Longing for a Church of the Nones?
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In “I left the church - and now long for a ‘church of the nones’”, Perry Bacon Jr., a columnist for the Washington Post, wrote something that resonated far beyond his usual readership, drawing thousands of passionate comments. In his very personal piece he shares his journey from growing up as a pastor’s kid, to being active in church as a young adult, to gradually becoming a “none”, aka one who does not belong or practice a particular faith tradition. But the part that really seemed to engage people was Bacon’s conclusion that, regardless of our beliefs or faith traditions, and regardless of how difficult it has been for him to find something appropriate, we as a nation would be better off connected to “church-like” institutions, a so-called “Church of the Nones”. He writes,
“My upbringing makes me particularly inclined to see a church-size hole in American life. But as a middle-aged American in the middle of the country, I don’t think that hole is just in my imagination. Kids need places to learn values such as forgiveness, while schools focus on math and reading. Young adults need places to meet a potential spouse. Adults with children need places to meet with other parents and some free babysitting on weekends. Retirees need places to build new relationships, as their friends and spouses pass away.”
Personally, I agree with much of this, though I would argue that a “Church of the Nones” might have more in common with Jesus’ vision for a community of disciples than our current religious institutions. Specifically, Bacon describes a community that is dedicated not to enforcing a rigid set of beliefs propagated by religious elites, but rather is drawn together around a common practice of love and concern for one another. For one who so often challenged the religious status quo of his day, it seems clear which of these Jesus calls his followers to.
In other words, perhaps our world would already have what Bacon is looking for if Jesus’ followers let go of trying to build brands or win a culture war that Christ never started.
What Bacon’s essay really got me thinking about, though, was just how deeply ingrained this idea that pastors and sermons are a necessary part of church truly is. I mean, Bacon could’ve imagined anything for his “Church of the Nones” and this is what he envisions:
I can easily imagine a “church for the nones.” (It would need a more appealing name.) Start the service with songs with positive messages. Have children do a reading to the entire congregation and then go to a separate kids’ service. Reserve time when church members can tell the congregation about their highs and lows from the previous week. Listen as the pastor gives a sermon on tolerance or some other universal value, while briefly touching on whatever issues are in the news that week. A few more songs. The end. An occasional post-church brunch.
With a completely blank canvas before him, Bacon mostly recreates the model that has persisted for centuries: members passively listening in pews to a religious expert.
Why?
Why is a pastor a necessary part of this community that Bacon so cherishes? What purpose does a sermon serve in all of this?
This might not be entirely clear from my previous posts, but I truly value a Spirit-filled sermon delivered by someone who loves their congregation. But in many ways, I am becoming more and more convinced that when churches center the sermon and the preacher/pastor, the centering of budgets, buildings (or campuses), and brands is not far behind.
If we’re going to rethink everything, why stop at the pastor/sermon? Instead, why not try one of the following alternatives to the traditional model:
In place of a solo pastor leading a congregation, appoint a team of leaders
Train up a team of teachers that can each take turns instead of having the same speaker every week
Mix in weeks where the community experiments with ways of hearing God’s word outside of the traditional sermon
Create a culture of shared “pastoral care” - train up every church member in the calling to carry each others’ burdens and “minister” to one another
There’s no scriptural evidence that Jesus preached a sermon to the same group of people every sabbath. And even if there were, why would we try to replicate that given the fact that pastors are to point to Jesus, not stand in for him?
Bacon’s right: every church has the potential to create something uniquely life giving together. Some people refer to this as “community”, but I think there’s more to it than that. Regardless of what we call it, I believe it stems not from listening to sermons and following a designated spiritual leader, but from souls receiving and embodying the love of Christ to neighbor, to self, and even to enemy.
What about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.