So the question got asked of me the other day: “Why cling to the institution?” It was concerning equality in the Mennonite Church and the questioner was totally legitimate in wondering why we should bother knocking our heads against a brick wall. Why not just leave the institution — in this case, Mennonite Church USA. It’s a good question .. for our local church, for us as individuals and totally applicable to other issues as well (not just gays and lesbians but women in leadership, anti-racism, etc).
So here’s the reasons why I don’t just want to leave the institution as tempting as it is.
1. I believe that faith is fully realized in a community. Sure, primarily my local community but I’d like think that I can be a part of an even larger group — regional, national and international — and that somehow, together we are more fully what we are. This, of course, has never truly happened to me because after a particular inspiring moment someone says something stupid and exclusive but hope springs eternal!
2. It’s silly I know but this particular institution is basically written into who I am. It brought my parents together; it defined who I was as a child even though I didn’t particularly want it to; it was woven through my secondary and post-secondary education; it keeps rearing its head in my local church affairs; I tried to leave and the lure of its familar baggage drew me back. I wish I knew how to quit it.
3. Deep down I’m a romantic and I really do think institutions can change. Oh, they can’t change perfectly and for every good change they make, there are a thousand wrongs they can’t right. And institutions have power structures and power structures are inherently political and politics is inherently about making the most expedient choice rather than the right choice. But sometimes, the expedient choice is the right choice. And enough people banging their head against a brick wall can make that choice for the power structures. Sometimes.
4. Because when the institution goes down in a blaze of glory, I want to be the one who’s left, the last one standing. If the institution crumbles, something will come up from the ruins because an institution rarely collapses all the way down. And I want my side to be the phoenix rising from the ashes, not the other side. I’m going to grab the tattered flag and plant it on the hillside and whatever other metaphors I can come up with. It’s a Machiavellian approach really. Furthermore (also Machiavellian), if we abandon the institution, there’s less of a chance of it dying. And, sometimes, an institution has to die.
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I’ve been despairing about this same question. Seriously, I’m ready to pack up and move to the UCC. I’m in seminary, and looking at pastor jobs out there–what Mennonite church out there wants to hire a pastor who is a member of one of “those” churches, and who is firm on her position on human sexuality.
I’m cranky as hell about it right now but trying to hold on for a while.
I’m not the only one asking the “Why are you (still) Mennonite?” question « ordinary (mostly) // Jul 23, 2009 at 11:24 am
[...] Urban Mennonite, whose is much more culturally Menno, has observations that pretty well reflect how I feel. And while you’re there, take a look at that first [...]
As one who has sort of quit but not really, and can’t quite seem to wash this institution out of my hair either, I related to an awful lot of that. Thanks. I just did a blog post about similar stuff (Pink Menno-related) that you can check out on my blog if you like.
Well, we would want you if we were hiring (actually Germantown is hiring too … but I don’t know if anyone could work for them and still get ordained inside MC USA sadly).
One of the reports from our delegates that shocked me was that an female pastor of a small church in Ohio was worried that, should her church not be viable anymore, there weren’t any other churches in the Ohio Conference that would hire a woman. I couldn’t believe it. Are we seriously still having to fight that battle?! What the hell!
That’s a pretty damn good post you wrote there. Everyone should check it out.
Thanks! And thanks for the promo.
Amy,
I think there are a bunch of churches that would hire you, most of which are in urban areas, but even churches like Bethel College Church in Newton or Lorraine Avenue Church in Wichita are openly welcoming. Basically, some significant fraction of Western District, Mountain States, Pacific Coast, and Central District are places you should look. Most conference ministers will have a good sense of where to look, Dorothy NF in Western District is amazing.
It’s been a goal of mine — for like the last two years — to do a Google Map layer showing all the welcoming churches. Maybe I should make an effort to move that up the priority list.