The Emerging Crossroads
So if you haven't read it yet check out Stephen Shields' article in Next-Wave Ezine Ten Years Out: A Retrospective on the Emerging Church in North America. It's a good overview of the state of the emerging movement these days from some of its major leaders. And while I am increasingly uncomfortable with the growing tendency for some of the leaders to toll the emerging death knell themselves, the movement is obviously at a crossroads. And personally I'm torn regarding that crossroads.
On one hand, I've always enjoyed the diversity of the emerging conversation. The ability for people of different denominational heritages or theological traditions to come together as part of a conversation. People came to the conversation for a variety of reasons, but as messy or awkward as it sometimes got, everyone had a voice. But then it got too messy for some and perhaps to passe for others.
So I'm torn. While I want to retain the diversity, its hard to do when you are repeatedly told that you've pushed the conversation too far – made it too messy. It's hard to respect the needs of others to express who they are and what they are comfortable with when they don't want to talk with you anymore. Should we just part ways – each respecting that the other is different and let that difference define us? Or do we remain in community, agreeing to disagree and perhaps work through those differences? No one is going to stop being who they are just so other people will like them, but there are other ways to be in community. When God got ahold of us all and pushed us to grow and stretch the false boundaries of our faith, it wasn't a one time event where we all ended up at the same place after asking a series of appropriate questions. It was a process that of course looks different for all of us. So I can't be pissed off that others aren't asking the same questions I am, but it would be really nice if they respected my need to do so as part of the ongoing conversation.
I liked what Tony Jones had to say about this in the article – “It concerns me when leaders who were formerly friends of mine back away from me and from emergent because they find my theology too risky. I think that’s sin, plain and simple. Friendship should trump doctrinal differences, and I’m quite sure that Jesus would agree with me on that”
I would love it if emergent could retain its diversity instead of splintering. I want it to be like the coffee shop I often go to work at. On any given day I can hear at least 5 or 6 different languages being spoken there. I love that. Too often we can just stay with those who speak only our same language and not expose ourselves to the diversity of the world around us. So even if we don't always understand each other in the emerging conversation, I wish we could be willing to at least be part of the same conversation.
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julieclawson(at)gmail(dot)com 
I just discovered I believe in God and Christ and the whole nine yards and I also just discovered the emerging church and i love it. I hate to think I've shown up a day late and a dollar short.
Julie,
I find it almost humorous that the emerging conversation almost trumpeted the fact that there was no national/international "leaders" … no one or few voices that determined anything. That from some of the very ones who are proclaiming the "end" of the conversation. Forgive my snarkiness but "Whatever!"
Proclaiming the death of the emergent/emerging church conversation, bolsters the opinion of its critics, I think. Instead, let's continue to press in deeper to the truth of Christ Jesus and what it means to be his body.
I haven't been a part of the conversation for ten years, nor even half of that. In my region, (Which does tend to be a bit slow to enter the stream of anything), there are many new to the conversation and they need it to continue.
I plan to continue this conversation here and to rejoice, that as the work of deconstructing seems to have come to an end, now the incredible work of reconstruction has begun in my life. My hope is to be a safe haven for those who are still examining this faith life. Questions are still there for many, and I won't let them suffer the condemnation that I did when I first began asking.
Thank you for your voice in all of this!
Grace and Peace,
Cynthia
"Crossroads" is a good metaphor for the dilemma you're describing. No matter which turn is taken, we'll always move away from the opposite direction. If some voices are being silenced, it looks like a betrayal of the ideals of the movement. If widespread diversity is maintained, decisive leadership may be hard to be established and momentum may be lost. There are no easy answers or solutions. I hope and pray that patience and wisdom will prevail in the process of convergence and reconstruction, and that we'll be able to find meaningful unity in the midst of diversity.