Not Worried?

“I’m not worried about the poor. We have a safety net for them.”

Mitt Romney

February 2012

These unfortunate words, spoken off the cuff, have exposed Romney’s fundamental ideology on class.  To suggest that nothing more than a safety net is needed for the poor gives evidence of the dehumanization they currently experience in our nation–a dehumanization that will not end should Romney become president.  An introductory course in economics will teach us that capitalism runs off a basic structure of supply and demand.  The free market is set up so that my neighbors and I can create a supply for any demand and in the process make money.  The more we do this, the more the money flows.  At the same time, the free market is intended to allow and even encourages competition.  Theoretically, when healthy imagination is coupled with a creative spirit we ought to experience a well-heeled economy.  We ought to see entrepreneurs grabbing hold of opportunities and creating products to fill the gaps and meet the needs.  Theoretically, when healthy competition is in play we ought to see goods and services that are solid, dependable and affordable.  Unfortunately, in today’s economy we are seeing entrepreneurs closing up shop–or worse yet never opening a shop.  Something has gone awry with the system.

Case in point: in the small town I grew up in, LeSueur, MN, a young entrepreneur with a great imagination saw a possibility and started his own company.  He created Frog Tape; the green tape you see advertised today that when moistened creates an immediate seal disallowing seepage.  This tape is marvelous for painting projects when one is trying to create a clean straight line.  The product was created, tested, perfected, and marketed.  The company grew slowly, but eventually the brilliance of the product caught on and they were off and running.  The green Frog Tape was soon in serious competition with 3Ms blue tape known by all as the key to a successful painting project.  Frog Tape was giving 3M’s blue tape a run for its money.  All too soon the president of Frog Tape received notice that he was being sued by 3M for creating a product too similar to their patented blue tape.  In the initial court hearing the judge ruled on the side of Frog Tape noting the originality of the idea and the freedom the company had to continue with their enterprise.  But, 3M was not done.  They continued to press the point over a period of many years until they had exhausted Frog Tape’s resources. In 2004 the Frog Tape patent was sold to a much larger East Coast company.

The Frog Tape story is but one example of the wealthy overcoming the little guy.  About three years ago I was in the market to buy a condo.  I had a large down payment, nearly 25%, and yet could not get anyone to offer me a 30 year fixed mortgage.  I could only get a variable mortgage that would balloon up in 5 years at which time I would have to refinance. I walked away from the deal.  A few months later the bottom fell out of the housing market and everyone who had these variable ballooning mortgages was stuck.  Since then I have talked with others who have had the same experience, except that they signed the document and have now lost their homes.  These events raise many questions in my mind.  How is it that in a free market society someone with a brilliant idea cannot hold on to the rights to it?  Why is it that mortgage companies were allowed to create deals destined for bankruptcy? 

Our capitalistic free market economy is running off a Darwinian ideology of the survival of the strongest.  In the long run It is okay for 3M to run over the creator of Frog Tape because they are bigger and stronger.  It’s okay for people to lose their houses in bad mortgage deals because the companies making the deals are bigger and stronger.  This is the ideology that was exposed by Mitt Romney when he ‘accidentally’ gave us a window into his soul the other day.  In other words, it’s  okay that our nation functions off a Darwinian ideology as long as we have a safety net for the poor.

As an ordained American Baptist minister and a liberation theologian who has studied the Bible from a faith-filled academic perspective for more than 20 years; and now does comparative studies with Jewish interpretations of the Hebrew Bible and Muslim interpretations of the Qur’an–I have to disagree with this Darwinian ideology.  In the Hebrew Bible the people of God are taught that a faithful Jew cares for the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner.  In the New Testament the faithful Christian is told the second greatest commandment is “to love your neighbor as yourself.”  In the Qur’an the faithful Muslim is told that “love of neighbor” (one of the fundamental ideals of Islam) means the person next door should never go hungry as long as you have food in your own house.  I wonder what the book of Mormon teaches on this point.

A society that does not value and nurture its own is destined for destruction.  Remember the wars in Central America?  Remember the Arab Spring?  Are we even aware of what’s going on in northern Panama right now? 

About 80% of our nation’s population is either Christian, Muslim, or Jewish.  Yet, we function off a Darwinian ideology.  Capitalism is an economic and political system not an ideology.  The machine can be driven for good or for ill depending on the ideology of the driver.  Think about it.

 

LeAnn Snow Flesher, PhD

Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

American Baptist Seminary of the West

A Word About Cone’s New Book

Every issue of the Review and Expositor Journal begins with a “Word from . . .” and a “Word about . . .”  This blog will appear in the winter 2012 edition of the Review and Expositor as a “Word about . . .”

 

Race has been a topic of great concern in our nation since the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement (1948 to present).  I am delighted that the Review and Expositor has given two full issues to the topic and even more delighted to provide a “Word About . . .” for this issue.  In this brief “Word about . . .” I would like to highlight a new publication, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, by Dr. James H. Cone (2011).  In this recent publication Cone addresses the historic reality of mob violence and torture that led to the lynching of Blacks post Civil War and after the end of slavery in our nation. In the book Cone notes:

The cross and the lynching tree are separated by nearly 2000 years.  One is the universal symbol of Christian faith; the other is the quintessential symbol of black oppression in America.  Although both are symbols of death, one represents a message of hope and salvation, while the other signifies the negation of that message by white supremacy.  Despite the obvious similarities between Jesus’ death on a cross and the death of thousands of black men and women strung up to die on a lamppost or tree relatively few people . . . have explored the symbolic connections. (xiii)

In chapter one Cone provides numerous accounts and details about lynchings that took place in the US post emancipation and during the time of Jim Crow.  From a sociological prospective, one can say that lynching was an extra legal punishment sanctioned by the community.  Many scholars date its origin in Virginia during the Revolutionary War when Charles Lynch or William Lynch (both were called the original Judge Lynch), with the support of the community punished Tory sympathizers. (3) During this era it was considered necessary to protect the community from bad people that were out of reach of the law.  In later years it was applied to the freed Black slaves, for whom resistance to lynching was out of the question as it would lead to even more of the same.

In chapter two, Cone goes on to discuss the significant theological contribution of Reinhold Niebuhr, not only to the terrible beauty of the cross (i.e., salvation in the cross, victory in defeat, life in death), but also to Christian social ethics.  Cone touts Niebuhr as “probably the most influential single mind in the development of American attitudes which combined moral purpose with a sense of political reality.” (32)  Throughout the first half of this chapter Cone gives Niebuhr numerous accolades for his work to create theologies that confronted the injustices and inequities lived out in the United States during his lifetime, and rightly so—for Niebuhr did indeed significantly change the landscape of American theology.  His work was seminal for many of the ideological emphases that we see today.  Towards the end of the chapter and throughout the remainder of the book Cone provides honest critique of Niebuhr’s work; affirming the positive as mentioned above and challenging his silence and lack of action around the cry for legislation that would outlaw lynching. 

According to Cone, Niebuhr was “at most a moderate on racial justice.  Rather than challenge racial prejudice he believed it must ‘slowly erode.’” (48)  In chapter three, entitled “Martin Luther King Jr.’s Struggle to Redeem the Soul of America,” Cone emphasizes King’s famous discussion on “Why We Can’t Wait.”  Niebuhr encouraged patience; King responded “It is hardly a moral act to encourage others patiently to accept injustice which he himself does not endure.” (39)  For the transition from slavery resulted in the development of Jim Crow, yet another means for controlling Blacks in America; and along with Jim Crow came the rise of lynching Blacks in America. 

King is famous, of course, for his Gandhian inspired non-violent resistance theology that undergirded the Civil Rights Movement.  For King Non-violence was more than a strategy; in his thinking it was the only way to heal a broken humanity.  In response to the fall out that came from King’s “Beyond Vietnam” address at New York’s Riverside Church (April 4, 1967) King states: “. . . when I took up the cross I recognized its meaning. . . . It is not something that you wear.  The cross is something that you bear and ultimately that you die on.” (84)  It is clear King had seen the power of the cross that was made even clearer by Oscar Romero’s famous statement pronounced shortly before he was martyred “. . . if they kill me I shall be resurrected in the hearts of the Salvadoran people.”  In these two brief examples, I hope the reader can catch a glimpse of the profound significance of Jesus’ death on the cross that goes well beyond ideas found in classical traditional atonement theology. 

As a “professional” student of theology for more than 27 years now, I want to state clearly that it was not until I took a study trip to El Salvador, heard the stories, talked to the people, and read the theological reflections of their contemporary theologians that I truly understood the significance of the cross and, consequently, of its comparison to the lynching tree.  All of our big fancy theological words such as atonement, substantiation, propitiation, expiation, and so on, do not and cannot bring to life the truths found in the martyrdom of these great theologians (Martin Luther King, Jr. and Oscar Romero) who understood theology as something practical and active; who lived their theology and called out for others to do the same.  The martyrdom of these two men changed the world and the theological enterprise forever.

In his book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, of which I have shared but a small portion in this brief “Word about, . . .” James Cone has exposed the gap between White progressive theology and the Black theology of Liberation.  He has dared to be open and honest about the theological developments in Black culture and in so doing called the progressive White theologians to task for not adequately and actively addressing issues of race in their ethics.  To Dr. Cone I say “Thank you for your honest reflections and your challenge to White America;” to White America I say “Please read this book and embrace its truth.”

“A Word about . . .”

By LeAnn Snow Flesher, PhD

Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

American Baptist Seminary of the West at

The Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, CA

The Church and Apocalyptic Eschatology

LeAnn Snow Flesher, Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

Having just completed another semester and having read and graded the final paper I am once again impressed by what the students teach me as I strive to respond to their questions and concerns.  It is no secret that seminary training challenges a person’s faith-filled understandings of the bible and of theology in general. This semester proved to be no different.  I had a wonderful first semester class this year, and in some way they are all wonderful, but each group is unique taking on very particular interests and asking a unique set of questions.  The fall 2011 Introduction to the Old Testament class was one of the most earnest group of students I have ever taught.  This class was made up of mature individuals from all walks of life with considerable ministerial experience.  They came with a fist full of questions and the willingness to probe the difficult and the complex.  I am indebted to them, and incredibly grateful, for their willingness to have authentic conversation in the classroom and in their writing.

I close each semester of my introductory course with a session and an assignment on apocalyptic literature.  This is a topic and theme that does not get nearly enough attention in the mainline progressive seminary.  As a consequence the dominant voice on the topic in our culture has been the self-declared “prophecy teachers,” not to be confused with the prophetic preachers of our day.  The former read the bible in an individualistic judgmental manner–preaching fire and brimstone to those and for those unlike themselves.  The latter, the prophetic preachers, speak truth to power, crying for justice and equity for everyone. 

This year, as I contemplated the class discussions and read through the papers on Daniel 9 I came to understand the fundamental message of the contemporary prophecy teachers with new clarity.  There are two distinct ideologies evidenced in the biblical apocalyptic literature with which contemporary prophecy teachers resonate.  The first is a pessimism about the current social order.  In Daniel 7-12, the apocalyptic portion of the book, the Jews are suffering under the severe persecution of the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes IV.  The book denotes a shift from living under friendly foreign rule (cps 1-6) to life under the persecution of Antiochus IV (chps 1-7).  In both sections the Jews are called to be faithful to the worship of YHWH, albeit with differing consequences.  In chapters 1-6 faithful worship and practice has positive results all around, even with the foreign king, but in chapters 7-12 faithful living results in martyrdom.  The result is a pessimistic view of the social order in chapters 7-12, with no hope for reform, and consequently, hope only that God will come supernaturally to bring judgment for the wicked and deliverance for the faithful worshippers of YHWH.

The contemporary prophecy teachers parallel these two major ideas: 1) there is no hope for the current social order to reform–and the only hope is that God will come to judge and deliver; 2) that God will only deliver those who are pure and holy and faithful–mainly themselves and their followers.  Thus, only those who live according to the regime outlined by the prophecy teachers can hope for deliverance.  This, of course, is a very dangerous perspective; and one that seriously thwarts openness to difference, cultural and otherwise.  It is also a tremendously controlling perspective that sustains a hierarchical authoritative exclusivistic structure.  To be clear, they believe wholeheartedly that they are the persecuted faithful that Jesus is coming again to rapture; and that they alone will be delivered and everyone else will experience an eschatological judgment.  End of discussion.

While each culture group probably has its own version of this theology, the resources used by students in my fall 2011 class, made up of African American and Korean immigrant students we’re written by white men associated with Dallas Theological Seminary.  I do not have space here to go into the differences between my class lectures and the writings of these men, but I have written a book on it.  However, what I do wish to emphasize is the influence these men have had on our society across culture groups, for two primary reasons.  First, there has not been enough attention given to apocalyptic eschatology outside of the writings of the contemporary prophecy teachers.  Consequently,  the only interpretation heard on this topic by the general population comes primarily from this source.  Secondly, prophecy teachers use numerous biblical passages–stringing them all together so as to create a brand new text that they then interpret.  This use of numerous biblical texts is very impressive to the untrained reader causing them to think these men really know their bible.  Finally, the prophecy teachers do accurately proclaim one of the essential messages of biblical apocalyptic, mainly that God is in control and at work, behind the scenes, preparing for the end when judgment and justice will come.  This word brings significant comfort to the general population, and is probably a major reason why their teachings are so popular.  But, of critical import is the manner in which this fundamental message is understood and applied to a contemporary world.

The main problem with the teachings of the contemporary prophecy teachers is twofold.  First, they do considerable violence to the biblical text, interpreting it as historically flat, and in every instance a prediction of Jesus coming again–totally ignoring the rich heritage and Profound truths to be found when biblical writings are interpreted within their own time and context.  Secondly, they do considerable violence to the Christian church and to our society, demonizing difference and diversity and focusing almost exclusively on individual salvation.  By focusing on individual salvation total attention can be given to recruiting people to pray the sinner’s prayer so that time and resources need not be given to ease social ills.  In fact, theologically they are not want to do so since the premise of their theology is on society becoming increasingly more evil until it reaches it’s height of wickedness at which time Jesus will come to deliver them and condemn the rest of us.  It is not their job to alleviate people’s suffering in the present “for their reward is in heaven.”

There is one final observation I would like to make before I close–and this is the profound reality that has hit me this semester.  Finally, the focus on individualism discourages the masses from organizing around a particular issue, such as racism, feminism, liberation, poverty, gay rights, etc.  Week after week the members of their congregations are told only to worry about praying the prayer and getting others to do the same.  No time or effort is put to alleviating current social ills.  They have already been told how they are to  act, the program has been carefully laid out and it does not include internal resistance of any kind.  People of color are welcome to join them as long as they follow the rules, the same for women, and gays, and the poor!  Is it any wonder the 1 percent have supported our current societal shift toward religious conservatism?

How Will We Reach the Nones?

LeAnn Snow Flesher, Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

This is the third in a series of blogs related to the state of Seminary education today.  In the first blog entitled Renew or Plan the Funeral I noted that decline is a natural and expected phase in the life of every institution (even faith based institutions) and, consequently, a phase that should be predicted and included as part of one’s strategic planning process.  When institutions begin to decline there are basically two options:  renew or plan the funeral.

In my second blog entitled simply What to Do I outlined the current and future demographics of the seminary classroom and made some recommendations related to the major shifts coming down the road.  In this second blog I attempted to highlight the need for a complete overhaul of what used to be the Gold Standard, i.e., the MDiv program.  Both of these blogs were published on the Pathoes blog page (as well as the ABSW blog page) which provided a means for people to respond.  Curiously, many of the responses I have received, verbally and in writing, focused on the state of the church, rather than the state of the seminary—suggesting “the problem” is really at the level of the church.

The responses I have received have inspired this third blog.  A close friend sent me an article the other day from The New York Times Sunday Review entitled “Americans Undecided about God?”  In the article, the author, Eric Weiner, describes what he terms “. . . the nation’s fastest-growing religious demographic,” the “Nones.”  Weiner has distinguished this group in contrast to “the True Believers, on the one hand, and the Angry Atheists on the other.”  He defines the Nones as the 12 percent of the population who say they have no religious affiliation at all—and he notes the percentage is much higher in the younger population, as much as 25%. 

Weiner goes on to say that while a growing number of Americans are running from organized religion they are by no means running from God.  To support this statement he quotes statistics from a survey conducted by Trinity College in which 93% of people surveyed say they believe in God or a higher power.  And he concludes that this holds true for most Nones who he further defines as “. . . the undecided of the religious world;” people who “drift spiritually and dabble in everything from Sufism to Kabbalah, to Catholicism and Judaism.”

I particularly appreciate Weiner’s description of the Nones.  He is truly on to something with this description, although his reason for such may be oversimplified—he suggests, based on his reading of works by David Campbell and Robert Putnam (University of Notre Dame and Harvard Kennedy School respectively), that the contemporary mixing of religion and politics is to blame, i.e., people don’t want to associate with religion because they don’t want the political affiliation that comes with it.  I suspect there is a kernel of truth in this statement, and perhaps many kernels of truth, but I would suggest we also need to look at formalized religion itself.  Many people, including a high percentage of the younger generation, see the church as being too hierarchical, too contradictory, not concerned enough about the evils of the world, or even the world itself.  I like very much what Weiner says at the end of his article about the need for “a new way of being religious” that would be “straightforward, unencumbered, intuitive, and highly interactive.”  He is sounding very emerging church like here; very Robb Bell like.

The reality is that the structure(s) of our traditional religious institutions have run their course and it is indeed time to renew or plan the funeral.  It’s not that the structures are wrong or bad in and of themselves, but they simply no longer fit the needs of the majority of the culture.  Our culture has shifted tremendously over the past 50 plus years.  In my lifetime we have experienced the development of the personal computer, the cell phone, and the internet!   People are connected in ways never imagined 50 years ago.  Simultaneously, we have experienced the shift out of the industrial age into the scientific age, to the information age and now the biomedical age.  We have moved from modern ways of thinking into post-modern ways of thinking.  We have shifted from national perspectives to a global mindset.  The world is a new place and information about it is at our fingertips.  Simultaneously we are experiencing all time lows (for the current generation) in education and income.

A recent report has noted that 50% of the US school districts are failing and another report has revealed that 40% of the US population is poor.  People are not as prepared as they used to be to enter graduate levels of education, and with the rising costs at Universities and Colleges the trend is headed toward fewer and fewer young people completing 4 year degree programs.  People are not as interested as they used to be in participating in religious rituals and traditions (high church—if you will).  People are still interested in spirituality, but would rather participate (not merely observe) in it without the pomp and circumstance, without the chants and incense, i.e., without the bells and whistles and most certainly without the politics (both internal and external).  When polled, the majority of students who enter our seminary doors passionately state that they want to make a difference in the world, and they believe our school can help them achieve their goals. 

People are not less interested in things spiritual or things faith-related; people are not less interested in making a difference in the world; people are not less interested in helping others.  But, people are less prepared and have fewer resources to engage higher levels of theological training.  Simultaneously, people want to be involved in something practical that they feel is significantly impacting the world for good.  The church and the seminary, in their current structures, are at risk of becoming totally irrelevant to contemporary culture.  Who will reach the Nones?  According to Weiner, who has self declared as one of them, they are open, searching and experimenting.  How will we break through the structures that are holding us back from engaging this new generation of faith seekers?

What to do?

LeAnn Snow Flesher, Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

This post is a follow-up to my previous post entitled It’s time for seminary renewal.  Decline is a natural and expected phase in institutional life; and, consequently, a phase that should be predicted and included as part of one’s strategic plan.  When institutions begin to decline there are basically two options:  renew or plan the funeral.    

How can we make theological education accessible to today's students?

Gone are the days when one would pack up all possessions and family members, leave one’s place of residence and move to a seminary community committing 100% of his/her time to theological studies and dialogue—in fact those days are long gone.  For years now our seminaries have been servicing students in our local communities—the majority of seminaries in America have become commuter schools or distance education specialists.

Also gone are the days of the academic/intellectual pastor to whom all came for answers to life’s most difficult questions—some theological in nature, but many about life’s ever day realities.  Today with the internet at our finger tips can literally do the walking; we no longer need access to a local guru who can help us find a path through the murky waters of everyday existence.

The seminaries in the North America have been nimble enough to shift and adapt to these cultural changes without overhauling the institutional structure—and so we have continued to hike along (fairly successfully I might add) providing seminary education in the manner that we have been highly trained to do.  Along the way we have noticed, and even discussed at times, the ensuing inequities within various culture groups related to the accessibility (or inaccessibility) of theological education.  As result, many tried to create new and creative programs on the side (by necessity due to accreditation standards) that would somewhat fill the gap.    

But now we have entered a very different era—a time when the growing majority of prospective theological students are not of European decent and, consequently, not euro-centric;  a time when many who desire theological education do not have BAs, but have a tremendous amount of pastoral/ministerial experience; a time when women make up nearly 50% of the theological student population, yet find their professional ministry options severely limited upon graduation; a time when inductive experiential learning holds more weight than the highly deductive academic lectures of yesteryear; a time when the increasing levels of plurality in society necessitate contextual learning and theologies; a time when denominations are on the decline, but spirituality is on the rise; a time when ministries that have become too cloistered are, by necessity, busting out of their sacred edifices  taking ministry to the streets; a time when students are older, dollars are scarce, and incomes are low.       

What do we need to do? 

First, we need to seriously revise the ATS standards for the MDiv program, or create a new accredited pastoral training program.  If the growing majority of students desiring an MDiv today come from non-euro-centric communities, have not completed a BA, are looking for shorter—less expensive programs, and have several years of pastoral experience, then we need to redesign the degree to fit this market—or create something entirely different.   The traditional MDiv has run its course—it’s time for something new.

Second, we need to create highly interactive, integrated (theoretical and practical; academic and spiritual), inductive, contextualized curriculums with immediate practical applications.  Today’s students are looking for practical programs that will provide them a skill set immediately transferable into the marketplace.  Today’s graduates must be trained to navigate the complexities of gender, class, cultural, political, and religious differences.  Today’s seminary alums must have the ability to work within the church as well as the dexterity to serve as community leaders and innovators.  Today’s seminaries must train for today’s world—it’s time for something new.

It’s time for seminary renewal

What makes a seminary?

LeAnn Snow Flesher, Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament

We are living in a tumultuous time.  One need only turn on the news or open the paper to read the many stories related to the economic down turn in our nation, the presidential debates, the Occupy Wall Street Movement, unrest in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.  In the midst of these very significant and hot topics we are also frequently reminded of the rising costs of education, the huge student loan debt that straps many of our young people just completing college, and the continued inequities related to education in the US.  Finally, when we turn to the church front we hear of ever declining congregations and denominations, outrageous ethical scandals around religious leaders of “successful” ministries, and declining commitments to seminary training.  What a time to be in theological education!

Since the 1960s the mainline Seminary has seen several shifts in theological emphasis, from heavy emphasis on the political during and after the Civil Rights Movement, to the God is Dead Movement of the late 60s, to an emphasis on Pastoral Care in the 70s and 80s and now a shift toward multi-cultural and inter-faith conversations.  However, institutionally (i.e., structurally) we have remained pretty much the same.  Seminaries are in a mode of decline, and according to institutional theory, it’s time for a renewal—not just a new theological emphasis, but a renewal of structure.  When institutions enter the decline phase it is generally due to several factors operating at once:  too much debt, not enough revenue, inadequate leadership, inexperienced management, lack of planning for times of plateau and decline, and failure to change.  While in decline, the worst thing an organization can do is “the same thing—while expecting different results.”  Institutions in decline either need to renew or plan their funeral. 

What does this mean for theological education (i.e., the seminary) in America today?  ATS statistics have shown that overall the numbers of students attending MDiv programs is on the decline, while the number of students entering MA programs is on the rise.  Simultaneously, the numbers of Caucasians entering MDiv programs is declining while the numbers of African-Americans, Asians and Latinos are on the rise.  Finally, the fastest growing ethnic group in the US is Latino.  Yet, our seminary structures, curriculums, and accreditation standards continue to be primarily euro-centric and prohibitive for many coming from these culture groups.   While individual course content in any given institution might reflect considerable awareness of ethnic and cultural diversity, the institutional, curricular and accreditation structures themselves are still quite euro-centric. 

If seminaries are to become relevant to contemporary culture(s) we must be open to new structures and standards as well as new course content.  At the last gathering of Academic Deans from ATS accredited schools Dan Alshire, the director of ATS, gave a presentation in which he surfaced much of this data.  At the close of his presentation he challenged us to get moving—to begin thinking about seminary in new ways.  I for one have taken that challenge to heart, but one person, one school, cannot change the tenor of theological education in America.  It’s time to make some drastic changes—it’s time for a renewal—lest we end up attending our own funeral.

Moving with Ease Between Church and Community

We are living in some interesting days.   Every morning CNN gives us an update on the progress of the health care reform initiative in the senate; we are in an extreme recession that, according to some experts, is surpassed only by the ‘Great Depression’ of 1933; in the last month we have witnessed the devastation caused by two severe earthquakes one in Haiti and one in Chile; and we still have not finished cleaning up the mess from hurricane Katrina.  Our dollars are being stretched, and stretched and stretched.  Yet, at every turn, when devastation strikes and the appeals go out, millions of dollars are collected from private pockets, agencies and institutions.  How is this possible?  How does it happen that in a time of severe financial downturn the giving to special problems and needs continues to flow?

I believe this question was answered for us in a recent course taught at ABSW entitled “How to Create and Sustain Your Own Non-profit.”  In this course, taught by Rev. Robert Wilkins*, President and CEO of the East Bay YMCAs and a member of the ABSW Board of Trustees, students caught a vision for the necessity of the non-profit sector in a capitalist society.  Wilkins’ analysis showed the glaring gaps created by the capitalistic structure, e.g., the inaccessibility of health care and education for all.  As the capitalistic structure does its work to create competition in the market place thus producing more and more, and better and better goods and services, it will by its very nature leave behind a certain percentage of the population who simply cannot keep up.  I believe Darwin called this the survival of the fittest.  As a result, our society is left with individuals, groups and sometimes entire communities for whom the fulfillment of basic needs becomes increasingly more difficult.  This is where the non-profit finds its place.

Without the work of our churches & schools (both non-profits), as well as organizations like the YMCA, the Red Cross, PICO, and many others, our capitalistic structure would not be sustainable.  A society cannot exist solely on competition in the market place.  Who will educate?  Who will nurture?  Who will see that basic needs are met for all?  The old adage, ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ comes to mind.  If we as a nation and culture are not caring for our aged, our ill, our handicapped, our underprivileged, and our youth (thought by many to be our greatest resource), then we will be crippled as a society and culture.  In fact, in every instance where this does not take place we are already crippled.  While we live in a great and wealthy nation it has by no means achieved its absolute potential.  But, I digress.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to this mission.  We have been mandated to give a cup of water to the thirsty, to provide food for the poor, to heal the sick, and visit the prisoner (Matthew 25:34 ff).  For those of us who live and work in the community of faith this command has touched our hearts.  We believe in it, at times due to our faith, at times due to our altruistic nature, and perhaps most often due to our personal experience of God at work in our own lives bringing healing and sustenance through the faith community.  But, today I want to suggest to you that the gospel message is more than a nice platitude, or pie in the sky thinking, it calls us to the basic work of creating and sustaining human development and dignity.  It is the core from which great cultures and societies are built.  In the Gospel message we have not simply been given a mandate to be kind to one another (i.e., love one another) as if this were an end in and of itself, but we have been given a blueprint for living; a strategic plan, if you will, that if fully implemented will lead to a healthy, vital society/culture that exemplifies the best God has called us to be.

Last Friday night, Rev Trudy Read made a presentation in another of our MDiv/MACL courses entitled “How to Create and Sustain Social Ministries”  [We have a “How To . . .” series going for the Master of Arts in Community Leadership (MACL)].  Rev. Read works for City Team San Francisco.  Through her presentation we learned that there are 6000 SROs (Single Room Occupancies) in the neighborhood in which she works.  We were shocked!  Six thousand people are living in small single rooms, 8 x11 ft, that consume the majority of their monthly social security checks.  The remainder of their needs (food, clothing, medical, etc) are met by non-profits in the neighborhood.   Unbelievable!  Yet true.   There is a system/structure in place in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco that sustains this population and by so doing strengthens the city of San Francisco.  If these nonprofits were to cease to exist San Francisco would have a huge problem on its hands causing many functions to come to a screeching halt.  Similarly, the YMCA of the East Bay provides child care, nutrition and family support services to some 300 migrant farm workers families in Yolo and West Contra Costa Counties; comprehensive mental health services for crime victims and crime victimized communities throughout the East Bay; and diabetes and obesity-prevention programs and activities to children at high risk.

Why do people give liberally to relief efforts and nonprofits in their own economic crisis?  Because they have an implicit knowledge of the truths described above.  We all know these needs will not be met by our capitalistic structure and, thanks be to God, we still have enough ‘heart’ as a nation to care for those in need.  Why do we have ‘heart’?  Why have we not been totally consumed by our capitalistic ideals?  I would suggest because of the work of our faith communities and our non-profits.  This is why we are training our students at ABSW to be ambidextrous, enabling them to move with ease between church and community, empowering them to create faith based institutions that fill the gap(s) left by capitalism, and educating them for relevancy in the 21^st century.

Rev. LeAnn Snow Flesher, PhD
Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament
American Baptist Seminary of the West

*Special thanks to Rev Wilkins for his assistance in writing this blog

ABSW Goes to Africa! (Part 2)

Last week’s blog contained an introduction and some testimonies around the recent trip to Africa made by 7 ABSW faculty, students, board member, and friends.  This week, we continue that conversation with some more testimonies from the trip.

Testimony #1

“Our journey began with a five-day Women’s Conference held at the Christian Life Church in Uganda.  There is so much that I could say about our missionary trip to Africa but wish to concentrate on this conference, because it meant so much to the women who attended.  About 2,000 women assembled from five war-torn countries: The Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania.  Many of these women had never travelled outside of their own countries before and were very happy to be here. Pastor Mark, from one of the churches in Uganda, said that this is the first time he had ever seen all of these countries come together. We all lived in college dormitories together, ate, prayed, and learned together.  Our mornings were spent in worship.  Each morning a different country was featured, with worship leaders from that country sharing their culture as part of the program.  Our afternoons were devoted to education and led by the missionaries.  At the conclusion of the day’s events, there was much crying, cheering, praise, thanksgiving, and hugs.  It was a great privilege to witness the movement of grace and African reconciliation in process.  By the end of the conference, many of the women said that their coming together was a miracle. This first-time conference was such a success that next year another one will be held in Rwanda.   Praise the Lord!”

Ms. Choong ‘Sil’ Choi-Jung
Retired Business Woman
ABSW Senior MDiv Student

Testimony #2

“The first several days were a struggle for personal and physical needs . . .no, wants! Jet lag, little sleep, food and caffeine, interesting bathroom/shower facilities, and, where was dessert? Suffering for the Kingdom – it’s a good thing, right? Then, interacting with the women of Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Tanzania and Burundi at the conference and University housing, it was clear that the inconvenience and discomfort we experienced is their life – each and every day.

During our workshops in Bukavu (DR Congo) with women church leaders, another truth was apparent.  Corporate worship and ministry require us to be in relationship – and relationships can be challenging. These women, not unlike us, are ministering in their communities, sharing hope for today and for the future in Jesus Christ, struggling to find meaningful, relevant ways to show God’s love to others. They ached for encouragement, and the revelation of God’s Word in their efforts – we were blessed with the privilege of sharing what God inspired us to teach.

To speak with Missionary Paul Kim is to discover his amazing visionary leadership and incredible heart for the people of East Africa. He and his family are devoting their lives to provide educational opportunities for pastors, trade workers (sewing centers), and children. The seminary outside of Kampala is both beautiful and functional, and will provide theological curriculum that will enable pastors to grow their ministries exponentially.”

Ms. Jenny Clark
Administrative National Account Manager
Xerox Corporation
Friend of ABSW

Testimony #3

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in God’s word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning,

more than the watchmen wait for the morning.

This word from Psalm 130 God placed in our hearts as a theme to guide us as we shared fellowship together with our brothers and sisters in East Africa.  As our experience unfolded, we came to appreciate that this word of encouragement would be nourishing bread for our journey.

We had the opportunity to meet many with whom we ministered in Congo at the women’s conference in Kampala.  They, along with women from Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda made the long journey from their homes to share the joy of communion, a blessed communion in which we were privileged to take part.  It was there we first met Belade Wali Bobo, wife of the Governor of South Kivu, Congo. She freely shared her heart for the women of her province and their desperate circumstances as victims of sexual violence and war.  She described the problem as “epidemic.”  So hopeless are these women, she explained, that they will not even risk investing in friendships with one another.  Wali was preparing us to understand the conditions in which the women leaders of churches in South Kivu, Congo, are called to minister.

Conducting workshops for these women leaders in Bukavu, South Kivu, we were privileged to hear their stories, to share their struggles and joys, to pray together, and to encourage them in ministry, even as they encouraged us with their generous spirits.   We were inspired by the intensity of their faith, their hunger for the Word, the joy in their fellowship, and their determination to share life-giving ministry with women in their churches and communities for who all hope seems lost.  The Spirit was at work in our communion as, together, we waited on the Lord.”

Rev. Kristen Preston
Attorney at Law
ABSW Trustee

Conclusion

These voices, along with my own, constitute the ABSW mission team (minus one) that traveled together through the worn torn countries of Uganda, Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and Kenya. Also a part of the team was JJ Jung, husband of our student ‘Sil,’ who was our videographer.   This team of 7 was in Africa for nearly three weeks under the leadership of Missionary Paul Kim and Christian Frontier Mission.  We were challenged well beyond our expectations—to minister to women and pastors who are victims of war.  We ministered to women who have been raped, widowed, and their homes pillaged by foreign and domestic armies.  We ministered to pastors who have almost no training and even fewer resources.  We taught, we prayed, we preached, we worshiped; we encouraged, we supported, we spoke words of hope; we envisioned with them life beyond war.  Now, not even three months later, we continue to pray for those we ministered to, we continue to hope on their behalf; and we know that we will never be the same.

Rev. LeAnn Snow Flesher, PhD
Academic Dean and Professor of Old Testament
American Baptist Seminary of the West

ABSW Goes to Africa! (Part 1)

On Sunday, July 5, 2009 seven ABSW faculty, students and friends left the Bay Area for a trip to Central Africa.  The purpose of our trip was three-fold: to attend and participate in a two week, two part, women’s conference throughout the Lake Victoria region; to visit the site of a new protestant partner seminary near Kampala, Uganda; and to build relationships with Christian Frontier Mission and its director Rev. Paul Kim.  This trip represents a return to a historic emphasis on world mission here at ABSW.

Over the generations we have been known as a missionary training school.  In the 40s and 50s ABSW saw many of its students graduate and leave for the mission fields of the world, many of whom made it their life-long ministry.  In fact, ABSW was founded in 1871 as a home mission outpost in the West—providing theological education for those who were opening missions and churches on the West coast to meet the spiritual needs of new and recent immigrants.

As many of us are aware, American Baptist International Ministries, organized in 1814, is the oldest Baptist mission agency formed in North America. As a denomination we serve more than 2,500 short-term and long-term missionaries annually, bringing U.S. and Puerto Rico churches together with partners in 76 countries in cutting-edge ministries. I, personally, became intimately acquainted with this emphasis while spending three months in Costa Rica on one of my first sabbaticals from my teaching post at ABSW.  During that three month period I met and befriended several ABC missionaries, and left, at the close of my sabbatical, duly impressed by the work they were doing in Latin America.  Since then I have revisited these same sites numerous times (as well as other Latin American countries) teaching as a visiting professor in the theological training centers of Limon, Costa Rica and Northern Panama.

Today, due to an ever increasing sense of globalization, our US churches think about the world and missions in new ways.  As a seminary involved with churches and students on the West coast, we have experienced numerous shifts in perspectives on cultural diversity and globalization.  In order to be relevant to these changing perspectives we have created a curricular emphasis on multiculturalism; striving to prepare pastors and ministers who have not only experienced a diverse set of cultures throughout their theological training, but have also become comfortable ministering across these lines.  Seminary training can no longer afford to remain within the confines of four walls, but must create ways for students to gain a tremendous breadth of cross cultural experiences.  Our trip to Africa in summer 2009 is but one of these opportunities—and there will be many more.

Here are some testimonies from those who participated in the trip:

“Having grown up in a poor country after a war, I thought I knew what it meant to be poor. But I was wrong. The people I met in the month of July in Africa were far worse off than I was 40 some years ago in Korea. Four words may be appropriate to describe what I saw there: dust, lack of water, mosquitoes, and lack of food. The problem is too overwhelming; kids can’t go to school; husbands don’t have jobs; churches have no resources to help the poor. We just didn’t know where we could start to help them.  Although we have our own problems here in the United States, they have something we do not have; a growing church. Pastors were hungry for theological education and they were willing to give their lives, even if three out of four pastors did not receive salaries. I will never forget those one hundred and twenty ministers of Bukavu, Congo who, even after my three-day preaching class had concluded, did not want to go home. They said they wanted to learn more and begged me to come back soon . . .”

Sangyil (Sam) Park, PhD
Associate Professor of Preaching and
Director of the DMin Program
American Baptist Seminary of the West

“The memories are strong in my heart.  They hold the whispers of the women in Bukavu, Congo.  They hold the soul tearing truth of their circumstance.  I have not forgotten.  After giving a word to the women, I moved to the back of the church.  I set up shop there in a single wooden chair.  My dear sister who came with me to the back sat next to me. She interpreted their misery, their fears and their disappointments so that I would understand.  The women made a long curving line as they waited to come to our humble space.  As they came to us we sat very close to one another.  I looked into her eyes as she whispered her name to me.  I said, “Karibu”, (you are welcome, in Swahili, and I lowered my eyes and began to listen.  I heard measured beautiful Congolese French in response to my welcome.  The words were a soft description of a heavy life.  They fell heavily in my lap and into my heart.    I hear English heavily colored by a Congolese accent next explaining to me the need at hand.

The women were arrestingly beautiful, and their hearts so tender.  They hung their head and they told me the stories in their life.  They told me that they did not eat each day, and they were hungry.    It was a quiet telling of a shameful condition.  They were ashamed of the plaque of poverty and loathsome conditions which made up the context of their lives.  The three of us sat knee to knee and heart to heart.   We climbed onto the refuge of God’s unfailing love as one as a sea of impossible conditions raged around us.”

Minister Cheryl Dawson
Director of Alternative Women’s Programs
San Francisco County Jails
ABSW Senior MDiv Student

This is part 1 of a two part blog.  Next week’s blog will contain more testimonies and some conclusions.

LeAnn Snow Flesher, PhD
Academic Dean & Professor of Old Testament