Reconciliation in Troubled Times

By Rev. Dr. Dean Borgman and Megan Lietz, STM

 Includes excerpts from “Reconciliation in Troubled Times”, the inaugural Dean Borgman Lectureship in Practical Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, March 20, 2017. 

Megan Lietz is Director of Race & Christian Community at EGC. Her ministry focus is to help white evangelicals engage respectfully and responsibly in issues of race and racism.

Disclaimer from Megan Lietz: This post is based on a lecture from March, and not written in direct response to the Charlottesville violence. While not stated explicitly in this article, we condemn white supremacy in any form. Many congregations in Boston are working together to develop a unified response. I am in consultation with many Boston-area church and organizational leaders. I look forward to sharing the fruit of those collaborations for action planning.

Our society is deeply divided. These divisions can be found in our national, communal, and church life. From polarization between political parties to disagreements in our response to immigrants and refugees, these divisions are rooted in a fear and distrust of people different from ourselves.

These divisions are not recent phenomena. Rather, they are shaped by our history. How we see ourselves and others, and how we choose to interact with the world around us is colored by what has come before. Unfortunately, much of the division and inequality that has tainted our history was reinforced by faulty anthropologies, psychologies, and theologies that are still with us today in various forms.

We all have a part to play, and the Church should be responding.

Christians today, black or white, wealthy or poor, new or old to this country, must be concerned—be distressed—over our divisions and the inability of our system of economics and government to provide adequate remediation and relief to the suffering.

The God who freed the Hebrews and the American slaves, and who brought relief to the segregated and oppressed under Jim Crow—that God will hear the united cries of American Christians, should we humbly pray for justice. 

In the News: Boston Faith Leaders Responding to Charlottesville Violence

Begin with Lament

Lament is a biblical practice, where we acknowledge that things are not right—in the world, nation, community or church—and where we embrace our role and responsibility in it. Lament comes not out of a spirit of complaint. Rather, it invites God into the situation so healing and justice can occur.

For example, laments and confessions came from Moses, Daniel, Nehemiah and other prophets, and Christ on the Cross—for sins they didn’t individually commit. They were earnest, prayers of systemic confession.

Furthermore, of the 150 Psalms, the majority are Psalms of Lament. They provide us examples  and guides for the expression of our desire for social, political and church reconciliation.

Biblically, lament is often coupled with confession of how we have contributed to the problem at hand. When Nehemiah is lamenting over the broken walls and associated disgrace that had come upon Jerusalem, he first makes a confession:

LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments… I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you... (Nehemiah 1: 5-7a, NIV)

Nehemiah was not born in the land where such injustice was taking place. He had never participated in the sins he was confessing. But he still confessed the sins of his people and lamented over them, even though he wasn't personally responsible.

We must reflect, lament, and confess today, whether or not we feel personally responsible. We all have a part to play, and we can all go before God to change ourselves and affect healing in our land.

Choose to be Reconcilers

After we lament the division around us, churches must make a choice to engage the division in our midst. Such work is not something that people enter into casually. Rather, it requires intentionality and effort.

Any church or group must first decide that they are committed to biblical social reconciliation. They should be committed to giving this important challenge some time and thought.

Study the Realities and Positive Examples

It's important that we learn more about the division around us and how to be agents of reconciliation. We could begin with understanding the biblical notion of reconciliation, centered on God's reconciling work in Jesus Christ. But we must also gain understanding of sociological, psychological, historical, and theological realities.

Consider the examples of Black churches under slavery, during Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement and continued discrimination. Their spirituals, their persistent prayers, and their courageous demonstrations invited collaboration, and slowly produced some measure of social justice. They provide countless examples of how to be agents of reconciliation in a broken and divided world.

We must also seek to understand the perspective of those today who are different from us—this is especially true for white evangelicals. It is very important that we invite the 'others' into conversation, and give them a chance to voice their own stories and hurts.

We can also learn from local organizations. Some of EGC's partners doing reconciliation work include:

Unite Boston

Collaborate Across Lines

As we listen, we must also work together with people across dividing lines. We must reach across the chasm of differences and choose some shared Kingdom priorities in which we can invest. As we collaborate with "the other," healing takes place. As we engage with the other, we get glimpses of the coming Kingdom of God.

“It is very important that we invite the ‘others’ who are different from us into conversation, and give them a chance to voice their own stories and hurts.”

Imagine how you might be able to come together with others around shared kingdom values:

• spending time with those outside our fortunate situations

• hearing the stories of those who have been freed from oppression or rejuvenated, experiencing the hope of the seemingly hopeless

• hearing the deep cries and music of the oppressed

• seeing victims become survivors and then confident leaders

These are the “now-but-not-yet” experiences of God’s coming Kingdom. When we share mutual love, respect, and inspiration with those who because of our privilege have so much less, we experience something of God’s beloved community—a community of hope.

TAKE ACTION

STOP. REFLECT. PRAY.

• What does our city need from its churches?

• How might churches collaborate in bringing peace and welfare to the city?

• How can seminary educators collaborate with other serving and training organizations working for shalom—the peace and welfare of our city?

JOIN With A REFLECTION/ACTION GROUP

Are you a white evangelical who wants to join with others in a journey of respectful and responsible conversation and engagement of race and racism issues? 

Contact

Contact Form

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

About Rev. Dr. Dean Borgman

About Megan Lietz, STM

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

Examples of Collaboration in the Greater Boston Church Community

Compiled by the Emmanuel Gospel Center for Greater Things for Greater Boston Retreat October 8 – 10, 2017

There has been a rich history of ministry collaboration in the Greater Boston Christian community. This document gives a brief description of some of the significant ministry initiatives in urban Boston that involved a broad coalition of ministry partners, and/or involved significant partnering across sectors. Much more could be said about each of the ones listed, and many more initiatives, projects and ministries could be added to this list. Please send additions or other feedback to Jeff Bass (jbass@egc.org).

The 1857-1858 Prayer Revival spread to Boston when the Boston "Businessmen's Noon Prayer Meeting" started on March 8, 1858, at Old South Church (downtown). There was considerable doubt about whether it would succeed, but so many turned out that a great number could not get in. The daily prayer meetings were expanded to a number of other churches in Boston and other area cities. Wherever a prayer meeting was opened, the church would be full, even if it was as large as Park Street Church. While the revival was noted for drawing together businessmen, it also involved large numbers of women. For example, the prayer meetings of women at Park Street Church were full to overflowing with women standing everywhere they could to hear.

When Dwight L. Moody came to Boston in 1877, he led a cooperative evangelism effort among many churches. This three-month effort drew up to 7,000 people at a time to the South End auditorium for three services a day, five days a week. Moody encouraged a well-organized, interdenominational effort by 90 churches to do house-to-house religious visitation, especially among people who were poor. Two thousand people were spending a large part of their time in visitation, covering 65,000 of Boston’s 70,000 families. The home visitations served the practical needs of mothers and children as well as their spiritual needs. The Moody outreach also related to workers in their workplaces. Meetings were established for men in the dry-goods business, for men in the furniture trade, for men in the market, for men in the fish trade, for newspaper men, for all classes in the city.[1]

[1] These first two are from History of Revivalism in Boston by Rudy Mitchell; 50 pages of fascinating and inspiring reading. Use hyperlink or search at egc.org/blog.

One of the most important organizations in Boston for the healthy growth of the church has been Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s Boston Campus, commonly known as CUME (the Center for Urban Ministerial Education). A short version of its interesting history is that it came about because of the joint hard work of leaders in the city (particularly Eldin Villafañe and Doug Hall) and leaders at the Seminary (particularly Trustee Michael Haynes, pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury). CUME officially opened with 30 students in September 1976 at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury. CUME currently serves more than 500 students representing 39 denominations, 21 distinct nationalities, and 170 churches in Greater Boston. Classes are taught in English, Spanish, French Creole and Portuguese, with occasional classes in American Sign Language. (from GCTS website).

The Boston TenPoint Coalition was formed in 1992 when a diverse group of urban pastors was galvanized into action by violence erupting at a funeral for a murdered teen at Morning Star Baptist Church. Reaching beyond their differences, these clergy talked with youth, listened to them and learned about the social, economic, moral and ethical dilemmas trapping them and thousands of other high-risk youth in a cycle of violence and self-destructive behavior. In the process of listening and learning, the Ten-Point Plan was developed and the Boston TenPoint Coalition was born.

The “Boston Miracle” was a period in the late 1990s when Boston saw an unprecedented decline in youth violence, including a period of more than two years where there were zero teenage homicide victims in the city. Much has been written about The Boston Miracle (and a movie starring Matt Damon is in the works), but there are competing narratives about what caused the violence to decline. Certainly the work of Boston police, the Boston TenPoint Coalition, Operation Ceasefire, and supporting prayer all played major roles.

In response to the first Bush administration’s faith-based initiative in the early 1990s, a group of funders (led by the Barr and Hyams foundations) brought together leaders from the Black Ministerial Alliance (BMA), Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC), Boston TenPoint Coalition, and the United Way to respond to a Federal request for proposals. Out of this conversation, the Boston Capacity Tank was formed, and we were able to successfully secure a Federal grant ($2 million per year for three years, then funding from federal, state, local, private sources afterwards). The Tank was led with input from the founding partners, and built the capacity of more than 350 youth serving organizations over 10 years.

Victory Generation Out-of-School Time Program (VG) was created by the Black Ministerial Alliance in 1992 in response to the educational disparities documented between youth of color and their suburban counterparts. The BMA partnered with 10 churches to provide academic enrichment to students in the Boston Public Schools in order to improve their grades and test scores. Ninety-four percent (94%) of students consistently participating in VG were found to increase one full letter grade in achievement and, for those not at grade level, achieve grade level. Most remarkable is that although this is a church-centered program, upwards of 80% of the students attending VG are not members of any church.

In the 1990s, Vision New England hosted three-day prayer summits for male pastors that was attended by as many as 90 leaders. The goal was to focus purely on seeking God through prayer, worship and reading Scriptures with no speakers, only facilitators keeping things on track. They were not only well attended but powerful times that were blessed by the Holy Spirit. In 2000, leaders in Boston met to discuss holding a similar prayer summit that also would include female leaders in the Boston area. Thus began the Greater Boston Prayer Summit, which ran two-day prayer retreats for up to 75 pastors and ministry leaders in the spring, with a smaller one-day prayer gathering in the fall. The Summits were effective in connecting leaders around Greater Boston, and promoting unity in the church across various church streams. Energy for the Summit faded in recent years, and the planning team disbanded in 2016.

In the mid-1990s, there was a group of pastors and business leaders who met several times to talk about issues in the city and potential partnering. The business leaders challenged the city leaders to agree on an issue to address. “If the city leaders agree, resources will flow!” Partly in response to this challenge, EGC worked with a broad coalition of churches and youth leaders to start the Youth Ministry Development Project (YMDP). The goal, set by the coalition, was to see the Boston churches grow from only one full-time church-based youth worker to twenty over ten years, and to provide much better support for church-based youth work. Funding was provided primarily by secular foundations, and the YMDP project was well-funded and met its 10-year goals.

Boston Capacity Tank’s Oversight Committee (including funders and faith leaders) challenged itself to look at the systemic issues of youth violence in Boston. The Committee asked EGC to take the lead in forming the Youth Violence Systems Project (YVSP) that partnered with Barr, youth leaders in several key Boston neighborhoods, local organizations such as the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), the Boston TenPoint Coalition (to interview gang members), and a nationally known Systems Dynamics expert (Steve Peterson). The work influenced many leaders to take a more systemic view of their activities, and the project approach was published in a peer review journal.

In 1997, United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB) collaborated with local faith leaders to initiate the Faith and Action (FAA) Initiative. UWMB had traditionally only worked with secular organizations. The Faith and Action Initiative was envisioned as funding faith-based programs for youth precisely because of their spiritual impact on participants. Churches—especially Black churches—in some hard-to-reach Boston neighborhoods were serving youth in a way that more traditional agencies were not. FAA would direct small grants to these religious organizations on a trial basis. No grant recipient would be allowed to proselytize. But each would be required to include spiritual transformation in its program as a condition of winning a grant (from Duke case study on FAA).

The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) is an organization of 50 religious congregations and other local institutions that joined together in 1998 in order to more powerfully pursue justice in Massachusetts. Since its founding, GBIO has played a critical role in securing Massachusetts health care reform; helping to roll over $300 million into the construction of affordable housing in the state; and supporting local leadership in efforts to attain worker protections, school renovations, adequate access to school textbooks, as well as other major victories (from GBIO.org).

The Institute for Pastoral Excellence (IEP) was planned and implemented in 2002 as an initiative of the Fellowship of Hispanic Pastors of New England (COPAHNI). COPAHNI is a regional fellowship of Hispanic churches and ministries. The purpose of IEP was to help Hispanic pastors and lay leaders in New England build their foundation for effective and resilient ministry. IEP was funded with two multi-year grants from the Lilly Endowment ($660,000 and $330,000, respectively). IEP maintained strong partnerships with Emmanuel Gospel Center (fiscal agent, consulting, and administrative support) and the Center for Urban Ministerial Education and Vision New England (consulting, speakers, and materials).

In 2004, a group of suburban leaders met with urban leaders to see if we could provide resources so connecting would be easier. “The answer can’t be that you have to talk with Ray Hammond to get connected.” Out of those conversations, CityServe was born. The goal was to create online resources for connecting, coupled with staff support for the process. Harry Howell, president of Leadership Foundations, offered to donate a couple days a week to get this off the ground, and EGC raised some funds and hired a staff person to get things started. Harry, however, had a heart attack and was not able to follow through on his commitment, the project never found its footing in the community or with donors, and the experiment ended in 2007.

In 2004 and 2005 there was a growing sense among many believers that God was about to move powerfully in the New England region. Covenant for New England was formed to promote the functional unity, spiritual vitality, and corporate mindset that would prepare the way for a fresh movement of God’s Spirit. In 2006, Roberto Miranda, Jeff Marks, and others involved inCovenant for New England met with British prayer leader Brian Mills to discuss how to broaden the Covenant network to include all of New England. In February of 2007, the New England Alliance was formed consisting of representatives from all 6 New England states. This group began meeting monthly in various places around the region. One unique aspect of Alliance gatherings was they always began with an hour or two of prayer before any other business was brought up for discussion.

From 2008 to 2010, a multi-ethnic group of urban and suburban church leaders worked together to plan and prepare for the national Ethnic America Network Summit, “A City Without Walls.” The conference was jointly hosted in April 2010 by Jubilee Christian Church International and Morning Star Baptist Church. The Summit featured local speakers (including Dr. Alvin Padilla of CUME and Pastor Jeanette Yep of Grace Chapel) and national speakers with deep Boston roots (including Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah). The Summit brought together many diverse partners and established relationships that last today.

In 2010, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson created a community liaison position to foster more school partnerships with faith-based and community-based organizations. The opportunity for church/school partnerships led to some significant urban/suburban church partnerships, such as Peoples Baptist/North River, and Global Ministries/Grace Chapel. EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative currently supports about 40 church/school partnerships in Boston.

Greater Things for Greater Boston grew out of the initial desire of several key urban and suburban pastors to see broader connections between pastors and churches in Greater Boston. Central to developing the vision were biennial “Conversations on the Work of God in New England” which highlighted local and national pastors and networks joining with God to do innovative work to reach their city. The first conversation was held in May 2010. Topics have included “Why Cities Matter?”, church/school partnerships, community trauma, and much more. The identity and mission of GTGB is: “We are a diverse network of missional leaders stubbornly committed to one another and to accelerating Christ’s work in Greater Boston.”

There were at least two precursors to Greater Things for Greater Boston. The Boston Vision Group formed in 2001 “to see in the next 5 – 10 years, Boston will be a place where there is infectious Christian Community wherever you turn.” The Greater Boston Social Justice Network, formed in 2004, was “committed to eradicating social injustices that impede the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth.” Both groups included a variety of urban and suburban leaders, and both were active over several years.

In January 2017, EGC and the BMA worked with Jamie Bush and Drake Richey to convene a group of mostly professional under-40s, in the financial district, to consider what God has been doing in Boston over the last 30 years. This led to another meeting of the same group in March to hear from Pastors Ray Hammond and Bryan Wilkerson about what the Bible says about engaging your talents and the needs of society, with small-group discussion, pizza and wine. In May, the group met again at the Dorchester Brewing Company for a discussion of seeking God's purpose for your life and prayer. Again with food (and, of course, beer). Next steps, including hopefully meeting for prayer, are being considered.

Shared Worship Space - An Urban Challenge and a Kingdom Opportunity

Resources for the urban pastor and community leader published by Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston

Emmanuel Research Review reprint
Issue No. 74 — January 2012

Introduced by Brian Corcoran, Managing Editor, Emmanuel Research Review

One body, one building? Being neighbors is one thing, but when churches gather under the same roof, much deeper and intricate conditions emerge that remind us of the character, nature, calling and Kingdom purpose of the Church in a diverse urban environment. Dr. Bianca Duemling, Assistant Director of EGC’s Intercultural Ministries, outlines the challenges and opportunities that present themselves when multiple congregations consider sharing the buildings they use for worship.Employing a biblical, intercultural, and practical perspective, Bianca, along with local leaders and her research colleagues, “hope that this article enhances the understanding of the dynamics and challenges of sharing worship space and helps congregations to develop healthy and supportive relationships with each other to manifest the unity of the body of Christ across ethnic lines.”

Shared Worship Space - An Urban Challenge and a Kingdom Opportunity

by Bianca Duemling, with the research assistance of Cynthia Elias and Grace Han

Contents

• Factors Contributing to the Need of Shared Worship Space - an Introduction

• Biblical Perspectives on Sharing Worship Space

• Cultural Differences and Power Imbalance

• Aspects of Sharing Worship Space

• Advice from Sharing Worship Space - Experts

• Conclusion: Sharing Worship Space - a Long-Term Solution?

• Resources

Section One: Factors Contributing to the Need of Shared Worship Space - an Introduction

Sharing worship space is a reality in the urban context as space is very expensive and limited in availability. During the “white flight” in the 1960s, many congregations moved to the suburbs. Consequently, the number of majority-culture¹ churches in many North American cities declined. At the same time the “Quiet Revival”² unfolded and spiritual vitality flourished among immigrants in Boston. On every corner, new immigrant congregations emerged, often as house churches or in former storefront shops. Additionally, there is a new wave of young church planters who intentionally moved into the city to plant churches.³

As congregations grow and need more space, they look for alternatives. Some rent space in office buildings, hotels or schools⁴, but most of them reach out to congregations owning buildings to share space. Lack of space and lack of financial means makes it very difficult to find appropriate worship space in the city.

Facts about sharing space in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline:⁵

• 32% of all congregations share worship space, in total 214 congregations

• 73.6 % of these congregations share with one other congregation

• 16.1% of these congregations share with two other congregations

• 10.3% of these congregations share with four or more congregation

• 82.8% of these congregations share with congregations of a different denomination

• 17.2% of these congregations with congregations of the same denomination

• 95% of these congregations share with congregation other than their own ethnic background.

Different Shared Worship Space Arrangements

The most common way of sharing worship space is having two or more independent congregations under one roof. One of them owns of the building and others are invited in. This article will mainly focus on their situation. However, there are other ways to share worship space. One example is the multi-congregational model. Different language groups are gathered under a joint leadership and board of elders. This includes a joint ownership of the building. Grace Fellowship in Nashua is such an example. Two of the Associate Pastors are also pastors of the Brazilian Church and the Russian/Ukrainian Church.⁶ Another rare arrangement is a joint ownership, when independent congregations build or buy a church building together.

Background and Structure of this Article

After Intercultural Ministries at EGC had been approached for advice on this matter several times, we started this research project to learn from the experience of different congregations about sharing worship space. Moreover, we found out that little has been written about sharing worship space well; even denominations have not addressed that issue or developed guidelines for their member congregations.⁷ In this article, I draw from inspiring conversations with many pastors.⁸ I thank all of them taking the time to honestly share their story and struggles with me!

The proximity of diverse congregations when sharing worship space offers a great potential to connect with each other across ethnic lines and witness the beauty of unity in diversity to the neighborhood. The reality, however, shows that sharing worship space is very challenging. It often causes much frustration for the congregations involved.

I hope that this article enhances the understanding of the dynamics and challenges of sharing worship space and helps congregations to develop healthy and supportive relationships with each other to manifest the unity of the body of Christ across ethnic lines. Making shared worship space work needs investment and commitment; there is no magic bullet to solve the challenges, and every situation differs from another.

First, I will unfold the reasons and importance for sharing worship space from a biblical perspective. Second, I will address cultural differences and how the power imbalance in our society impacts sharing worship space. After that, I will talk about how to share worship space and which different aspects need to be factored in. Also included will be advice from those I interviewed for those intending to share worship space. Moreover, in the appendix you will find some resources on sharing worship space.

Section Two: A Biblical Perspective on Sharing Worship Space

The Bible gives us many examples why sharing worship space is essential for the Body of Christ and closely connected with who Jesus wants his disciples and his Church to be. In this section I want to briefly address five biblical aspects⁹ to consider in this context which are interconnected. Some of the aspects might refer more to the situation of the owner of the church buildings, whereas others are important for both parties.

The Body of Christ – a Loving Relationship

The two most meaningful passages in this context are the image of the Body of Christ and the new commandment.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the church as one interconnected Body of Christ. In verses 24-26, he especially mentions the nature of the relationship: “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that parts should have equally concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

In line with this image is Jesus’ new commandment to love one another (John 13:34-35). Love is always more than words. Love implies consequences as described in 1 Corinthians 13. Love also means to humbly serve one another, as stated in Galatians 5:13.

Moreover, sharing housing, food, and economic resources is characteristic of the early Church, as described in Acts 4. The reference is often made to become like them again. Sharing worship space is a great opportunity to pick up the characteristics of the early church and set them into practice. Through that the unity in diversity of the Body of Christ is manifested.

Missional Impact

Another aspect is the missional impact of unity. Jesus emphasized in John 17:21 shortly before he died: “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” There is a close connection between being one and the aspect that the “world may believe.” In my understanding, this verse states very clearly that unity is a key to renewal and revival. Moreover, sharing worship space, especially across ethnic lines, is a witness to the community that Jesus is relevant today. He bridges the gap of segregation and brings peace and reconciliation.

Opportunity of Spiritual Growth

Sharing worship space might not increase a church’s growth numerically, but surely can enhance spiritual growth and maturity. It is very easy to talk about a Christlike life from one's own comfort zone. But sharing worship space and stepping out of the comfort zone gives the opportunity to set the Gospel in practice. It shows how seriously a congregation lives the fruits of the spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Hence, sharing worship space is an opportunity of manifesting a deeper kind of unity that surpasses the state of being kind to each other.

The interaction with Christians from all over the world challenges the cultural elements of our Christian practices and leads the focus on the essential Christian faith. Mutual mentoring and encouragement as well as learning from each other's strength help us to mature in Christ. It is an excellent practice to embrace our poverty.¹⁰

Additionally, understanding of the global Kingdom of God increases, as well as affection for other parts of the world, through the immigrant group sharing space. Thus, leaders and members can develop intercultural competency, which is a much needed skill in our diversifying society.

Good Stewardship

In the parable of the talents, God has entrusted men with bags of gold to use wisely for the Kingdom of God (Matthew 25:14-30). In 1 Peter 4:10 it is even more explicitly expressed that “each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” A church building, for example, can be seen as such a bag of gold that should be used wisely for the sake of people’s life and the building of the Kingdom of God.

Growing the Kingdom of God

One of the great challenges of the Body of Christ is to develop a Kingdom perspective beyond the walls of a congregation’s own activities. In assisting church planting through sharing worship space or incorporating an immigrant congregation as a part of one's own mission, we are involved in advancing the Kingdom of God.

Church planting and the growth of a congregation is something that God is doing by using us. Nurturing vitality through sharing space means aligning with God’s plan.

These Scripture passages and many more indicate that sharing worship space is not just a business deal between two independent parties, but also an undertaking within the one Body of Christ. The source of consideration should be the advancement of the Kingdom of God. If growth occurs because a congregation has opened their space for a church plant, it is as important as if the same congregation would add new believers to their flock. In either case it is for the advancement of the Kingdom of God and the Glory to God.

Congregations need to shift their mental models. If one congregation is not able to send out church planters, they can still be involved in church planting by sharing worship space. It needs to be understood that helping other congregations fulfill their calling is a valid Kingdom mission and ministry.

New mental models generate different questions. It is not to ask: “How do I (or does my congregation) get the job done?”, but: “How does the job get done?” — no matter how God uses me and my congregation.¹¹

Having emphasized the necessity and opportunity of sharing worship space, I also want to clarify that it might be not possible for every congregation.

Section Three: Cultural Differences and Power Imbalance

As I mentioned above, more than 95% of all the congregations that are sharing worship space do share with a congregation of another ethnic background. There is always a potential of conflict in every inter-congregational interaction, but its potential increases in a crosscultural setting. Cultural misunderstandings and conflicts are inevitable in the context of intercultural encounter. Everyone needs to engage in the process of intercultural learning to increase intercultural competency. It is crucial to realize and accept that in addition to our fallen human condition, our behavior is further impacted by cultural bias. Different approaches to cleanliness, time and property do not exist to intentionally try to cause problems for the other congregation, but are part of cultural differences. Therefore, there is a need to learn about patterns of foreign cultures without judging them, as well as identifying one's own cultural standards and estimating its impact on someone from a different culture. In the context of Living System Ministries at EGC we talk about primary and secondary culture as one way of better understand cultural differences. Most immigrants from the Southern hemisphere are relational or primary cultures, whereas Western cultures can be described as secondary cultures. Here are some of the contrasts:¹²

The Bible gives us many examples why sharing worship space is essential for the Body of Christ and closely connected with who Jesus wants his disciples and his Church to be. In this section I want to briefly address five biblical aspects¹³ to consider in this context which are interconnected. Some of the aspects might refer more to the situation of the owner of the church buildings, whereas others are important for both parties.

These contrasts create challenges. It is a learning process to find ways how to work best together and how to profit from each other’s strength.

I cannot go into more details about cultural differences, but two helpful resources to explore the impact of cultural differences more deeply are: Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures from Sarah A. Lanier and Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church from Soong-Chan Rah.

Closely related to cultural challenges is the dynamic of majority-minority relations.¹³ Sharing worship space is embedded in the power imbalance, systemic discrimination and racism of our society, which in the context of the U.S. is rooted in the colonization of the Native Americans, the history of slavery and the lack of equal opportunities for immigrants. There is a lot of mistrust and broken relationships between the members of majority and minority culture. This historical baggage deeply influences the relationships between congregations sharing space. It is especially sensitive, as the owners of the church buildings mostly belong to the majority culture. The power imbalance might not be seen at first glance, but it subtly penetrates the atmosphere.

Section Four: Aspects of Sharing Worship Space

Sharing worship space is a very complex issue containing many challenges. Before dealing with practical details, our mental models need to be identified and some important questions are to be asked:

• What is the motive to share worship space?

• Which attitude/mental model is driving the decision?

During my research I observed that pastors who generally had good relationships, emphasized that the financial aspect should never be the driving motive. In some cases a financial contribution is necessary for sharing space to maintain the building. Even so, others admit that when counting all the costs there is no financial net gain. One way to not allow the financial aspect to dominate the process is to intentionally refrain from creating a landlord-tenant relationship, as the host congregation sets the tone of the shared worship space experience.

One way of doing that is the choice of language:

• Am I sharing or renting worship space?

• Is it a business relationship or among brothers and sisters?

Although the host pastor sets the tone, the guest congregation carries the same responsibility to make it work and not take advantage of their hospitality.

Sharing space is a learning process for everyone. The involved congregations need to be educated and develop a shared vision that the overall purpose is the Kingdom of God and not where the cups are, which is nevertheless important!

In my observation, a business mentality, where the financial aspects is the only or driving motive, often becomes counterproductive. Unresolved misunderstandings and cultural conflicts can easily turn into destructive relationships and damage the Body of Christ.

Therefore, the aim of this section is to help you consider various elements of sharing worship space. I will firstly address the importance of relationships, then the possible challenges. After that I deal with aspects of the practical arrangements and ideas of intercultural encounters and joint events.

Relationship is everything

Sharing worship space has similar aspects to living in community. In order to live well together it is good to know each other’s stories, vision and passion, hopes and challenges. Building relationships is a timely investment and is not done with one meeting to discuss practical details. However, over a long run the initial investment to start on good terms is worth its time as it helps to navigate through challenges. Therefore, transparent relationships, good communication, mutual respect and support, and responsiveness to each other needs are crucial.

One way to build relationships is regular meetings for prayer and fellowship between the pastors or point persons. The research revealed that most pastors meet only if conflicts arise. It is not a good basis for relationships to only see each other when something goes wrong.

Especially if sharing with several congregations, a quarterly inter-church council that includes all groups sharing a facility, has proven very beneficial.

Be Prepared for Challenges

Despite good relationships challenges arise from time to time. As mentioned in section three, they are closely connected to cultural differences. In this section I list some of the challenges that frequently appear, so that everyone can be prepared for them and think ahead of measures to avoid conflicts.

Different Worship Styles and Sound Levels. Traditional worship styles often differ in their instruments and sound level from more contemporary styles. Different cultural and denominational backgrounds include crying out loud to God, weeping, dancing, and clapping is an integral component of worship. This can create a challenge if both congregations are in the building at the same time or if the building is close to neighbors, who complain about the sound level.

Growing Congregations. Congregations can grow numerically at different paces. New immigrant churches have a tendency to be more vital and grow faster. Consequently, they need more space and have more frequent meeting times. This growth dynamic can be seen as a threat to the host congregation. Feelings that the other congregation is taking over can develop as members of the guest congregation are increasingly present in the facility.

Historical and Personal Baggage. Every person and every congregation brings their baggage to the table, such as bad experiences with former shared worship space arrangement, suspicion, or discrimination experiences.

Language Barriers. The lack of English abilities of one party creates challenges in clearly communicating expectations and navigating constructively through conflicts.

Communication. Miscommunication is the root of many conflicts. Although in the Western culture, emails are often seen as an appropriate way to communicate, in many oral cultures this is not always the case. Unanswered emails are not necessarily a sign of disinterest, but an unsuitable way to start a conversation. In such cases, a telephone call or a face-to-face meeting is much more efficient. Developing clear and healthy communication patterns can be a major step in building stable relationships.

Different standards related to time. There are two challenges relating the issue of time. The first one is the different cultural understanding of starting or ending on time. The second one is the perceived "tension" between the Holy Spirit and time. In many Pentecostal congregations, there is a deep expectation that the Holy Spirit moves during the service. So the question arises, whether time restriction is a valid reason to stop the moving of the Holy Spirit?

Different standards related to cleanliness. In every home or shared living situation the discussion about cleanliness occurs; it is the same within congregations. People have a different need for cleanliness to feel comfortable and have also different standards for what is considered a clean floor or clean kitchen.

Food. Food is one of the most tangible cultural expressions. In some congregations shared meals are an integral component of the worship and fellowship experience. However, people have a different comfort level regarding the smell of food in a church building.

Supervision of Children. Not every congregation has Sunday school for children during the service. Children can become disinterested from their parent’s worship service and wander off to other areas in the building. Unsupervised children can not only hurt themselves but also severely damage the building, its walls and equipment.

Building issues. A church building is a complex issue. The focus should always be on the people, but as good stewards it is understood to use physical resources careful that they last as long as possible.¹⁴ This includes being sure that everything is locked, the lights are out, and the heat/air conditioning use is not messed up. It may cost the host congregation hundreds and thousands of dollars if these issues have not been taken care of thoroughly. This needs to be understood by those using the facilities.

Unauthorized use of supplies and equipment. It happens again and again, that a congregation uses supplies or equipment of the other congregation. Not necessarily to take advantage of the other, but because they forgot something or run out of it.

Violation of the agreement. The basis of shared worship space arrangements is an agreement how and when to use the space. There is always a chance that this agreement is violated or the agreed upon financial contribution is not made.

Commitment to the neighborhood. In many cases, the host congregation feels a commitment to their neighborhood and wants to reach and serve their community. Thus, they try not to upset the community through poor parking or high sound levels. The focus of the guest congregations often is a specific target group and not the community. This may be especially true, if they have no office space, come just for the worship service from all over the city, and see sharing worship space only as a short term option.

My intention to list these challenges is not to overwhelm the reader. If the question arises why to share worship space in the first place, please read section two again!

Being aware of the challenges can prevent the shared worship space experience to become counterproductive. The obvious question is, how to avoid or to address these challenges. As I said before, there is no simple answer or magic bullet to it. Some of the challenges might be solved more easily, such as paying a cleaner together or having a translator for conversations. But most of these challenges mean a lot of work and need the right attitude and willingness to make it work. The congregations need to be educated and involved. Conflicts need to be addressed with grace and love. Honesty and transparency are key in the communication. Good relationships help to navigate through these challenges.

Practical Arrangements

So far I have addressed the reasons to share worship space and its challenges, but what practical arrangements need to be set in place?

Every situation is different, therefore shared worship arrangements differ from each other. In this section I will present different ways to deal with the practical arrangements, as suggested by the congregations we interviewed.

Agreement. Shared worship space arrangements are mainly crosscultural, thus often they are encounters between oral or written cultures that have different ways to come to an agreement. In any negotiation this has to be taken into account. As mentioned above, the attitude regarding sharing worship space is expressed through language, hence it is recommended not to use business language such as “renting” or “contract.” In most cases it is helpful to have the arrangement in a written form as a basis that can be revisited when there are misunderstandings. The “agreement” or “covenant” should be developed together and only contain the most basic information. Avoid creating a “catalog of rules,” which implies distrust, reduces mental flexibility, and is less relational. Working together towards an agreement gives a chance to clearly communicate each other’s expectations. A common practice is to renew the agreement every year and see it as an opportunity to reflect on the experiences and adapt changes if necessary.

I also strongly suggest getting to know each other before you talk about details and share the stories of the congregations and the personal journeys in ministry.

Basic Elements of an agreement:

• Contact details of pastor or point person

• Description of use (time and space)

• Shared cost

• Condition of use

• Basic building rules

• Insurance

• Supervision of Children

• Use of kitchen

• Cleaning instructions

• Termination procedure

Sharing of expenses. There are different ways of sharing expenses. Some congregations ask for a contribution for a monthly use, a hourly use or per session. In some cases, the amount of contribution differs with the size of the congregation.

Many congregations see the building as a blessing, however, the maintenance, especially of old buildings, can turn into a huge financial burden. The guest congregation needs to understand that maintenance and repair costs tens of thousands of dollars a year and it is not at all inappropriate to be asked for a contribution.

Insurance. No matter whether there is a written or oral agreement, insurance is a very important issue. Accidents always can happen and things break all the time. Without insurance coverage small things can become an unbearable financial burden. Often each congregation is asked to have their own insurance. The host church should receive a copy of the insurance policy. The insurance company “Church Mutual” (www.churchmutual.com) has been recommended. It has a special “tenant” insurance.

Organizational issues. There are three basic organizational issues: (1) time and space, (2) cleaning, and (3) storage space, which need to be addressed and clear to everyone.

Time and Space. First, each congregation has defined times and rooms they can use. A magnetic calendar in the hallway, for example, is a great way to provide transparency. Each congregation has a color and can reserve the time and space they need additional to the fixed service times. The first congregation, who reserves it, can use it. This procedure is well tested by the International Community Church.

Another possibility to communicate this clearly is to use a joint Google calendar, where people can book space depending on availability. It is important that pastors have agreed on how to reserve the facilities and that the use of space is communicated ahead of time. Nothing is more frustrating for both congregations to come to the church building and find that the space is already used. Good communication on that issue is crucial. Moreover, there should always be enough time for smooth transition, clean up and set up between two events.

Cleaning. Second, as cleanliness is a sensitive issue, it should be agreed on how the congregations have to leave the space. If the chairs need to be stacked up a specific ways it should be kept easy and be explained clearly. It is helpful to have a plan in each room. If this is a recurring source of conflict, one way to solve this issue is to hire a custodian or a cleaner together.

Storage Space. Thirdly, each congregation has different equipment and material for their gatherings, therefore it is important to provide enough clearly labeled storage space for each congregation. There are different opinions on whether this space should be lockable, as, ideally, the basis for the relationship is trust.

Other aspects to consider

Sharing other resources. Depending on the shared space situation even more resources than the facilities could be shared, such as a copy machine, Internet/WiFi, audio/visual equipment or even human resources, such as an accountant or church administrator.

Billboards/Signs. It was recommended that groups have a sign on the outside of the church building that indicates everyone who is sharing the facilities. This is not only helpful for members to find the space, but also reflects a certain community among the congregations.

Shared Worship Space arrangement on each other’s website. Another way to demonstrate a commitment to recognize and care for each other’s congregation is to display the other congregations on the website, as, for example, Ruggles Baptist Church does.¹⁵

Intercultural Encounter and Joint Events

Sharing worship space is more than a functional relationship, as it reflects the one Body of Christ. Joint events are a visible expression that Jesus Christ connects people across cultural lines.

Although it has been emphasized, especially by the church building owner, that sharing worship space is building the Kingdom of God, only a few congregations intentionally are seeking to build personal relationships with members of other congregations. The interaction is often reduced to the pastors or one joint service a year if at all.

The reasons are lack of time or the lack of enough space to hold joint events. Some pastors of the guest congregations indicated that they think any joint activity needs to be initiated by the host congregations.

The intentions to do something together are there, but there is no driving force, no one who takes it on and starts to organize it; therefore, nothing is happening. Whenever the time was invested and joint services or picnics took place, everyone remembered it as beneficial and a learning experience.

However, generally there is little understanding for the importance and opportunities to build personal relationships across congregations, especially across cultural lines.

Besides the fact that it is personally and spiritually beneficial to develop relationships across cultural lines, the opportunity of outreach is immensely overlooked. A multicultural experience which reflects the love of Christ is very attractive, especially for young, urban non-Christians, as diversity reflects their life situation.

The following suggestions for joint events were provided by the congregation we interviewed.

Guiding principles of joint worship services:

• People from each congregation are involved in preparation

• Short sermons in each languages so that everyone has to sit through a ten-minute devotion in another language

• Joint worship team with songs in different languages

• Short interview/testimonies of one person of each congregation

• Fellowship with shared meal

Other possible joint events:

• Vacation Bible School

• Soccer games

• Youth events

• Marriage seminars

• Community outreach events

• Building cleaning and repair event

• Yard sale for community outreach and to support the ministries

Section Five: Advice from Sharing Worship Space - Experts

As mentioned earlier, there is no magic bullet for sharing worship space and it requires significant time and effort. The pastors have been asked in the interviews to give some advice for people who are considering sharing space. In this section, I will share their insights. As the host and guest congregations have different perspectives and emotions regarding sharing worship space, I will address them in two sections.

Advice from host congregation to host congregation:

• Be clear on the conditions and expectations

• Count the cost before sharing your building with another congregation and then make decision

• Be willing to adapt to change that will come

• If money is your only motive, do not share worship space; it can become counterproductive

• Perceive sharing worship space as a way to serve

• Be patient and flexible

• It is sometimes easier to share among three or more churches because it reduces the potential of an "us and them" mentality developing

• While interviewing a pastor, who needs worship space discern whether you can relate interpersonally to each other.

Advice from guest congregation to guest congregation:

• Be proactive with conflicts and show your servant attitude

• Take good care of the children and the equipment

• Make sure that the members of your congregation know what you have agreed on with the owner

• Be responsible, respectful, responsive, and thankful

• Pray for the host congregation as part of your ministry; this enables the members to value the space and helps them to take good care of it

• Being supportive of each other

• Seek the Lord on where you should be and who you should be with

• Don't share worship space with a congregation who speaks the same language to prevent membership competition

Section Six: Conclusion: Sharing Worship Space – a Long-Term Solution?

Given all the reasons to share worship space such as difficult economic times, lack of human, physical, and financial resources, I wonder why more congregations do not consider sharing worship space as a long-term solution.

I have observed that churches desire their own buildings, even though they have good relationships to the host congregations. Sometimes it is the need for more space, more flexibility, or the dislike of service times in the afternoon. For only two churches we talked to, sharing worship space is a long-term option because one is committed to the specific neighborhood and the other values the shared worship arrangement, as it gives the possibility to spend its few resources on ministry and not a building.

Cultural and personal misunderstandings will occur, therefore a long-term commitment to sharing worship space is also a commitment to invest in relationships, reconcile conflicts, and not avoid difficult conversations.

It is time to think differently about sharing worship space and develop creative and innovative approaches that build the Kingdom of God, witness a loving body of Christ, serve the neighborhoods, enhance intercultural learning, and reflect the nature of the Kingdom of God as written in Revelation 7:9:

“there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”

Intercultural Ministries of EGC offers consulting and training to assist congregations in navigating through cultural challenges. If you are interested in receiving more information, contact Gregg Detwiler at gdetwiler [at] egc.org .

Footnotes

¹ In this article the term “majority culture” refers to the U.S. society in general and not to the majority or minority in a given community or congregation. “Majority culture” is shaped by language, religious practice, values, and social structure of people of predominantly Euro-American descent.

² See Hall, Douglas, Judy Hall, and Steve Daman. 2010. The Cat and the Toaster: Living System Ministry in a Technological Age. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock., p. xiii-xv; and Doug Hall: “What is the Quiet Revival & Why is it Important?” in New England’s Book of Acts (2007). The growth of immigrant churches is also documented in New England’s Book of Acts.

³ This is an observation Rev. Ralph Kee made in his work as the animator of the Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative (https://www.egc.org/church-planting/).

⁴ However, that is not possible everywhere anymore. On December 5, 2011, the Supreme Court rejects worship at public school appeal for NYC; consequently more than 60 churches in NYC need a different space to worship starting February 12, 2012 (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/05/us-usa-religion-schools-idUSTRE7B41ML20111205 - accessed 01/10/2012).

⁵ All the data is obtained from EGC’s Boston Church Directory (http://egcboston.force.com/bcd - accessed June 2011).

⁶ http://gatecitychurch.org/about/leadership-team/ (name changed, new web site, link updated 04/11/2017).

⁷ We have contacted the headquarters of the main denominations to ask about guidelines regarding shared worship space. However, no practical guidelines have been developed. Two denominations had some sort of guidelines. The Church of the Nazarene mentioned the process of developing multi-congregational churches under 100.1 in their Manual (http://nazarene.org/files/docs/Manual2009-2013.pdf, p. 63 – accessed 01/23/2012). The Presbyterian Church USA has only guidelines regarding sharing space with another religion: (www.pcusa.org/resource/sharing-building-space-group-another-religion/ - accessed 01/23/2012).

⁸ Between July and December 2011, we conducted 15 formal interviews with six pastors whose congregations own the church building, eight pastors whose congregations worship in someone else’s church building worship space and with a representative of one parachurch organization, who has churches worshiping in their facilities. Moreover, I had many informal conversations about shared worship space.

⁹ All Scripture Quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.

¹⁰ See Hall, The Cat & the Toaster. p. 116ff.

¹¹ Ibid. p. 180-183.

¹² Ibid. p. 19ff.

¹³ In this article, the term “majority-minority relations” refers to the U.S. society and its structure in general and not to the majority or minority in a given community or congregation.

¹⁴ This issue was addressed in November 2010 through a workshop. Subsequently, the report Re-thinking the Way We Think about Church Buildings was published by EGC in the Emmanuel Research Review, Issue 61, Dec. 2010. Contact EGC to request a copy, or search here: https://www.egc.org/blog/emmanuel-research-review.

¹⁵ http://www.rugglesbaptistchurch.org/– accessed 01/23/2012.

Resources:

• Anderson, Lorraine: Under One Steeple:  Multiple Congregations Sharing More Than Just Space. House of Prisca and Aquila Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2012.

• Behnken, Ken. Together in Mission: Sharing Facilities With Another Culture Group. Irvine, CA: Center for United States Missions, 2008.

• Lanier, Sarah A. Foreign to Familiar. A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures. Hagerstown, MD: McDougal Publishing, 2000.

• Rah, Soong-Chan. Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2010.

• The Christianity Today article “Space Frontiers” features three churches that are pioneering new ways to use facilities for the gospel. It inspires one to think a little more out of the box. www.christianitytoday.com/le/2009/fall/spacefrontiers.html - accessed 01/23/2012.

Author

Dr. Bianca Duemling served as the Assistant Director of Intercultural Ministries at Emmanuel Gospel Center (Boston, MA) since 2010. Raised in Germany, Bianca earned her degree in European Community Education Studies as a licensed social worker in Koblenz, and a Master of Arts in Intercultural Work and Conflict Management in Berlin. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Heidelberg, studying emerging immigrant churches in Germany and their relationship with mainline churches. She is a founding member of the Forum Intercultural Relations of Together for Berlin and the Foundation Himmelsfels, where she served as the project coordinator for an intercultural reconciliation project.