Good news. Re: yesterday’s post, I was not excommunicated from Emergent. However, I have been downgraded again, from the lofty, privileged position of “Senior Fellow” to a lower “Coordinator” and now finally, scraping the bottom of the barrel, a lowly and humble “Contributor”. I guess theres no gold watch for me???!!!!
It looks like Emergent is getting emergent. . .
An email from Doug Pagitt:
“Andrew, I saw your post on your blog, did you see the email I sent with the new structure stuff? It is the same one we sent out in the fall. We have gone away from the coordinating group and are making it now part of the Contributors. So you are still in. The new language is contributors not coordinating group. Doug Pagitt”
A few words of reminiscing are in order. When the group decided on the name “Fellows” and “Senior Fellows”, I was there. I think it was in Colorado Springs at the Navigators Castle, but i might be wrong.
Anyway, I made fun of the name, and mocked the group, conjuring images of Ivy Leage snobs rowing their boats and wearing white vests. The others laughed with me, but we went ahead with the name anyway.
Fast Forward a few years. The group is talking about losing the “Fellow” name, for the same reasons that i initially suggested, but I have grown attached to it. There is something very cool about being a “Senior Fellow”. I have to admit that i have used the word a number of times in my bios, especially among educated folk and large organizations.
But now i have to downgrade the info on my bio. Any why?
Because Emergent Village is being true to the essence of its emergent properties, and is reflecting the new flattened structure by its terminology. Painful, for the elites who lose rank, but absolutely necessary if we are to move forward into our complex world.
How can we model emergence if our group is not emergent in its essence????????
So, we are all “contributors” now, you and me. Actually, I really like that. Even if it means I lose so that others can win.
Emergent, I give you a big thumbs up.
relieved to hear that you have not, indeed, been excommunicated ; ).
The Navigators have a castle, how cool is that. I think more christian organizations need to invest in castles. Seriosly, who wouldn’t want to go to church in a castle? Glen Eyrie should be the start of a castle-buiding revolution in the church.
phil, have you been there? its very cool.
once we took over the CASTLE and stayed in the master bedrooms. The main bedroom has heated floors and a shower that shoots water at you from dozens of spouts and sprinkers.
Alright, maybe its not a real castle – but the guy built it for his European wife to woo her to America and made it look a lot like a castle – it didnt work – she didnt like it.
But Dawson Trotman did, and bought it when (if i remember)Billy Graham didnt want it.
But you are right – every ministry needs a castle
‘Fellows’ probably implies that they have to be all male, too, a reputation that Emergent is trying to shake.
Excommunicated is the new in charge. 🙂