A colleague of mine said that being Presbyterian has been a spiritual discipline for her, in that she has learned to live in obedience with decisions made by a majority that did not include her.
One of the things that congregations departing our denomination have noted is that there has been a shift in power over the last ten years or so in the PCUSA. The “progressive” part of the denomination has grown, and with that, the more traditional or “conservative” parts of the church no longer carry the day on votes of one sort or another. I suspect that one of the main drivers in the departure of some congregations is this loss of power and influence… it is hard to become the minority when you are used to being the majority.
On the other hand, those who are now in the majority face a challenge as well. They need to remember that they were once “aliens and strangers” and so remember to treat those who are now in the minority with dignity and respect. As the Son of Man said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Or, as Buddha said, “Do not do to others as you would not want them to do to you.” Or, as the Native American tradition says, you can’t understand someone unless you “walk a mile in their moccasins.”
My prayer for our denomination is that the emerging majority will behave well, remembering that majority does not mean unanimity, and that our words and actions need to protect and care for those who are in the minority. It is what Jesus would do.
Andrew Hong, who pastors a second generation Chinese ministry in Sydney, Australia, has a great post on this at http://andrewhong.net/2011/03/29/majority-minority-culture/ (source of graphic above).
Thoughts & Images from the Heart 