Alrighty then…I got to spend time in 2 cities during this part of the trip, so I will address each separately to begin this reflection. Princeton, NJ was the first town that I spent time in after I spent a few weeks in Philadelphia. I came to Princeton primarily because my best friend, Keas Keasler, is studying at Princeton Theological Seminary and I wanted to spend some time with a few of his professors. Princeton is a very small town, known primarily for its academic institution, Princeton University. There are about 30,000 people that live in Princeton. The town is nearly 300 years old, making it one of the older established towns in the United States. Princeton is definitely a college town, and a very wealthy college town. The campuses, both the university’s & the seminary’s, are incredibly beautiful. I was blown away by the architecture and the atmosphere that covered the area. It is a unique little town.
I also got to spend an extensive amount of time in New York City. Keas & I traveled to The Big Apple to spend time with a few churches, see the city, and see some old friends. This ways my second trip to NYC, but the first trip was very brief. New York City is the largest city in the United States, with over 8 million people living in the city and over 18 million people living in the metropolitan area. There are numerous historical & popular sites around the area including The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, Times Square, and Ground Zero. I got to attempt to travel via the NYC subway system…let’s just say I’m not yet a pro. Over 170 languages are spoken in this city and over 35% of its population was born outside of the United States. “The City That Never Sleeps” is one of the most unique places in the world, and my trip would not have been complete had I not been able to spend some time in this amazing city.
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
Princeton Theological Seminary is one of the oldest & most established seminaries in the United States. It is a separate institution from Princeton University, though the campuses are about 2 blocks away from one another. I had hoped to spend some time with the notorious scholars Elaine Pagels, Robert Jenson, & Cornell West (all from Princeton University) but all 3 did not have time. Maybe they were intimidated by me…who knows.
Both campuses are strikingly beautiful. There is not a better environment to learn in. I was fortunate enough to meet with 2 of the seminaries’ professors. Dr. Flett had just received his doctorate in missiology from the seminary when I met with him. He is a young Australian man who taught a few classes at the seminary during the past year. Dr. Flett & I discussed his conversion to Christianity, his confusion over theology, his passion for mission, and what he understands the main problems to be in the North American church. It was a fascinating conversation. Dr. Flett is brilliant, brash, and very confident. I expect that he will make quite an impact on the academic world. Dr. Guder was the second professor that I spent time with. Dr. Guder is the dean of the seminary, has published numerous books and publications, and also teaches a few classes at the seminary. We discussed some of the work that he has done on missional church leadership, various works in this field that he has found helpful, and the importance of spending time in foreign countries. Dr. Guder thinks that extensive time spent in foreign countries is incredibly valuable because it gives a person perspective not just on a different culture, but it allows them to understand their own culture in a fuller way. Both of these men are very busy and I was grateful for their time.
Princeton Theological Seminary is a very interesting institution because the majority of the people who are studying are seeking to teach at the collegiate level. So the seminary is not training ministers as much as they are producing professors. Clearly there is nothing wrong with this vision, but it does create a very interesting environment.
Many thanks to both Dr. Flett & Dr. Guder for their time…and thanks to Keas for introducing me to both of these men.
I was able to attend the morning service at Origins Church NYC nearly a year ago (September 2007), so I already had a feel for what they were up to. Origins is part of a church-planting movement that is seeking to plant churches in the 20 largest cities in the world. There are currently church plants in NYC, LA, Rome, and soon to be London. Jon Tyson is the pastor of Origins Church NYC and is the architect of this church-planting movement.
This church is doing an incredible job of reaching people, particularly young professionals, in New York. (They have apparently changed the name of their congregation to Trinity Grace Church. I am not certain why this change was made, but since they were “Origins” when I interacted with them, I will continue to refer to this congregation as Origins.) There is a strong emphasis placed upon historical Christianity, sacred Christian disciplines, and being a presence in the city. As I have said about other groups that I observed, one of the reasons that Origins seems to be effective is that they are not against the city, but rather love it and are seeking to engage it in a healthy way.
I think that Origins, along with many other churches that are being planted in large cities, understand the importance of authenticity. People who coming to these types of churches are looking for something that is real to them…something that is meaningful to their life. This younger generation of people does not participate in church because of some sense of obligation, social status, or because they consider it “right” to do so. Most young people are seeking something to add meaning, purpose, & hope to their lives. And people are searching for meaning through every possible avenue. Origins and other churches are trying to respond to that by proclaiming a message of hope & meaning, offering authentic relationships with people, and creating an experience for people to seek God wherever they are in life.
Check out this website…Origins NYC is doing great stuff. I got to spend some time with Jon Tyson and was encouraged by his spirit.
The City Seminary was founded a few years ago by a man named Mark Gornik. Mark planted a church in Baltimore, MD about 10-12 years ago, moved to NYC to help plant New Song Community Church (more info on that church in a minute), and in the past few years, started The City Seminary just a few blocks from New Song in Harlem. The City Seminary is very unique in the fact that they partner with another seminary in New York for several of the courses. The most interesting & intriguing element to this seminary is that it is specifically designed for people who are seeking to minister in NYC. The classes, discussions, and program are completely focused on equipping men & women to serve in NYC.
I was able to spend a little bit of time with Mark Gornik while in Harlem. The seminary is a very small building with a few classrooms, a small library, and an office area. Mark is the primary leader of the seminary. Mark decided to focus the seminary primarily on the NYC area because of the incredible challenges that await men & women who are ministering in New York. I can now see why it is important to have specific training for this city. It is different from any city in the United States because of its size, diversity, popularity, neighborhoods, and being one of the most recognizable cities in the world.
As NYC itself is unique, so the people and ministries in NYC are unique. The City Seminary allowed me to see the value of having programs and systems that are very specific and targeted. I am encouraged that there is a place that is helping to equip church leaders for NYC.
Many thanks to Mark Gornik for his time and to Dominic White for taking me over to The City Seminary.
New Song Community Church was planted in Harlem a few years ago by Mark Gornik and a few pastors from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. Mark had previously been a part of starting a church in urban Baltimore and came to Harlem to do something similar. New Song Community Church is a multi-racial congregation in the heart of Harlem that worship together, empower the youth of Harlem through New Song Community Corporation, and offer hope to those living in Harlem.
New Song is similar to other urban churches (like Lawndale Community Church in Chicago) because one of their central priorities is to empower in the neighborhood through development efforts. The New Song Community Corporation (this is the web-site listed above…the church does not have a web-site) is a non-profit extension of the church that provides resources to youth in Harlem, particularly after-school mentoring. I was very impressed with the facilities, curriculum, and organization of this non-profit. While it is a separate organization from the church, the New Song Community Corporation is at the center of what the church is seeking to be and do in Harlem.
I got to have lunch with Dominic White while I visited the church. Dominic is the associate pastor of New Song and is a student at The City Seminary. Dominic is a very gifted man with an incredible heart for people. One of the chief pursuits and goals of the church is to raise up local leadership…Dominic is a great example of that occurring. When the church was being planted, the leadership was looking for a man from the community who was respected to become part of the church leadership. It soon became apparent that Dominic was that man. He leads and pastors people very well and is empowering local leaders in Harlem.
I am very encouraged by what New Song is up to. The United States desperately needs churches to rise up in their neighborhoods and offer healing in real, practical ways. Thanks so much to Dominic White for his time and encouragement.
A few key things that I learned & sensed during my time in Princeton & NYC…
· The importance of specific training for the area in which a person or group of people are seeking to serve. This does not necessarily have to come from a seminary or training institution, but people need to have some kind of experience in the particular culture & society in which they are seeking to impact. This is crucial.
· I was reminded of how crucial it is for local people to be impacted by their church. Local, community churches should be empowering the people in their neighborhoods. New Song Community Church is doing a great job at this.
· Human beings want to be a part of something that they consider to be significant and to be changed because of their involvement. I think that that is what Origins is seeking to do through their focus on having authentic relationships amongst their people. Something very real and powerful happens when genuine, deep relationships occur amongst people who are committed to a common vision & purpose.
Well…this is the final reflection from the trip I took during March, April, & May 2008. It was an incredible trip and I am very humbled that I was able to meet so many fascinating people who are doing marvelous things around the United States.
The book of Revelation is the record of a person who has a vision of God and the kingdom of God. In this vision the writer describes this gathering of people who are completely different – language, class, country, gender, ethnicity – but who are united by their songs of praise to God. I hope & pray that you and I might pursue & experience the unity and reconciliation that comes through Jesus.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
May it be so…peace be with you…
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