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As we begin this new millennium
it is of utmost importance to step back and do an assessment of our
standing as a Church, as a community of Churches, as a discipline,
and as a way of life. It has been over 400 years since the planting
of the roots of Congregationalism in
England
. It has been almost that long since the Pilgrims
landed in Plimoth. It has been almost 2,000 years since the
beginnings of the primitive Christian Church as recorded in Acts,
chapter 2. We find ourselves at this junction asking the question,
"Are we who we say we are?"
Who are we? Who do we say that
we are? We are Christians seeking an authentic, Christo-centric way
of living out our lives in the modern world. Asking ourselves "What
would Jesus do?" Teaching our children the gospel, the good news.
Trying everyday to live out our existence by applying Biblical
principles to everyday circumstances. Trying to keep it simple.
Injecting faith, hope and love into our work, our shopping and our
play.
We are sinners, seeking
forgiveness, yet already forgiven and washed clean by the sacrifice
of Jesus, the immortal Lamb of God. We are participants in the
sacrifice when we take up our cross and walk the path that Jesus
walked; we walk the talk. We are Jesus' followers and imitators.
This is who we are as
individuals, as Christians, but what of our communal life, what of
the Congregational Way. Who are we as Congregational Churches?
Does the concept of Congregationalism hold value and meaning in the
modern world? Was the Congregational movement simply a reaction to
an evil, despotic King of England, a warped union of Church and
State, greedy and corrupt bishops? Was Congregationalism an
important reform of the Church of England, which served its purpose
in its time? Has it lost its raison d’ętre, its meaning and reality
in 2000 and beyond? Or is there something more, something much
deeper and meaningful that we can take away from this dialogue?
One must dare say that there
is. There is a deep, spiritual root that the Congregational Way
taps to bring life giving water to its members. In November 2000
about 100 Congregationalists came together to investigate, probe,
challenge and study this very question. We asked the question: Are
we who we say we are? Eminent scholars, pastors, seminarians, and
leaders in the Congregational Way prepared papers in advance. These
same papers were presented to the assembled congregation, both lay
and clergy. This work is a compilation of those papers, here
presented to the reader.
Jesus taught us so many things
during his life: to love one another, to give everything you have to
the poor, to worship God our Father, to eschew the ways of this
world and store up your treasures in heaven. But, perhaps because
it was not His mission - His was the sacrifice - He left the task of
organizing the Church to his apostles and disciples. It was the
Holy Spirit who would inspire the apostles to lead the Church in
"the Way." The Holy Spirit would teach us how to be a covenanted
people, sharing our goods in common, supporting the missions,
raising up and educating the clergy, feeding the widows and the
orphans, celebrating the remembrance of the Last Supper, worshiping,
singing and praising God our Father for taking care of us in this
world. Ever since that primitive beginning, the Church has
struggled with how to organize, how to live an authentic Christian
life, how to "legislate," and how to be in the world but not of the
world.
When the Puritans began their
reform movement in
England
in the late 16th century, they had a
vision in which civil life, family life and church life all blended
together in the Gospel. Their vision included an organization
without a hierarchy, where every man, inspired by the Holy Spirit,
had an equal voice, both in Church and civil governance. Their
vision included a world in which all decisions, ethical, moral,
civil and private, reflected back to the Biblical truths and the
Gospel. Gone was the hierarchy of bishops, archbishops, not to
mention cardinals and pope! Gone were the rituals and the canons
and the legalistic approach to life. In their reformed way of life,
the Puritan relied on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct his
affairs. Matters of the local Church were settled by a vote of the
members. Matters of the universal Church were settled by
cooperation among the gathered local Churches, with a heavy reliance
on the Lord's grace. While giving a nod to the king, civil matters
were settled by a vote of the citizens, at least in the colonies,
that is.
Does this reform, this "Way,"
still hold relevance for us in 2001? We say that we are people of
the Way, people of the Covenant, walking in the footsteps of our
forbears. Are we? Are we that or are we something else, something
of our own modern invention. Are we carrying the banner of the
Puritans, the Evangelicals, the Christians? Or are we carrying our
own Congregational banner? When a person of the world looks at our
Churches and their members, what does he or she see? How do we
define ourselves? That is why the sub-title of this Symposium was
“Towards a Definition of Congregationalism in the New Millennium.”
This is the difficult question that we had to pose to each other.
This is the issue with which we had to wrestle during our meetings.
There is no doubt that we are
dealing with good people, saved people, people who believe in the
salvific power of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. That is a
given. Congregationalists do not have a monopoly on that
distinction, nor do they claim to. There is, however, a special
character about the Congregational Way that separates it from all
the other methods and modes of Christianity. It boils down to this:
the local gathered Church, the covenant, and reliance on the Holy
Spirit for direction. All other churches share the important
foundational principals of our faith: the Lordship of Jesus Christ,
the salvation through faith in Him, the call to evangelize the
world, the importance of nurturing our new brothers and sisters in
Christ, the gospel responsibilities of faith, hope and love. No
other denomination puts the emphasis on these three fundamental
Congregational principles:
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The independence and autonomy
of the local gathered Church, the Saints
-
The binding nature of the
covenant, entered into freely as an individual, yet realized fully
in fellowship as a community
-
Total reliance on the leading
of the Holy Spirit for decisions in the Church
To
you who are reading this foreword and have been in Congregational circles
for many years, this may not seem to be new ground.
As you read through these papers, may the light of Christ and the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit add new meaning to your rich and
experienced walk.
To the others who may read this foreword, who are curious about the future
of the Congregational Way around the world, you may be struggling with the
idea of becoming a member of a Congregational church in your town.
What makes it different from the Methodists or the Baptists up the
street? You may be searching
for authenticity, experimenting with newfound faith, or longing for new
meaning in your life. Whatever
is happening in your life, wherever you find yourself right now, it is our
sincere hope and prayer that the papers presented here shed new light on
your path.
We are all pilgrims, struggling to
find meaning in our lives. We
live out our lives as best we can live them, in some cases clawing and
scratching for significance in the modern age.
We filter out good ideas from bad ones, meaningful from
uninteresting, important life giving ideas from the “noise” of our
daily existence. Hopefully we
put on the good ideas, take to heart the meaningful ones and incorporate
into our lives the important principles with which we will guide our walk.
Some of those good ideas are to be found in this small book.
Enjoy the search and rejoice in the discovery as you share with
these pilgrims their ideas and
beliefs.
Thank you for reading our story.
Many blessings in the heavens upon
you, fellow pilgrim.
I. David Pfalzgraf
Londonderry
,
NH
April 2001
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