Conference on Change

I attended the annual conference that Scioto Valley Presbytery sponsors for pastors and other church "professionals" each year. It was at a hotel in one of the beautiful Ohio state parks. We started with supper on Sunday evening and finished with lunch on Tuesday. The speaker was David Sawyer, who teaches at Louisville Theological Seminary and also free lances at church events.

David Sawyer, it turns out, was assistant pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Athens, Ohio, from 1972 t o1975. He worked at the church while he was enrolled in a graduate program at Ohio University. His memories of the church were happy ones. The skills he gained in organizational dynamics are ones he has honed and deepened over the years.

The theme of the conference was change. David spoke of the transitions in human communication from oral to print, then broadcast (i.e., television) to peer-to-peer (email, texting). Most Presbyterian churches are still focused primarily on print communication. We have bulletins, Bibles, and hymnbooks. This creates distance between us and the younger generations.

I have been working hard, especially in the last year, to move more of my communication onto the computer -- websites, blogs, Facebook, etc. I carry a cell phone around with me, but I do not text, and I do not share my mobile phone number with many people. It is more for personal or urgent use. I like being able to "drop out" for an hour or two when I choose.

I believe that the future of the church will include helping people do self-directed learning. This will be based on lively group life; that is where the electronic communication comes in. People will probably always enjoy the celebratory tone of large events like congregational worship, but the music will evolve and the communication include more media.

This means change, and change demands effort. It also means overcoming our fears so that we are ready to face the new patterns and possibilities that God is bringing our way.