{"id":372,"date":"2009-06-07T11:46:08","date_gmt":"2009-06-07T11:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/tonyjones\/2009\/06\/death-of-emergent-round-up.html"},"modified":"2009-06-07T11:46:08","modified_gmt":"2009-06-07T11:46:08","slug":"death-of-emergent-round-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/tonyjones\/2009\/06\/death-of-emergent-round-up.html","title":{"rendered":"Death of Emergent Round-Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nick Fiedler<\/a>: We didn’t want Emergent to become the new club, but we wanted it to
\norganize so that through gatherings, cohorts, and online social
\nnetworks it could create it’s own grouping and lovingly force some
\nvoices out into the open. That happened a little. But it seems that
\nrecently we have lost hope in the Emergent movement. It took it’s hits
\nfrom the conservatives and instead of coming out stronger for it, it
\nsort of fizzled. <\/p>\n

Anthony “Postmodern Negro” Smith<\/a>: The shift is taking place. Folks are out and about playing their role
\nin this emerging Jesus-movement in the United States and abroad. That’s
\nwhy I’m curious about the disappointment people are describing with
\nEmergent Village. Emergence are everywhere in the kingdom of God. So…as
\nI step out into the missional stream this morning looking for God’s
\nactivity @ the local hub I will pray for those who are disappointed. I
\npray they find their place in this wonderful Jesus-movement that is
\nsprouting up all over the country now.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Brink<\/a>: Emergence isn’t a fad that requires me. It’s not something that I can
\ncontrol. It’s something I can only participate in. It’s happening
\nwhether I like it or not. It’s unwieldy and chaotic. It goes here when
\nI want to go there. It makes me wait when I don’t want to, and calls me
\nwhen I’m busy. Kind of like the Holy Spirit. And it is in these moments
\nthat my own intentions are questioned. And I don’t like that. Who does?<\/p>\n

Zach Lind<\/a>: [Embedded video interview with Nick.]<\/p>\n

John D’Elia<\/a>: What the Emergent movement has happily avoided is the unchecked,
\nunmanaged expansion and hubris that killed off Promise Keepers
\n(remember them?). For the complaints I’m reading from Emergents about
\npeople in the movement making a living at it, money has not become
\neither the driving force or life blood of Emergent ministry. That’s a
\ngreat thing. That’s a sign of wisdom and prudence and maturity (sorry
\nfor the traditionalist litany there) that PK and other flashes in the
\npan never had.<\/p>\n


\nJonny Baker<\/a>: i liked the way emergent blew open a conversation in the US
\nand gave permission for questions. to be honest it was a conversation
\nwe’d been having in the uk for about 1o years before but it was always
\nabout networking, practice at the grassroots, and working out what it
\nmeant to follow in the way of christ in your (postmodern or whatever)
\nlocale. if you are disappointed fair enough. but get some people
\ntogether and live some stuff out and connect with some others doing the
\nsame thing – that’s it!<\/p>\n

Makeesha<\/a>: If EV isn’t your thing, whatever, it’s only a small piece of the
\nwhole movement of\"Emergent.jpg\"<\/a><\/span> christianity anyway – but there’s no reason for
\nanyone to distinguish themselves APART from EV. I have seen quite a few
\n“oh by the way I’m not Emergent anymore” posts lately and I don’t feel
\noffended, I just think it’s weird. OK, so you’re not emergent anymore,
\nSO WHAT? What the hell ARE you doing?<\/p>\n

Josh Brown<\/a>: The Emerging Church and to a lesser extent the receptical of the
\nconversation, Emergent Village, are now neutered versions of what they
\ncould be. The protectors of the conversation have A) either sold out or
\nB) still talking to hear themselves talk. And in it’s place is just
\nanother cliche marketing veneer straight out of Grand Rapids. The
\ndegree of difference between all of the hodge podged groups that fall
\nunder the emerging\/missional\/resurgence banner is the degree to how
\nmuch of a UFC pride fighter Jesus really is. Other than that it’s the
\nsame colored conversation, just a different shade.<\/p>\n

James Mills<\/a>: I have made some deep and long lasting friendships with some people
\nin this conversation. These people have challenged and shaped me and
\nhelped me to become a more faithful carrier of The Name. This
\nconversation sustained me through a very difficult displacement from
\nthe church I used to be a part of. And like so many other people have
\nsaid, this conversation became something more. It became a place. A
\ncommunity. A network. a web of relationships. And while I don’t know
\nmany of the 24 people who met in Washington to dream new ecclesial
\ndreams together have a hard time understanding what they hope their
\nefforts will produce I am not concerned about the outcome.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Stegall<\/a>: But this is how culture works. We cannot have a revolution of the
\nway church functions in a decade, or three decades, if we look more
\nbroadly at the emerging church. It is essential that we learn a
\nsustainable perspective on change, in order to find out how Emergent
\nVillage specifically, and the broader emerging church in general, can
\naffect change on the church at large.<\/p>\n

Matt Scott<\/a>: We (the emerging church) have always accepted new guys into the
\nfold, this was never ment to be members only club, and if someone acted
\nout of hand they weren’t rejected, they were loved. Now you want to
\nstart talking about new guys pushing you out of the circle? What the
\nhell, we don’t even like cirlces here, <\/strong>and if we do draw them, we make them so effing big we put people in them that don’t want to be.<\/p>\n

Drew Tatusko<\/a>: If there is frustration over the lack of revolution, it is because the idea of revolution was<\/em> and still is<\/em>
\nsomething bound for inevitable failure. Feeling disenfranchised should
\nnot be confused with a revolution because it is not. Selling all that
\nyou have and following Christ to permanently alter systems that
\nreinforces classism, unfettered capitalist greed at the expense of
\nmillions to incite local change, and a reified free-market religious
\nethos more akin to success in business than love of neighbor  – well
\nthat’s revolutionary. It’s revolutionary because it’s political and
\nsocial. You can’t have a revolution without it emerging from this place
\nand revolutions require leaders who sacrifice everything they have to
\nthe point of death. No revolution has been without this kind of
\ncharisma and none will be. It’s also why I despise “revolutionary”
\nbranding like the image of a Hugo boss glasses wearing, goateed face 20
\nsomething drinking free-trade coffee while wearing a Che Guevara
\nt-shirt listening to protest music as if that is a revolution. That is
\ncapitalism and you have been bought by a brand. Sorry to inform you
\nthat what you thought were changing actually co-opted your myopia.<\/p>\n

Paul Glavic<\/a>: Is there room within EV or greater emergence for people who don’t hate
\nRick Warren but are becoming increasingly interested in re-claiming the
\ngospel’s missional Kingdom emphasis? Or is this a conversation about
\nbeing pissed off about all of the same things? If that’s the case, then
\nscrew the “conversation,” because it’s nothing like a Messiah who
\nesteemed what he saw as good within the diverse people he encountered.<\/p>\n

Julie Clawson<\/a>: So those of us who are part of this thing called emergent – who are
\npassionate about this call to live in the kingdom of God and thrive on
\nthis conversation are wondering what do do. We already experienced the
\ndroves of deserters who left because emergent doesn’t 1. hate women
\nlike they hate women, 2. hate gays like they hate gays, or 3. believe
\nin a certain type of hatred of God towards Jesus on the cross (or all
\nof the above). Then there are all you guys who paved the way for this
\nconversation to even exist saying that you are disappointed that new
\npeople joined and spoiled your fun. We are looking for guidance and
\nthen read comments like Josh’s on your blog “maybe it’s selfish on my
\npart, but i just don’t feel like helping anybody else along.” It hurts
\nto be rejected like that. To those of us who still appreciate the
\nconversation and who see the good it is still doing to those who are
\njust now joining in, it’s a slap in the face to be told that we are
\ndead or fizzled out. I am the first to admit that emergent needs a lot
\nof help right now, but different isn’t dead, just different.<\/p>\n

Carol Howard Merritt<\/a>: There is the hope for revolution, but then there’s a pernicious
\nelitism that questions people who join the conversation later, or who
\nmight be a part of a denomination, or those who fall under that most
\namorphous and damning category-the people who “just don’t get it.”<\/p>\n

Mike Clawson<\/a>: It kind of sucks that so many people are wanting to pull the plug on
\nEmergent Village right when so many women and minorities are just
\nstepping up into leadership (e.g. the recent DC gathering). The big
\nwhite males that these folks have been complaining about so much are
\nstepping aside\/making room for these others, and that’s when they all
\ndecide to leave the party? Kind of ironic, don’t you think?<\/p>\n

Yours Truly<\/a>: Martin Luther King didn’t coach t-ball; neither did Ghandi. Start a
\nrevolution if you want, but that’s not a price that I’m willing to pay.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nick Fiedler: We didn’t want Emergent to become the new club, but we wanted it to organize so that through gatherings, cohorts, and online social networks it could create it’s own grouping and lovingly force some voices out into the open. That happened a little. 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