Why Rev. Wright should be the next UCC President
Friday, May 02, 2008
From the quantity of email I have received this week, it's obvious that most people think I am either joking or exploiting the Rev. Wright controversy by suggesting that he should be the UCC's next President. Neither is true and I genuinely want Rev. Wright to be the next President of the UCC. Part of the reason some folks might be suspicious of my support is the cavalier way I first suggested Rev. Wright by taking jabs at our current leadership. I understand the confusion, but let me be very clear - Rev. Wright should be the next President of the UCC because:
- Rev. Wright knows more about church growth than anyone else in the denomination right now and he's proved it at Trinity UCC. First and foremost, our denomination needs a leader focused on church growth.
- Rev. Wright is probably second to Barack Obama as being the most visable person in the UCC to the public. While he is considered controversial, he makes the UCC visable and relevent. It also doesn't hurt that he can get attention for the denomination in a way that our current leadership has failed to do.
- We are a church full of pew sitters who are not engaged or aware of what our denomination does. Yes we have a sizable group of folks who are active, but they represent only a small percentage of our denomination. For the most part we go to church on Sunday, get the feel good message and go home to our regular lives often forgeting the lessons of the sermons (and I'm as guilty as anyone of that). Rev. Wright's pressence as the leader of our church would be a welcome shock to our rather sedate denomination and it is our best chance to save our denomination that is slowly dying.
7 Comments:
commented by 
Anonymous, 12:33 PM
Anonymous, 12:33 PM
It will not bring a 'light' to the church..only more empty pews.
Why do we need a president anyway with our polity the structure that it is?
The UCC has gotten away from liturgy as being the centerpeice of worship and Christianity. The UCC was originally a Calvinistic, reformed church, further removed from Roman Catholicism than the Lutheran church. There was, however, a remnant of the liturgical traditions of worship, which is fading more and more away. Being an Orthodox Christian now, I have recently been to services during the week of Orthodox Easter. The whole week is a sort of re-enactment of the last week of Jesus's life. It is a transformational and inspiring week, and left me renewed and with no doubt of Jesus's life and ressurection. The UCC needs these kinds of services, not the left wing social commentary offered by John Thomas or Jeremiah Wright. Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!
Still can't help from chuckling while reading this article...lol
In the Spirit of Inclusiveness, why not elect him as co-president instead? With Rev. "Peoples' Republic" Thomas and Rev. "Ride'n her dirty" Wright at the helm, we could speak with a prophetic voice to exceed even the Episcopalians.
I can personally guarantee that the UCC would lose at least on church in San Diego....
1. RE: church growth: I've heard on various talk shows (Rush Limbaugh, Sandy Rios here in Chicago, etc.) callers calling in who live near Trinity and/or were or are members of Trinity. The consensus of opinion is that "you are nobody unless you belong to Trinity" being black, and living on the south side of Chicago. I call that the country club mentality. It is a SOCIAL CLUB type church, which many of the UCC are. People go there for the social groups and not, particularly for spiritual guidance. And hate would not be classified spiritual guidance in the Christian realm.
2. UCC being visable: "Wright is considered controversial, he makes the UCC visible and relevant." You are correct on visible, but I disagree on relevant. Why would we, as UCC members, want to be relevant in the "Wright Way" as seen these past few weeks? Frankly, I am extremely embarrassed to be a member of the UCC.
3. Rev. Wright, a welcome shock: Naw, this comes under the praise, with friends like this who needs enemies.
We need to get back to the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, and get away from the church of anything goes, evil is good, good is evil. That has become quite apparent lately with Wright as the UCC mouthpiece. Which he has been.