Aj Schwanz

“Man always travels along precipices. His truest obligation is to keep his balance.”
~Pope John Paul II

My father-in-law emailed me today a line-up of the Emerging Church Track schedule for the upcoming National Pastors Convention: he and my mother-in-law may be attending.

Here’s what he sent me:

Critical Concerns Course

The Emerging Church: Theology and Practice, Multiple Perspectives on the Issues
John Burke, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Scot McKnight, LeRon Shults, and Ryan Bolger

“The Emerging Church” has exploded on the church scene over the past few years with major media like the New York Times, ABC, PBS, and Christianity Today carrying lead stories on this phenomenon. Media coverage, book publishing, blogsites, and conference events have created a flurry of response, both for and against the movement, that has resulted in praise, criticism, and misunderstanding of how its theology and practice will impact the future of the church. Is it a movement or a conversation? Is it dangerous or the church’s last hope?

This CCC will take an in-depth look at these issues from multiple perspectives from key pastors and professors inside and outside the emerging church. You will hear candid presentations and responses from each of the speakers as well as have time to ask questions and dialogue with the presenters.

Does anything strike you as a bit off?

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’ve been editing material geared towards equiping folks to support, affirm, and encourage women in church leadership roles.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I was raised up North (that’s Yankee territory to my southern relatives) in Idaho where I never had guys open doors for me or heard the phrase “that’s women’s business.”

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’ve been brought up a Quaker and have whomped guys and gals just as easily in a game of Bloody Wink’em at countless summer camps.

WHERE’S THE CHICKS? Where are my double-x-totin’ homies? I know we’re out there . . . . but why aren’t we speaking at the National Pastor’s Convention?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying the sole focus should be getting more women in up-front, visible ministry — but shouldn’t it be more obvious that there’s a balance of the genders in leadership? Each group has strengths and weaknesses that compliment each other: if that equal representation is lacking, I fear that emerging movement will be “second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder, and a little bit worse.”

I told my father-in-law that in order to help even things out that he should take me. with him to the convention Hmmm: he didn’t seem to get back to me about that email . . .