBANYOUTH WASCOMMITTEDTOAh#ONTEXTUALIZED5RBAN4HEOLOGICAL%DUCATIONv #OURSESINALLOFTHESEDEGREEPROGRAMS INKEEPINGWITHTHE PARADIGM4HISINCLUDEDBEINGAhPILGRIMMODELvIE OFFERINGCLASSES hPILGRIMMODEL vAREOFFEREDININNER CITY"OSTONANDTHROUGHOUTTHE INVARIOUSCHURCHESANDPARACHURCHESINTHEINNERCITYANDGREATER"OSTON METROPOLITANAREAˆFROM,AWRENCETO&RAMINGHAMTO0ROVIDENCE AREA WHILERENTINGADMINISTRATIVESPACEFROM4WELFTH"APTIST#HURCH 2HODE)SLANDˆINCHURCHES PARACHURCHESANDCOMMUNITY 7ITHTHEINTRODUCTIONOFTHE-ASTEROF2ELIGIOUS%DUCATION ORGANIZATIONS DEGREE ENROLLMENTSOONSWELLEDTOINFALL ANDCONTINUED )NACADEMICYEAR  #5-%OFFEREDATOTALOFCOURSESTO TOCLIMBTHROUGHOUTTHES)N THE-$IVPROGRAMWAS STUDENTS ANDIN-AY GRANTED-ASTERSAND$-IN LAUNCHEDAFTERAYEAROFPLANNINGANDPREPARATION4WONEWLANGUAGE DEGREES ANDDIPLOMASINURBANMINISTRY GROUPSWEREADDEDIN&RENCHFORTHEGROWING(AITIANCHURCH !NACCLAIMEDNATIONALANDINTERNATIONALMODELOFURBAN COMMUNITYAND0ORTUGUESEFORTHEBURGEONING"RAZILIANAND#APE THEOLOGICALEDUCATION #5-%THROUGHOUTTHEYEARSHASOFTENBEEN 6ERDEANRELIGIOUSCOMMUNITIES#LASSESCONTINUETOBETAUGHTINTHESE ASKEDTOCONSULTWITHOTHERSCHOOLS CHURCHES DENOMINATIONALOFlCES TWOLANGUAGESINADDITIONTO%NGLISH 3PANISH +HMERFOR#AMBODIAN ANDGROUPSINTERESTEDINESTABLISHINGNON TRADITIONALURBANMINISTRY STUDENTSAND!MERICAN3IGN,ANGUAGEPERIODICALLY  EDUCATIONALPROGRAMS $R6ILLAFA×ESERVEDAS#5-%S$IRECTORUNTIL(ELEFTIN PLACEANATIONALLYANDINTERNATIONALLYRECOGNIZEDURBANTHEOLOGICAL A Bright Future EDUCATIONCENTER)TSACHIEVEMENTS REmECTEDIN#5-%SSTUDENTBODY !FTERMORETHANAQUARTERCENTURYOFSERVICE 'ORDON #ONWELL FORACADEMICYEAR  INCLUDEDANENROLLMENTOFFULL OR 4HEOLOGICAL3EMINARYˆ"OSTONISNOWAFULLYDEVELOPEDPROGRAM PART TIMESTUDENTSREPRESENTINGCHURCHES DENOMINATIONS  #5-%ISCALLEDTOAHOLISTICAPPROACHTOURBANMINISTRY ALWAYS MINISTERSANDNATIONALITIES3UCCEEDING6ILLAFA×EAS$EANOF#5-% STRIVINGTOEXTENDITSCOMMITMENTIN"OSTONANDTHESURROUNDING WAS$R%FRAÓN!GOSTO CITIES.EWOPPORTUNITIESFORMINISTRYEXPANSIONAREEVIDENT )N #5-%ACQUIREDANADMINISTRATIVEBUILDINGINTHE*AMAICA BUTTHEYBRINGADDITIONALCHALLENGESASWELL)NCREASEDSTUDENT 0LAINSECTIONOF"OSTON%VENTUALLYTHISSPACEPROVEDINSUFlCIENTFOR ENROLLMENTANDEXPANDINGDEGREEANDNON DEGREEPROGRAMSHAVE THEGROWINGNEEDSOF#5-%)N ANEWPROPERTYWASPURCHASED EXERTEDPRESSUREONTHE#ENTERSHUMANANDPHYSICALRESOURCES IN2OXBURYˆONEWHICHWILLALLOW#5-%TOSERVETHECITYSCHURCH 7ITHTHEPURCHASEANDRETROlTTINGOFABUILDINGIN"OSTONSHISTORIC COMMUNITIESEVENMOREEFFECTIVELY WHILESTILLKEEPINGINPLACEITS 2OXBURY THE#ENTERISPOISEDTOOFFEROURSTUDENTSSPACIOUSLIBRARY hPILGRIMMODELv SPACE COMPUTERACCESSIBILITYANDSTATE OF THE ARTCLASSROOMFACILITIES $R6ILLAFA×ESVISIONCONTINUESTOINFORM#5-%PROGRAMMING !SWELOOKBACKOVERTHEPASTYEARS WEAREAWESTRUCKATHOW 4HECENTERANDITSCLASSESARECONTEXTUALIZED DESIGNEDTOACTIVELY THE,ORDHASPROVIDEDFOROUREVERYNEEDATALENTEDANDDEDICATED ADDRESSMINISTRYINTHEINNERCITY INCORPORATINGTHENEEDSOFURBAN MULTICULTURAL MULTIETHNICADMINISTRATIVESTAFFANDFACULTYTHE PASTORSAND#HRISTIANLEADERSINITSCOURSEOFFERINGS ANDTOh3EEKTHE PRIVILEGEOFBEINGPARTOFAMARVELOUSLARGERINSTITUTIONˆ'ORDON PEACEOFTHECITYv*ER  #ONWELLˆTHATPROVIDES#5-%WITHRESOURCESANDONGOINGSUPPORT 3UBSEQUENTLEADERSHAVECONTINUED#5-%SVISIONASDEANSOR AFAITHFULANDVISIONARY"OARDOF4RUSTEESAND!DVISORY"OARDA DIRECTORS INCLUDING$R%FRAÓN!GOSTO $R"RUCE7*ACKSON $R)RA RESPONSIVE,EADERSHIP4EAM!DMINISTRATIONANINCREASINGLYDIVERSE &RAZIER ANDSINCE $R!LVIN0ADILLA!LSOARETHREENOTEWORTHY ANDCOMMITTEDSTUDENTBODYWITHWHICHTOPARTNERINMUTUAL ASSOCIATEDIRECTORSINTHEHISTORYOF#5-%2EV6A#OUNTESS LEARNINGANDAGROWINGBASEOFPRAYERANDlNANCIALPARTNERSTO *OHNSON 2EV3AMUEL"(OGANAND-RS.AOMI7ILSHIRE UNDERGIRDTHEWORK4RULYTHEFOUNDATIONUPONWHICHWELABOR TODAYISAlRMONE GROUNDEDANDROOTEDINTHEFAITHFULNESSOFOUR Present Day Impact 4RIUNE'OD4OBORROWFROMTHATGREATMISSIONARYLEADER !DONIRAM 4ODAY THEREAREAPPROXIMATELYCHURCHBUILDINGSAND *UDSON #5-%SFUTUREISINDEEDASBRIGHTASTHEPROMISESOFOUR MORETHANCONGREGATIONSIN"OSTONANDANOTHERCHURCHES 'OD4O'ODBETHEGLORYAS#5-%CONTINUESTOSEEKTHESHALOMOF IN#AMBRIDGE4HESECHURCHESREPRESENTOVERDENOMINATIONS THECITY*EREMIAH  INCLUDING0ENTECOSTAL (OLINESSAND(OLINESS 0ENTECOSTALCHURCHES PERCENT "APTISTPERCENT AND2OMAN#ATHOLICPERCENT  !MONGTHEPRIMARYSOURCESFORTHISARTICLE$RS'EORGEAND(ELEN7EBBER 0ARISHIONERSREPRESENTOVERNATIONS ANDSERVICESAREHELD LEADWRITERSCONSULTANTS 4HE#ENTERFOR5RBAN-INISTERIAL%DUCATION!N INMORETHANDIFFERENTLANGUAGES4HIRTY TWOPERCENTOFTHE %VALUATION !'#433ELF 3TUDY "RUCE7*ACKSON h4WENTY &IVE 9EARSOF(ISTORY@"UILDINGONA&IRM&OUNDATION v#5-%TH!NNIVERSARY CONGREGATIONSAREPREDOMINANTLY!FRICAN !MERICAN PERCENT #ELEBRATIONPROGRAM #5-%3TATISTICAL!NNUAL2EPORTS"RUCE7 !NGLO PERCENT(ISPANIC PERCENT(AITIANANDPERCENT *ACKSON 4OWARDA#ONTEXTUALIZED5RBAN4HEOLOGICAL%DUCATION4HE#ENTER MULTIETHNIC"OSTON#HURCH$IRECTORY %MMANUEL'OSPEL#ENTER FOR5RBAN-INISTERIAL%DUCATION!N(ISTORICALAND!NALYTICAL#ASE3TUDY )NLIGHTOFTHISMULTIFACETED#HURCHCOMMUNITY WHATDOES#5-% !NN!RBOR -)5-)   LOOKLIKEATTHEDAWNOFTHESTCENTURY ANDHOWDOESITSERVE #HRISTS#HURCH Alvin Padilla, Ph.D., is Dean of Gordon-Conwell—Boston, #5-%OFFERSTHE-ASTEROF$IVINITYWITHACONCENTRATIONINURBAN and Associate Professor of New Testament. In addition to his MINISTRY-ASTEROF!RTSDEGREESIN5RBAN-INISTRYANDIN9OUTH-INISTRY administrative responsibilities, he teaches New Testament courses $OCTOROF-INISTRY-INISTRYIN#OMPLEX5RBAN3ETTINGSAND$OCTOROF and urban ministry to doctoral students. He has also taught at -INISTRY4HE0UBLIC-INISTRYOFTHE(ISPANIC!MERICAN#HURCHDEGREES Nyack College and the Spanish Eastern School of Theology in Swan Lake, New York, a school he founded. Dr. Padilla is an ordained ANDA$IPLOMAIN5RBAN-INISTRY!SPECIALIZEDCERTIlCATEPROGRAMIS minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and served as a pastor ALSOOFFEREDFORINDIVIDUALSINVOLVEDINMINISTRYTOYOUTH AT RISK PROVIDING to a Spanish-speaking congregation in New York City. He received an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell and a Ph.D. from Drew University Graduate School.

1990-2004 Additional MA and 2005 New administrative 1989-90 Enrollment at 300 students D.Min. degrees introduced. building purchased in Roxbury.

1990 Administrative building 2004-05 Classes offered to acquired in Jamaica Plain 395 students summer 2005 31 Urban ministry is, by definition, focused on those human needs most evident in

cities. We study the subtle and complex dynamics of urbanization and the impact of

this increasingly global phenomenon on individuals and communities. Though some

refer to our world as a global village, it is more accurately a global metropolis. So,

one might ask, is there any place in urban ministry for shepherds?

)RAISETHISQUESTION OFCOURSE BECAUSEPASTORALLEADERSARECENTRALTOTHE.EW4ESTAMENTS VISIONOFLOCALCHURCHMINISTRY0ASTORSCONTINUETHEWORKOFTHEMESSIANIC3HEPHERDWHOWAS ANEXAMPLETOHISFOLLOWERSINLIFEANDDEATH0ETERURGEDHISFELLOWELDERSTOh"ESHEPHERDSOF  IN THE CITY? 'ODSmOCKTHATISUNDERYOURCARE vTOSERVESELmESSLYTHEIRCHIEF3HEPHERD0ETER   "UTSHEPHERDLEADERSHIPDIDNTBEGINWITHTHEMINISTRYOF#HRIST9(7( THE'ODOF)SRAEL WASTHESHEPHERDOFHISPEOPLEINTHEIRWILDERNESSSOJOURNANDTHROUGHOUTTHEIRHISTORY!NDTHE LEADERSOF)SRAELnESPECIALLYKINGSnWEREOFTENCALLEDTHESHEPHERDSOF'ODSPEOPLE MEDIATORS OFTHEDIVINE3HEPHERDSCAREFOR(ISCOMMUNITY3OTHEREHAVEBEENhPASTORSvALLALONG EVER

SINCETHECOVENANTCOMMUNITYBEGAN 7HILEITISUNDENIABLETHATSHEPHERDING'ODSPEOPLEISATHOROUGHLYBIBLICALNOTION ISITAN IMAGETHATONLYHADCULTURALSIGNIlCANCETONOMADICPEOPLESWHOMOVEDABOUTINTENTSWITH THEIRmOCKSANDHERDS #ERTAINLYWEOUGHTTOBECAREFULINMEASURINGOURCULTURALDISTANCEFROM THEBIBLICALWRITERS(OWEVER TOOURSURPRISE SHEPHERDLANGUAGEWASDELIBERATELYEMPLOYEDBY Dr. Timothy S. Laniak, ’89 Timothy Dr. RULERSOFSOMEOFTHEANCIENTWORLDSMOSTCOMPLEXANDSTRATIlEDSOCIETIES+INGSRESORTEDTOTHE IMAGEOFSHEPHERDESPECIALLYWHENTHEPRESSURESOFURBANIZATIONPUTTHEIRPOPULATIONSATRISKFOR SOCIALINEQUITIES4HOUGHTHEREWASCERTAINLYAGREATERGENERALFAMILIARITYWITHTHECUSTOMSOF SHEPHERDS HERDING ITWAShASTRETCHvTOVIEWTHEHIGHESTADMINISTRATIVEOFlCEINTHELANDWITHTHISANALOGY )NTHEPROLOGUEOF(AMMURABISFAMOUSLAWCOLLECTIONC"# THISPOWERFUL!MORITE KINGREFERSTOHIMSELFASTHEGOD%NLILSSHEPHERDhxWHOMAKESAFmUENCEANDPLENTYABOUNDv )NHISEPILOGUEHEDESCRIBESHISROLEASASHEPHERDFURTHERhTHEYPROSPEREDUNDERMYPROTECTION )ALWAYSGOVERNEDTHEMINPEACE)SHELTEREDTHEMINMYWISDOM)NORDERTHATTHESTRONG MIGHTNOTOPPRESSTHEWEAK THATJUSTICEMIGHTBEDEALTTHEORPHANAND THEWIDOWv4HERE ARESIMILARPASTORALSELF DEPICTIONSTHROUGHOUTTHEROYALLITERATURESOF-ESOPOTAMIA %GYPTAND 'REECE3HEPHERDRULEWASAWAYOFEMPHASIZINGCOMPREHENSIVERESPONSIBILITYFORECONOMIC WELLBEING PEACEANDSOCIALJUSTICE4HEPASTORALANALOGYWASRICHWITHIMPLICATIONS,IKEmOCKS OFSHEEP COMMUNITIESOFPEOPLEESPECIALLYINURBANSOCIETIES
NEEDEDPROVISION PROTECTIONAND GUIDANCE4HISREQUIRESLEADERSWHOARECOMPASSIONATE VIGILANTANDTRUSTWORTHY)TTURNSOUT

32 summer 2005 THATTHESEATTRIBUTESOFhSHEPHERDLEADERSHIPvARECENTRALIN 'ODSPEOPLENEEDPROTECTIONNOTONLYFROMEXTERNALTHREATS SCRIPTURE BUTALSOFROMTHECHAOSOFCOMPETITIONANDSELlSHNESSWITHIN THECOMMUNITY/URCITIESNEEDSUCHCOURAGEOUSSHEPHERDS COMPASSIONATE WHOTIRELESSLYADVOCATEFORTHEDISPLACEDANDDISENFRANCHISED !CCORDINGTO%ZEKIEL  ONEOFTHEREASONS)SRAELWENT BUTWITHOUTPROVIDINGFORANYONEIMMUNITYFROMTHESTANDARDS INTOEXILEWASBECAUSETHEIRLEADERSHADBEENABUSIVESHEPHERDS OFBIBLICALJUSTICE!mOCKISNOTHEALTHYTHATDOESNOTBENElT WHOWEREmEECINGTHEIRmOCKSh9OUEATTHECURDS CLOTHE FROMTHERODOFDISCIPLINE YOURSELVESWITHTHEWOOLANDSLAUGHTERTHECHOICEANIMALS x9OUHAVERULEDTHEMHARSHLYANDBRUTALLYv3ELF INTERESTLED TRUSTWORTHY TONEGLECTRATHERTHANCOMPASSIONANDCONCERNFORINDIVIDUAL (AMMURABISLAWSWEREMEANTTOILLUSTRATETHEWISDOM NEEDSh9OUDONOTTAKECAREOFTHEmOCKx9OUHAVENOT OFHISRULEASASHEPHERDKING(EREGULARLYREFERSTOHIMSELF STRENGTHENEDTHEWEAKORHEALEDTHESICKORBOUNDUPTHE ASAhFAITHFULSHEPHERDvWHOHASLEDHISPEOPLEWELL!FEW INJURED9OUHAVENOTBROUGHTBACKTHESTRAYSORSEARCHEDFOR CENTURIESLATERTHE3HEPHERDOF)SRAELPROVIDEDDIRECTIVESFOR THELOSTv APEOPLEWHOWOULDFORMASOCIETYTHATWOULDSHOWCASEHIS /NEMARKOFASHEPHERDLEADER THEN ISSELF SACRIlCING WISDOM$EUTERONOMY  4HE,ORDGUARANTEED)SRAEL COMMITMENTTOTHEWELL BEINGOFTHECOMMUNITYSMEMBERS GREATCITIESINTHELANDOFPROMISE$EUTERONOMY BUT 4HEMOSTOBVIOUSFORMOFCAREISFEEDINGRATHERTHANhFEEDING HElRSTTOOKTHEMINTOTHEDESERTTOREINFORCESOMEBASIC OFFOFv THEmOCK"UTHEREAMORECOMPLETEPICTUREOFNURTURE PRINCIPLESOFPASTORALLIFE4HERETHEYLEARNEDTOTRUSTTHE,ORD ISINVIEW0EOPLEAREWEAK SICKANDINJURED4HEYNEED ASABUNDANTPROVIDERANDPOWERFULPROTECTOR4HEREHEALSO ENCOURAGEMENT HEALINGANDHELP PROVEDTHATHIShPATHSvWERETHEPATHSOFLIFEANDBLESSING .OTICE THAT %ZEKIEL ALSO REFERRED TO PEOPLE AS SCATTERED 7HETHERTHROUGHTHEFORMALSTIPULATIONSOFTHELAWORTHROUGH 4HE GATHERING OF DISPERSED POPULATIONS IS A TYPICAL ANCIENT DAILYGUIDANCEhONTHEROAD v)SRAELWASTRAINEDTOFOLLOWTHEIR .EAR %ASTERN MOTIF OFTEN TRUSTWORTHY'UIDE!S'ODS ACCOMPANYINGAKINGSASCENT UNDERSHEPHERDS PASTORS TOPOWER4HE,ORDPROMISES OUR CITIES NEED SUCH COURAGEOUS ARECALLEDTOBETHESAME TOGATHERTHEEXILESFROMTHEIR SHEPHERDS WHO TIRELESSLY ADVOCATE FOR KINDOFTRUSTWORTHYGUIDES DISPERSION AND PASTURE THEM THOSEWHOKEEPTHEmOCKON ONCEAGAINONTHEMOUNTAINS THE DISPLACED AND DISENFRANCHISED, BUT THERIGHTPATHANDENSURE OF )SRAEL V   )T IS WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR ANYONE IMMUNITY THATTHEYALLMAKEITHOME FASCINATINGTOSEETHISMISSION !MONGTHEAPARTMENTS EXPANDED IN *ESUS MINISTRY FROM THE STANDARDS OF BIBLICAL JUSTICE. WAREHOUSES AGENCIES TOINCLUDEALLTHOSEWHOARE BOARDROOMS COMMUNITY hLOSTv 7HEN :ACHAEUS FOR CENTERSANDCHURCHESOF EXAMPLE COMESTOFAITH *ESUSDECLARESHIMALSOTOBEAhSONOF !MERICASCITIES ANDALONGEACHOFTHEIRASPHALTSTREETSAND !BRAHAMv,UKE 4HISNICELYCLIMAXES*ESUSMINISTRYIN CONCRETESIDEWALKS THEAVERAGEPEDESTRIANWONTRECOGNIZE ,UKETOhSEEKANDTOSAVETHELOSTv,UKE 4OCONTINUE ASHEPHERDWITHAmOCKOFSHEEP(OWEVER THEMOREURBAN THEWORKOFTHE3HEPHERDINTHECITY THEN ISTOCAREFORTHE OURSOCIALREALITYBECOMES THEMORELIKELYWILLBEOURNEED NEEDYANDTOGATHERTHELOSTCF,UKE  TORETURNTOTHEFUNDAMENTALSOFPASTORALLEADERSHIP WHERE PERSONSAREPROVIDEDFORWITHCOMPASSION PROTECTEDWITH VIGILANT VIGILANCEANDGUIDEDBYTRUSTWORTHYSHEPHERDSh)FYOULOVE !SECONDCHARACTERISTICOFTHESHEPHERDISVIGILANTPROTECTOR ME v*ESUSSAYSTOALLOFUS hSHEPHERDMYSHEEPv*OHN  ,ACKOFATTENTIVENESSMAKESAmOCKVULNERABLETOPREDATORS %ZEKIELCONTINUES h3OTHEYWERESCATTEREDBECAUSETHEREWAS !LL"IBLECITATIONSTAKENFROMTHE.EW)NTERNATIONAL6ERSION  NOSHEPHERD ANDWHENTHEYWERESCATTEREDTHEYBECAME !NCIENT.EAR%ASTERN4EXTS2ELATINGTOTHE/LD4ESTAMENT ED * 0RITCHARD 0RINCETON5NIVERSITY0RESS  PP n FOODFORALLTHEWILDANIMALSv%ZEKIEL .EW4ESTAMENT #OMPARETHISIDEATOTHEhOTHERSHEEPv*ESUSMENTIONSIN*OHN WRITERSREFERTOFALSETEACHERSASWOLVESWHOPREYON'ODS mOCK-ATTHEW!CTS 6IGILANTSHEPHERDSWILLBEON THEIRGUARD!CTS 7HILEACTSOFMERCYMAYBEROUNDLY Timothy S. Laniak, Th.D., is Associate Professor of Old PRAISED THECOURAGETOSIGNALDANGERWHENITISFAROFF TO Testament, Coordinator of the Urban Ministry Certificate NAMETHEENEMY ANDTOFACEITAGAINSTALLODDSnTHISKINDOF Program, Charlotte Campus, and Mentor of the Christian COURAGEISOFTENMISSINGINOURCOMMUNITIES Leadership D.Min. program. He and his wife have worked with international students and immigrants in the Boston "UT%ZEKIELSSHEPHERDPARABLEENDSWITHANUNEXPECTED area, lived in Israel, and served as short-term missionaries WARNING!FTERREPLACING)SRAELSUNlTLEADERS 'ODWILLSHIFT in Europe and Asia. Since moving to North Carolina, they HISRIGHTEOUSANGERAGAINSTTHEMEMBERSOFTHECOMMUNITY have begun a public charter school. He has authored Shame and Honor in the Book of Esther and “Esther” in the Ezra- WHOAREPUSHINGTHEIRWEIGHTAROUND Nehemiah NIBC series. A book on the biblical theology of 3EE )MYSELFWILLJUDGEBETWEENTHEFATSHEEPANDTHELEAN pastoral leadership is forthcoming from Inter-Varsity-UK. He SHEEP"ECAUSEYOUSHOVEWITHmANKANDSHOULDER BUTTINGALL received an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell, pursued doctoral studies at Brandeis University and earned a Th.D. from THEWEAKSHEEPWITHYOURHORNSUNTILYOUHAVEDRIVENTHEMAWAY Harvard Divinity School. )WILLSAVEMYmOCK ANDTHEYWILLNOLONGERBEPLUNDERED)WILL JUDGEBETWEENONESHEEPANDANOTHER%ZEKIEL  

summer 2005 33 There’sGold in the City Gregg Detwiler, D. Min., ‘01 “There is gold for the Lord in the cities of the world…The city is a gold mine. It has prominent ethnic (vertical)

veins. It has prominent sociological (horizontal) veins. And it has other veins that run at will in all directions…

But there is yet another level of complexity…The city is also an organism constantly on the move.”

Gold Overlooked THISVITALITYOF#HRISTIANITYINTHECITY !S)HAVEPONDEREDTHIS 4HEPREVIOUSQUOTE FROM-ISSIOLOGIST4IMOTHY-ONSMA QUESTION)HAVECOMETOSEEATLEASTTWOREASONS4HElRSTONEIS GIVESUSAPOSITIVEANDVIVIDMETAPHOROFTHECITY BUTNOTALL THEOLOGICALOVERSIGHTANDTHESECONDISSOCIOLOGICALOVERSIGHT #HRISTIANLEADERSSEESUCHSPIRITUALRICHNESSINTHECITYANDIN "YTHEOLOGICALOVERSIGHT)MEANNOTSEEINGTHECITYANDTHECITY THECITYCHURCH)NFACT WHEN)WASAMISSIONARYCHURCHPLANTER CHURCHINAPOSITIVEBIBLICALLIGHT SUCHASISILLUSTRATEDIN4IMOTHY IN"OSTONINTHES MANYLOCALANDNATIONALCHURCHLEADERS -ONSOMASMETAPHOROFTHECITYASAGOLDMINE!LLTOOOFTENTHE TOLDMEhNOTHINGWASHAPPENINGINTHECHURCHIN"OSTONv4HE CITYISVIEWEDONLYASAPLACEOFDARKNESSANDSIN RATHERTHANA CONVENTIONALWISDOMWASANDSTILLISINMANYCASES THAT STRATEGICPLACEWHERE'ODDOES(ISREDEEMINGWORKANDEXPORTSIT THECHURCHIN"OSTONWASDEADANDDECLINING!MAZINGLY THAT TOTHENATIONS4HEhSvOFTHE.4ˆ!CTS 2OMANS AND ANALYSISCOULDNTHAVEBEENFARTHERFROMTHETRUTH!CCORDING )4HESSALONIANSˆALLILLUSTRATEHOWTHECITYSERVESASANENGINE TOABENCHMARKSTUDYDONEBYTHE%MMANUEL'OSPEL#ENTER FOREXPORTINGTHE'OSPELTOTHEREGIONANDTOTHENATIONSOFTHE #HRISTIANITYIN"OSTONWASEXPERIENCINGWHATWASPERHAPSITS WORLD4HISWASTRUEINTHE.EW4ESTAMENTERAANDISSTILLTRUE GREATESTGROWTHINTHECITYSHISTORY%'#0RESIDENT $R$OUG TODAY (ALL DUBBEDTHISREMARKABLEMOVEOF'ODAS"OSTONS1UIET 4HISTHEOLOGICALTRUTHISFURTHERDESCRIBEDIN-ONSOMAS 2EVIVALBECAUSEITWASVIRTUALLYUNDETECTED4HE1UIET2EVIVALHAS METAPHORˆTHECITYANDTHECITYCHURCH HAShPROMINENTETHNIC BEENGOINGONNOWFORNEARLYFOURDECADESANDCONTINUESTOOUR VERTICAL VEINSPROMINENTSOCIOLOGICALHORIZONTAL VEINSxANDIT PRESENTDAY HASOTHERVEINSTHATRUNATWILLINALLDIRECTIONSv-OREOVER SAYS -ONSOMA hTHECITYISALSOANORGANISMCONSTANTLYONTHEMOVEv Why the Gold was Overlooked 4HISISANAPTDESCRIPTIONOFWORLD CLASSCITIESSUCHAS"OSTONAND !NIMPORTANTQUESTIONTOCONSIDERISTHIS(OWCOULDVERY ILLUSTRATESHOWANDWHY'ODHASALWAYSUSEDCITIESTOADVANCE SINCEREANDWELL RESPECTEDMISSIONANDCHURCHLEADERSMISSSEEING (IS+INGDOMPURPOSESONTHEEARTH#ITIESAREˆTOBORROWONE

34 summer 2005 OF$ONALD-C'AVRANSTERMSˆONEOFTHEhBRIDGESOF'ODvIN #HRISTIANSAREUNAWARETHATTHATTHEREAREATLEASTNATIONS REACHINGTHEWORLD4HECITYISCOMPRISEDOFDIVERSEPOPULATIONS REPRESENTEDINTHECHURCHESOF"OSTONAND#AMBRIDGEALONE OFPEOPLEFROMEVERYCORNEROFTHEEARTHANDITISALIVING WITHWORSHIPSERVICESBEINGOFFEREDINLANGUAGES!MERICAN ECOSYSTEMTHATISCONSTANTLYRECEIVINGANDSENDINGTHESEPEOPLETO BORN#HRISTIANSWOULDGOALONGWAYINCOOPERATINGWITH'ODS ANDFROMTHECITY)NALLOFTHISPEOPLEMOVEMENTTOANDFROMTHE +INGDOMPURPOSESBYSIMPLYPRACTICINGHOSPITALITYTOTHESE CITY WESEE'ODSSOVEREIGNHANDFOR(IS+INGDOMPURPOSES PRECIOUSBROTHERSANDSISTERS3OMUCHMUTUALGROWTHAND 4WOPASSAGESCOMETOMINDINTHISREGARD BLESSINGOCCURSINSUCHCROSS CULTURALRELATIONSHIPS 3ECOND ATTHESAMETIMETHAT'ODHASIMPORTED#HRISTIAN &ROMONEMAN'ODMADEEVERYNATIONOFMEN VITALITYFROMTHEWORLD (EHASALSOBROUGHTPEOPLEFROMAREAS THATTHEYSHOULDINHABITTHEWHOLEEARTHAND OFDARKNESSWHERETHECHURCHISWEAKORNEARLYNON EXISTENT (EDETERMINEDTHETIMESSETFORTHEMANDTHE 4OILLUSTRATETHEPOINT SOMEMISSIONSEDUCATORSUSETHEACROSTIC EXACTPLACESWHERETHEYSHOULDLIVE'ODDID 4(5-"ˆ4RIBALS (INDUS 5NRELIGIOUS -USLIMSAND THISSOTHATMENWOULDSEEK(IMANDPERHAPS "UDDHISTSˆTOCOMMUNICATETHEUNlNISHEDEVANGELISTICTASKTHAT REACHOUTFOR(IMANDlND(IM THOUGH(E REMAINSINTHESElVEMAJORBLOCKS)N'REATER"OSTON )HAVE ISNOTFARFROMEACHONEOFUS!CTS METPEOPLEFROMEACHOFTHESEMAJORBLOCKS3IMILARLY THEREARE EMPHASISMINE SIGNIlCANTPOPULATIONSOFPEOPLEFROMMANYOFTHE WINDOW COUNTRIES INCLUDING!FGHANISTAN !LGERIA "ANGLADESH #AMBODIA )HAVEMADEYOUALIGHTFORTHE'ENTILES THAT )NDIA )RAQ .EPAL 0AKISTAN 3UDAN 3YRIA ANDMANYOTHERS)N YOUMAYBRINGSALVATIONTOTHEENDSOFTHE ALMOSTALLCASES ITISMUCHEASIERTOREACHSUCHPEOPLESINTHE EARTH)SAIAH!CTS 53THANITISINTHEIRNATIVECOUNTRIES7EAREGRATEFULTHATNEW CHURCHESAREEMERGINGAMONGSOMEOFTHESEGROUPS BUTMUCH &ROMTHESETEXTSANDMANYOTHERS WESEEASTRONGBIBLICALTRUTH MORECOULDBEDONEIFTHE!MERICAN BORNCHURCHWOULDSEEAND THAT'ODALWAYSPLACESPEOPLEWHERE(EWANTSTHEMFOR(IS REACHOUTTOTHESEPEOPLE'ODHASBROUGHTTOTHE"OSTONAREA +INGDOMPURPOSES/FTENTHISPLACEMENTINVOLVEShMOVEMENTv 4HIRD RECOGNIZINGTHATCITIESANDCITYCHURCHES ALWAYSEXPORT WHICHCANOCCURINTWOBASICDIRECTIONS&IRST 'ODCANSEND TOTHEREGIONANDWORLDWHATEVERISCONTAINEDWITHINTHEM THERE PEOPLEOFTHELIGHTINTOPLACESOFDARKNESS!ND SECOND 'ODCAN ISANEWOPPORTUNITYFORMISSIONS)NFACT WEHAVEIDENTIlED SENDPEOPLEOFDARKNESSINTOPROXIMITYOFTHELIGHT)NTHECASEOF HUNDREDSOFINTERNATIONALMISSIONSNETWORKSTHATAREmOWING "OSTON BOTHAREHAPPENINGSIMULTANEOUSLY OUTOF"OSTONTOTHEREGIONANDWORLD)NSOMEINSTANCESSINGLE "UTBEFOREWEILLUSTRATETHAT WEMUSTIDENTIFYTHESECONDREASON CONGREGATIONS WHICHMAYNOTBEVIEWEDAShSUCCESSFULvBYTHE MANY#HRISTIANLEADERSMISSEDSEEINGTHE1UIET2EVIVALIN"OSTONˆ CASUAL!MERICANOBSERVER HAVEPLANTEDASMANYASOR SOCIOLOGICALOVERSIGHT"YSOCIOLOGICALOVERSIGHT )AMPOINTING CHURCHESINTHEREGIONANDWORLD)NOTHERINSTANCES CREATIVE TOTHEHUMANTENDENCYTOWARDETHNOCENTRISM%THNOCENTRISMIS GRASSROOTSMISSIONSNETWORKSAREDEVELOPINGFROM$IASPORA ALEARNINGDISABILITYOFEVALUATINGREALITYFROMOUROWNOVERLY #HRISTIANSIN"OSTONTOTHEIRHOMELANDSANDOTHERCOUNTRIES)T DOMINANTETHNICORCULTURALPERSPECTIVE7EAREALLSUSCEPTIBLETO ISEVENPOSSIBLETHATTHE1UIET2EVIVALOF"OSTONHASHELPEDTO THISMALADY WHICHCLOUDSOURABILITYTOSEECLEARLY4HEREASON STIMULATEOTHER1UIET2EVIVALSAROUNDTHEWORLD SUCHASTHE MANYMISSEDSEEINGTHE1UIET2EVIVALIN"OSTONWASBECAUSE 1UIET2EVIVALAMONGTHEINTELLECTUALSOF#HINA THEYWERENOTINRELATIONSHIPWITHWHERE+INGDOMGROWTHWAS )NDEED THEREISGOLDINTHECITY
-AY'ODGIVEUSEYESTOSEE OCCURRINGINTHECITYˆNAMELY AMONGTHEMANYANDVARIED ITASASPIRITUALGIFTFROM(IS3OVEREIGNHANDANDTOUTILIZEITFOR ETHNICGROUPS THEFAMEOF(IS.AMEAMONGTHENATIONS Heal Our Eyes to See h!FTERTHIS)LOOKEDANDTHEREBEFOREMEWAS 7HATSTHEPRESCRIPTIONTOHAVEOURVISIONCORRECTED 0ERHAPSLIKE AGREATMULTITUDETHATNOONECOULDCOUNT THE#HURCHOF,AODICIA WENEEDTHEhEYESALVEvOF'ODTOHEAL FROMEVERYNATION TRIBE PEOPLEANDLANGUAGE OURVISIONSOTHATWECANSEETHECITYWITH+INGDOMEYESh!ND STANDING;ANDWORSHIPPING=BEFORETHETHRONE )COUNSELYOUTOBUYxSALVETOPUTONYOUREYES SOTHATYOU ANDINFRONTOFTHE,AMBv2EV  CANSEEv2EV 4HISHEALINGWILLINCLUDEBOTHCURINGOUR THEOLOGICALPERSPECTIVESOTHATWECANSEETHECITYAS'ODSEESIT 2OGER'REENWAYAND4IMOTHY-ONSMA #ITIES-ISSIONS.EW&RONTIER INTHE"IBLE ASWELLASOURSOCIOLOGICALPERSPECTIVEWITHAFRESH 'RAND2APIDS"AKER(OUSE    WILLINGNESSTOMOVEOUTOFOURCULTURALCOMFORTZONESINORDERTO GETMORECONNECTEDWITH'ODSGLOBALCHURCHINTHECITY Gregg W. Detwiler, D.Min., ’01, began his ministry as a national Seeing Gold in Boston home missionary with the Assemblies of God following his graduation from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. )FWEHAVEEYESTHATCANSEE WHATDOWESEEWHENWELOOKAT He served for 13 years as a missionary church planter and lead ACITYLIKE"OSTON )WOULDSUGGESTTHATWESEEATLEASTTHREEAREAS pastor of Boston Worship Center in Boston’s historic North End, OFTREMENDOUSVITALITYANDOPPORTUNITY and for three years as the Diaspora Ministry and Missions Pastor &IRST 'ODHASBROUGHTTO"OSTONhPEOPLEOFTHELIGHTvFROM at Mount Hope Christian Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. In 2001, the Emmanuel Gospel Center and the Southern New !FRICA !SIAAND,ATIN!MERICA-ANYOFTHESEIMMIGRANTS England District of the Assemblies of God appointed him as REFUGEESANDINTERNATIONALSHAVECOMEFROMAREASOFTHEWORLD a missionary to Boston’s multicultural communities. He has WHERE#HRISTIANITYISVITALANDGROWINGANDTHEYHAVEHELPED published articles in Discipleship Journal and other periodicals. He holds a D. Min. REVITALIZE#HRISTIANITYINOURCITY4HEYARE INFACT 'ODSGIFTS degree in Ministry in Complex Urban Settings from Gordon-Conwell. TOUS BUTMANY!MERICAN BORN#HRISTIANSAREUNAWAREOFTHEIR PRESENCEAND HENCE ARECUTOFFFROMRECEIVINGTHEMASPRECIOUS GIFTSFROM'ODSHAND&OREXAMPLE MOST!MERICAN BORN

summer 2005 35