In the ELCA, we have the possibility of "farming out" or "merging" pastoral leadership and congregational mission with any of our full fellowship ecumenical partners. I know this has been done in many areas; and I do not know why it is not done in some other areas. A Lutheran and Episcopal parish two miles apart get it together. A Lutheran and Presbyterian Church in the same town share a pastor. There is the possibility of mergers, linking congregations together, other forms of close cooperation.
We need to do a lot more of that.
We in the Retired Pastor Brigade would rather help congregations do things like that than put Sunday-morning sermon band-aids on congregations with 30-40 people in the pews who know they are on life support or near to drawing their last breath.
The rest of us wish you would do this also.....and while you are at it drop the moniker of "Lutheran" in addition to your idea about "Evangelical." It might go a long way toward clearing up so much confusion in this old world.....
Lou
Having just read Bp. Rimbo's essay in another thread, your proposal strikes me as far too modest.
Are you suggesting that maybe the moniker "Church" is no longer appropriate either?
On the ground and in and among the faithful, the progressive/regressive labels aren't for almost the whole part pertinent. Given the relationships among ELCA, Presbyterian and other aligners, I think in the small to tiny category the merger/linkage that Charles suggests makes a lot of sense. Small-town USA, wherever that might be, is in my opinion going to be ripe for many of these new relationships in utilizing pastoral service and leadership.
Among the less ecumenically connected, the LCMS being one example, the options are more toward linking area birds of the same feather together. What gets lost then is the neighborhood/community sense, because we're connecting East Plumtown with Plumtown Falls ("other side of the tracks"), or East Plumtown with West Orange, which is 20 miles away.
Whereas in East Plumtown, New Jersey, if three relatively Mainline Protestant congregations consorted to have two locations and sell the third and hit the streets, they could make a better difference for the Gospel right where they have always been. The question I hear being asked is whether they have the Gospel at all. I'd say on the ground rather than at headquarters, the answer is Yes.
For me the best Missouri option is to recruit existing pastors and congregations from among the reachable Protestants, and make them Missouri Synod Lutheran pastors and churches through training/discipling/colloquy. This could actually be accomplished; I know, because I've been there and done that.
Dave Benke
