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If my Facebook profile is any indication, I am one of those “emergent” evangelicals you may have read about, for whom justice and Jesus are completely inseparable.  My “religious views” read “Jesus follower: doing justice, loving mercy, walking humbly with God.”  My “favorite books” are by authors Brian McClaren, Shane Claiborne, and Dallas Willard.  In fact the more I read these authors, the more I realize that I am that prototypical young adult who embraces an “Everything Must Change” posture towards today’s church.  In the words of Brian McClaren, “for the millions of young adults who have recently dropped out of church, Christianity is a failed religion” because “it has focused on 'me' and 'my eternal destiny,' but it has failed to ad-dress the dominant societal and global realities of their lifetime: systemic injustice, poverty, and dysfunction." (1)

But here is where I often depart from some of my emergent, evangelical friends and favorite authors.  While I understand their frustration with traditional congregations and mainline denominations, while I am open to their experiments with a “different kind of church,” I am…well, Presbyterian.  I attend a “tall steeple,” evangelical Presbyterian congregation whose members over 70 far outnumber those in their 20s and 30s.  I have spent the last three years of seminary trying to balance my theological education with the Presbyterian ordination process.  I want nothing more than to pursue my love for Jesus and my passion for justice by serving in a local PC(USA) congregation.

Now, please understand: I am not Presbyterian because I embrace everything I see in our PC(USA) congregations – be they evangelical-conservative, moderate-mainline, or liberal-progressive.  I am not Presbyterian simply because I was raised in this denomination.  Rather, I am Presbyterian, first, out of a real sense of call to our denomination’s renewal, and second, because the theology and track record of Presbyterianism is so rich in the two areas of ministry I am most passionate about: proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of humankind, and upholding social righteousness. 

The Dilemma

As a self-proclaimed evangelical in the PC(USA), little did I know that my equal commitment to these two “great ends of the Church,” proclaiming the gospel and upholding social righteousness, were atypical.  Since the modernist-fundamentalist debates of the early 20th century, social justice has been championed as the cause of the theologically liberal and gospel proclamation as the cause of the theologically conservative.  And the PC(USA) has certainly not escaped this polarization.  Within one umbrella, we find both liberal and conservative congregations, both social justice and evangelistic convictions.  Moreover, we often don’t agree on the most fundamental issues, including the definition of justice itself or the biblical foundations of our justice convictions.

In my personal theology, of course, this makes no sense. The more I have come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ on a personal level, the more God has revealed to me his hope to redeem a world filled with systemic injustice, oppression, and poverty. As another justice- and Jesus-loving friend in the PC(USA) has aptly stated, “justice is not a project of the church but a passion of God, so seeking justice in action is not the rejection of biblical proclamation but a faithful response to the Bible’s teaching.” (2)

In the last decade, many evangelical congregations have reclaimed this truth.  Increasingly today, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed is preached by Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in Southern California, Rob Bell at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, MI, and Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City to name a few.  So what does all of this mean for evangelical congregations in the PC(USA)?  Could it be the moment in history when affirming the “great end” of our church, to uphold social righteousness, is embraced as equal to and flowing out of our most fundamental conviction, to proclaim the gospel for the salvation of humankind? 

The Journey

Hoping to answer these questions, I embarked last year on a journey to learn from congregations deeply committed to God’s call to justice.  Visiting a diverse group of eleven PC(USA) congregations, five non-denominational congregations, and two parachurch organizations, I set out to discover the inspiration behind their justice commitments and how they put this inspiration into practice in their communities. (3)

As you might imagine, I had a difficult time choosing the PC(USA) congregations I would visit.  Would I go to liberal-progressive churches with deep justice commitments and ministries, or would I go to conservative-evangelical churches for which the justice journey was relatively new?  I visited both, as well as a handful of non-denominational evangelical churches who appeared to integrate a passionate love for Jesus and deep commitment to justice with seeming ease.  

I should admit I began this journey hoping to find little difference between the justice work and inspiration of liberal and conservative PC(USA) congregations.  I must also admit I began this journey hoping to find evangelical PC(USA) churches that unabashedly proclaimed and carried out God’s justice with the same fervor as their liberal-progressive counterparts.  With few excep-tions, I found more difference in the inspiration of their work than I anticipated, and as much aversion to “justice issues” among conservative-evangelical churches as I expected.  To an extent, the church’s two-fold call to proclaim the gospel and uphold social righteousness has been undermined by the theological divide we face in the PC(USA).

But from all these churches, both inside and outside the PC(USA), I did find glimmers of hope for Jesus- and justice-loving evangelicals like myself.  What I hope to share are themes and stories that challenge us to think about how we, as evangelicals within the PC(USA), can reclaim our call to “uphold social righteousness” in the 21st century.

Justice ministry should flow out of discipleship and prayer

What inspires a congregation to pursue its justice ministry?  While most churches I spoke with grounded their justice work theologically, in the God’s heart for justice or in Jesus’ mission to proclaim justice and reconciliation to this world, not everyone saw justice work as a direct out-growth of prayer and discipleship.  Yet if we believe that God is calling the Church to do God’s justice in the world, then our journey must begin by turning to God and asking: what issues, neighborhoods, and people are we called to serve: how, when, and with whom?  What does it mean to follow Jesus in our community?  The justice journey must begin through prayer and discipleship.

This idea forms the foundation of faith and practice at Church of the Savior in Washington DC.  A cluster of worshipping communities that meet regularly in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, the church’s philosophy of spiritual formation is called the “Inward Journey, Outward Journey.”  In other words, members begin their journey of faith inward, coming to know Jesus through prayer, scripture reading, worship, mentorship, and Christian education.  Out of that inward jour-ney, they begin their outward journey, asking God: what do you want me to do in my community?  Once a person believes they have been called to a specific issue or ministry opportunity, they share this with fellow church members.  As two or more people are called to the same issue, they join and form a “mission group,” discerning together exactly what shape that call should take in addressing the needs of their community.

The fruit of this approach is apparent in the Adams Morgan neighborhood in which Church of the Savior ministers.  Block after block, one can see “Jubilee Housing,” “Jubilee Jobs,” a health clinic, a hospice for AIDS patients, a half-way house, a daycare center; all independent non-profits today that began through mission groups.

As I observed the “Inward Journey, Outward Journey” in action, I was struck by the exciting possibilities for this discipleship-justice model in more traditional congregations.  Just think for a moment about your congregation: every member is on a discipleship journey, seeking to know and follow Christ by praying, “God, what are you calling me to do? How are you calling me to serve?”  As a result of this approach, God is the architect of the congregation’s justice ministry, calling individuals, then communities, to follow Jesus by addressing the needs of their community.

Justice ministry requires prophetic pastoral leadership, empowered lay leaders, and the participation of all members.

Where does the vision for justice work come from and who leads the way?  In asking this question, I heard time and again the importance of prophetic pastors, committed lay leaders, and the participation of all church members.   Moreover, for congregations effectively engaged in justice ministry, issues of justice were integrated into every aspect of church life: preaching, liturgy and worship, all church conferences, regular service projects, educational forums and classes.  Through the cooperation of pastors, lay leaders, members, doing justice was understood as an integral part of following Jesus.

First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA, has taken this challenge seriously.  While the con-gregation has a rich history of sending missionaries overseas, it has more recently undergone a radical retooling of mission.  With a focus on global and local justice issues, their goals are to empower the Global South, to develop mutual partnerships, and to foster indigenous church leadership. 

Central to this transformation has been the integration of justice issues and worship under former Senior Pastor Mark Labberton and current Pastor of Mission Outreach and Evangelism MaryEllen Azada.  Dr. Labberton’s preaching consistently related God’s heart for justice to the many injustices present in the world.  His book, The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living Out God’s Call to Justice, published in 2007, provides a theological framework to connect Christian worship with biblical justice.  Around the same time, a new worship service was launched, in which congregants connect worship and biblical justice through tangible acts of compassion and justice in the liturgy.  In creating this service, Pastor Azada asked mission team members to visit different congregations and experience different models of worship, especially in areas and among cultures whether they would be outside their comfort zone.  The congregation has also initiated an annual “Do Justice” event, which focuses on local projects that are developed to ad-dress issues related to justice work.

Empowering and equipping lay leaders, staff, and members was also essential to this transforma-tion.  Lay leaders were recruited to attend overseas mission trips, and they returned to the church with a global justice vision toward which to mobilize others.  Speakers from the Global South were invited to offer their perspectives about the “Global North” and to reflect back how they view FPCB’s mission work, location and context.  As a result, worldviews began to change. All these changes led to the most recent major development, the Global Church Conference.  Cover-ing issues from HIV/AIDS to human trafficking, the three day conference includes international speakers, outreach to the community, and opportunities for reflection and action. These conferences keep the church congregation educated, engaged, and responding to justice issues.

Today, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley is a leader among evangelical PC(USA) congregations in justice issues, but the journey wasn’t a short or easy transformation.  Rather, it is an ongoing journey that has required prophetic pastoral leadership, a consistent message, and the te-nacity of committed lay leaders who are passionate about doing justice through the church. And this collaborative, consensus-building process is the task of any PC(USA) congregation commit-ted to justice.  As a staff member of one of FPCB’s parachurch justice partners, International Jus-tice Mission, relayed to me: “You know, Presbyterians are great.  You guys take forever to de-cide anything, but once you’re in, you’re really in.”  When our longsuffering discernment can transform into a longstanding commitment to justice ministry, then we will be well on our way fulfilling the Church’s mission.

Justice ministry is about personal relationships and direct encounters

What makes Christian justice ministry unique as compared to secular justice work?  In addition to the “why” of our justice commitments, to reflect God’s heart for facing injustice, it is also about the “how,” the spirit in which we engage in justice ministry.  As opposed to “delivering services to” or “advocating on behalf of,” justice ministry is about entering into personal relationships with the poor and the oppressed.  And through these relationships, we are transformed.

This idea of mutual transformation through personal relationships lies at the heart of Church of the Savior’s theology and practice.  Many of their worship gatherings are an intentional mix of rich and poor, black and white, mentally ill and homeless, those with jobs and homes, all sharing meals, sharing their burdens, and growing in faith.  While visiting, I encountered people holding master’s degrees and jobs in academia, as well as those living in the church’s low-income housing units who had come for fellowship and a free meal.  Songs were requested and led by all, and the Bible study was an open discussion during which everyone was encouraged to share. 

While this has long been the practice at Church of the Savior, many congregations I visited recognized the importance of personal relationships and direct encounters with the poor and oppressed.  Although I observed many outreach programs that maintain boundaries between church members who “serve” and guests who “receive,” some congregations were making intentional efforts to break down these barriers between giver and receiver. 

One such experiment is taking place at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago.  A long-time leader in social justice among liberal Presbyterian congregations, they face the ongoing challenge of connecting their affluent members with the poor who are served by their social service center.  Recently, they hired a new missions pastor, Vicky Curtis, who previously spent years working and doing research at Church of the Savior.  When she arrived at Fourth Pastor Curtiss immediately recognized the need for personal interaction between Fourth Church members and the homeless/low-income guests who came to their social service center. 

One small but radical change she made was in recasting the homeless meal offered by the social service center as a Sunday evening supper open to the entire church community.  Previously the Sunday meal was in the basement, outside the traffic of the church’s evening service and with no room for members or volunteers to eat with guests.  Today, the meal takes place in the church’s banquet hall adjacent to the sanctuary.  Anyone who comes to worship is invited to meal.  In addition to providing a more hospitable environment for guests, this change has created significant discipleship opportunities for the congregation.  It challenges them to become more comfortable eating with the homeless guests, hearing their stories, listening to and learning about their needs, and inviting the guests to worship.

Any congregation attempting to make these kinds of changes will face the obvious questions:  Should we really move the homeless meal to the church banquet hall?  What about safety and sanitary concerns? Will people feel comfortable eating together?  Yet the model is compelling if we seek to walk in the way of Jesus.  When so many of the poor and oppressed are shuffled from one social service agency to another, the church’s role is to walk along side them and treat them as precious children of God.  Through personal relationships, we can address the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of the whole person.  And we ourselves are challenged to be radical disciples.

The Way Forward

As evangelicals within the PC(USA), so much of our challenge and so much of our work lies, not in spearheading a new way forward, but in calling our congregations back to faithfulness.  And the Church’s call to uphold social righteousness is no different.  Historically, the PC(USA)’s commitment to social justice has been rooted in our commitment to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed.  As such, the more recent polarization between liberal and conservative congregations, and their respective social justice and evangelistic convictions, should grieve us greatly.  

But the challenge this polarization offers should also give us great hope and vision for the future.  The task before us is to “do justice” as an outgrowth of our deep love for Jesus.  It is the task of discipleship: to commune with Christ’s suffering and to reflect Christ’s redeeming heart for this broken world.  As we explore what it means for the Church to uphold social righteousness in the 21st century, this truth is timeless: justice and Jesus are completely inseparable.  And this truth should give us great hope in reaching a new generation of young people who hunger precisely for this good news.

Footnotes
1. http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/books/brians-books/everything-must-change.html
2. Labberton, Mark. “A Mighty Fortress or a Slippery Slope?” Leadership Journal (Summer 2010), 24.
3. The study included a diverse group of churches from various theological, denominational, geographic, racial and cultural perspectives.  Cities ranged from across California to Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, DC and Atlanta.   It included several multicultural churches, two predominately African-American churches, and the remainder were predominately white churches.  Most were larger churches (500-2000), but five had less than 500 members.  The vast majority were located in urban, low- or mixed-income area, although two were suburban, one rural, and one in a very wealthy, urban enclave.


Megan Handley Katerjian was the Network of Presbyterian Women in Leadership's 2009 Lydia Scholar.  She recently received her M.Div. degree at Fuller Theological Seminary and is a Candidate Certified Ready to Receive Call in the Presbytery of the Pacific.