I am going to the NEXT Church Conference in Dallas, Texas February 27th & 28th because I believe that remarkable things happen when Presbyterians gather to talk about where God’s Spirit is leading the Church!
For a long time, I have heard and participated in a communal lament about our beloved PC(USA): What is happening to us? Why are we shrinking? Who is to blame? To be sure: lament and confession and repentance are an essential part of the life of faith.
Recently though, I sense the wind shifting. Just as Isaiah and Jeremiah switched from delivering oracles of judgment to proclamations of salvation, more and more conversations in the PC(USA) sound exciting (and yes, even salvific) to me—conversations that begin with people committing to plant new churches, to partner with struggling communities of faith, to support immigrant fellowships, and to find ways to place seminary grads in outside-the-box ministry settings!
I am going to NEXT Church in Dallas because, twenty years ago, I took a vow “to be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit.” I find, now more than ever, that I need “friends in ministry”—people who can help me to see, to dream, to be honest, and faithful in this calling.
I hope to see you there, my friends in Christ,
Scott Black Johnston
Teaching Elder
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church
New York, NY
Thanks for the post, Scott. Looking forward to seeing you in Dallas.