Denominations

Because my mother couldn't spell very well I was named "Scot" with only one "t" in my name.

This is actually an improper usage. When used as a personal name, it should be spelled "Scott." Spelling it with one "t" is what is done when you wish to indicate someone is from Scotland.

I've joked about it over the years. My standard joke is to say that I am a liberal Christian and therefore have only one cross to bear. It gets a smile.

Actually, I am a liberal Christian. My denomination is the Unitarian Universalist Association, a liberal Protestant denomination. I'm a member of it's Christian Fellowship. That makes me sort of old-fashioned among Unitarian Universalists, but puts me in the liberal camp as far as Mainstream Christianity goes. I'm happy to be there and it's a good theological fit for me.

I think some of the people who run my denomination would rather I just took whatever they say to heart as the definition of my faith, but I don't. I base my faith on my reading of scripture not on what a bunch of people headquartered in Boston feel. Again, call me old-fashioned.

But times are changing. Our denomination isn't growing relative to the population and has not for a long time. Our theological schools all seem to be having a hard time. There is a lot of hand-wringing going on in denominational publications about this, and all manner of calamity is predicted. The ministerial association is clearly worried, and is proposing new programs and rules that they hope will help, but which I see as a manifestation of anxiety.

I actually suspect that the time of strong religious denominations is coming to an end. The greatest growth is among "non-denominational" or "community" congregations. While these congregations are often connected to a denomination somehow, the connection usually isn't a strong one. What matters is how the people in the congregation decide to be in community together. I suspect that's the wave of the future: weak denominations, strong congregations, caring communities.

So long as good works get done, I don't see it as a problem.

Comments

[Mary Scriver]

Now it's my turn to say I agree. Part of the reason is that I'm in a low population density place where people group without as much regard for denominations -- just a community protestant church -- and partly because of the huge number of people who say they don't believe in religion, when what they really believe in is a new kind of emerging religion about nature, spirituality, mythology, and science. I've gone with them, though I have no need to be anti-Christian. I served a Methodist congregation one year.

Prairie Mary