New life for denominationalism

Christian Century, March 15, 2000 by Nancy T. Ammerman

Even Episcopal members we surveyed who did not grow up in the Episcopal Church said that the parish's denominational identity was important to them in choosing to join. This distinct liturgical tradition, precisely because it is distinct, is attracting new adherents.

In a very different way, the new movement known as the Vineyard is also creating a worship-dominated identity. Not a formal style, mind you, but just the opposite. Two Chicago Vineyard leaders put it this way:

   Some of it is stylistic--like there are churches that are "tie all the
   way," and it is pretty formal, whereas the Vineyard is pretty laid back.
   You have guys in jeans playing in the band. There's a flavor about the
   Vineyard. It's nonpretentious. No hype.... You know, we like that laid-back
   style. And the people that come and stick like that style and the worship.

A Vineyard joke has it that St. Peter will know the Vineyard pastors at the Pearly Gates because they will show up in jeans. But even more than the informal attire, the Vineyard is a major producer of "praise chorus" style music that permeates every occasion of worship with a distinctive feel. Some describe it as part of the Vineyard "DNA."

NOT EVERYONE HAS such a worship tradition on which to draw, of course. Even where liturgy and theology do not seem to be providing any distinct denominational links, some congregations maintain their loyalty because their denomination helps them accomplish their mission. Whether it is a calling to evangelize the world or a calling to provide for the material needs of the world (or both), no single congregation can do it alone. When we asked congregations about what they get from their denominations, the most common response-from liberals no less than conservatives--was a sense of participation in a global mission. Far more often than they named any service the denomination provides to them, they talked about how their denominational mission and relief agencies do good work that they want to support.

Congregations that recognize the value of that work, emphasizing the denomination's service in the world, are more likely to describe themselves as strongly shaped by the denominational tradition. Catholics often pointed to Catholic Relief Services, just as Methodists pointed to their relief agency. When the world needs help, we're there, they said. The genius of the system kept a Seattle Southern Baptist pastor--otherwise distant from his Texas traditions--linked to the SBC. "We give money cooperatively through Baptist channels. It's what is called the Cooperative Program. Supporting missionaries around the world and in various places in the country, you know, in a pooled-resource sort of thing." A neighboring Church of God in Christ pastor said this about his denomination: "When you look at a broader level, national and international, it's a very exciting organization, doing some very innovating and exciting things. So I try to get our people to go to any international or national thing.... I believe God is going to be doing something through this denomination that's going to be spectacular in America."