By The Rev. Canon Porter C. Taylor

Disclaimer: I should start this review off by stating clearly that much of this book can be reimagined or reapplied through the lens of an Anglican ecclesiology (or any polity that organizes itself locally/regionally/globally). The structures, systems and protocols already in place within Anglicanism make sense of the need for linking, rooting and the local/global dichotomy.
 

Paul Spark, Tim Soerens and Dwight Friesen released their book entitled The New Parish: How Neighborhood Churches Are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Community in April 2014. As an Anglican and a strong proponent of the parish model for local ministry, I was immediately intrigued by the title. The authors all reside in the Pacific Northwest and are part of The Parish Collective—which offers deep support to local churches and faith-based groups that are rooting in neighborhoods and linking across cities for parish renewal. The book ended up being a mixed bag: a severely lacking ecclesiology but an important reminder to be rooted and to be faithfully present.

The New Parish was not written in a vacuum; the authors are responding to felt needs and observations in the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) and their research seems solid. Post-Christian culture longs for a sense of local rootedness. Many evangelicals looking for something more meaningful share their prior experiences: detached and disengaged mega/consumer churches with little relevance for daily living. This includes the myths of “individualism” and “living above place,” both of which are commonplace within western Christianity.

9780830841158For the authors, the parish is “all the relationships in the place where the local church lives out its faith together (God, others, geography, etc.)”, 

[1] and while I believe a different term should be used to describe this reality it is still important to view our faithful presence as part of an intricate web of relationships. The church may be counter to culture but it is not removed or detached from it. Furthermore, the envisioned collaboration across denominational lines is essential.

The entire book hinges on the concept that churches can and should begin caring for their neighborhoods as an appropriate application of James Davison Hunter’s “faithful presence.” The parish is not the local church—as we would understand it—but the local neighborhood. This was the first clue that the model is a reaction against institutional churches; my suspicion was further solidified with the numerous references to the corruption of historic and institutional churches. [2] The re-appropriation of the parish is quite confusing for those from more rooted traditions. Despite their separating four different words, I believe the church should be in, of, for and with those around them while also being within and in-with (perhaps we might say, “For the sake of others…”). [3] Mission, formation and community are no longer the “be all, end all” of Christianity identity but are rather given their rightful place as expressions of the church’s worship.

The goal of being faithfully present in your neighborhood is to join in the renewal of all things and to help it flourish. “If the church in the parish doesn’t engage the local realities of that place, then the opportunity for renewal is dead in the water.” [4] Sharing the Good News of Jesus with others remains important but this approach takes into view the idea that matter matters to God and that the church is not simply meant to care for people spiritually. The “new” parish will be a collaboration of churches, denominations, groups and peoples who are solely concerned with extending the grace and love of God to their neighborhood that all might benefit.

The authors argue that church planters and churches need to be rooted in their neighborhoods/cities. Rather than establishing a “commuter” church where people are driving from all over God’s creation to worship with you (not necessarily a bad thing), what would it look like for your church to truly be with, in and for your community and your neighbors? To be rooted is to be committed to your place. I once heard author Tony Kriz express his love for his city. My paraphrase is that Tony “wants to know everything that happens in his city because it is my (his) city.” I think the local church can and should share this same love of place.

I would recommend this book to you in a limited sense. The urge to move past our own denominational identities is important but the re-appropriation of “parish” from the classic sense is misguided. The lacking ecclesiology of this book is concerning but there is hope: by applying our Anglican understanding of “the church” to the authors’ words, everything seems to fall into place. Linking locally/regionally becomes the deanery and diocese; linking globally becomes the province and parts of the Anglican Communion; the parish remains the local church caring for her neighborhood but now in collaborative relationship with neighbors, churches and strangers alike.

So, here are my questions for you:

How can your church plant be more engaged locally?

Are you concerned about and caring for your neighborhood and those living near you?

Do you feel connected locally and globally within your tribe?

Are you intentional about fostering relationships with other churches for the sake of God’s mission in your neighborhood?

What are some creative ways you can be faithfully present in your city?

Give this book a read and let me know how you connected with it or how it challenged you.

 

 

[1] The New Parish, 201.

[2] Labeling traditional/mainline churches as “the heritage model” on pg. 79 is not helpful. The church has many wrongs to own throughout history, but casting aside a rich history almost wholesale is a bit much (31).

[3] Ibid, 45-46.

[4] Ibid, 94.