The Emergent Church Movement

This movement was a movement throughout Christianity in the Western World, during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. This movement started in evangelical church but spread quickly to other mainline denominations. The movement is largely considered a response to post modernism, and is what led to deconstruction movements in the Church.

The Emergent Church Movement favored the use of simple story and narrative. Members of the movement often placed a high value on good works or social activism, including missional living. Proponents of the movement believed it transcends labels such as "conservative" and "liberal"; it was sometimes called a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature, its range of standpoints, and commitment to dialogue. Participants sought to live their faith in what they believed to be a "postmodern" society. Disillusionment with the organized and institutional church led participants to support the deconstruction of modern Christian worship and evangelism, and the nature of modern Christian community.

Unfortunately, the Movement was very slow to include women and the LGBTQIA+ communities, and once it added these groups, became very political in nature and this helped destroy the movement. Not to mention that it greatly threatened Church authority and it was never able to get passed them.

Proponents, however, believed the movement transcended such "modernist" labels of "conservative" and "liberal," calling the movement a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature, its vast range of standpoints, and its commitment to dialogue. Participants seek to live their faith in what they believe to be a "postmodern" society. What those involved in the conversation mostly agree on is their disillusionment with the organized and institutional church and their support for the deconstruction of modern Christian worship, modern evangelism, and the nature of modern Christian community.