Sacru Flexibil
Sacru Flexibil
Sacru Flexibil
Worship in Changing Communities by Michael Crosbie Dramatic change, congregations in flux, and how architecture can accommodate were the pervasive themes of IFRAA's spring gathering in Raleigh. The two-day session brought together architects, artists, craftspeople, clergy, laity, and academics to discuss how congregations are changing and how denominations are adjusting. Visits to local churches demonstrated a range of responses.<p>
The impact of growth and change can be seen everywhere in this region of North Carolina. John Barie, AIA, president of the AIA-Triangle chapter, noted in his welcoming remarks that this metropolitan area of a million people is expected to expand by 1.7 million in the next generation, bringing a diverse population with a variety of religious beliefs.<p>
Congregation A panel discussion considered changing congregations from various aspects: social, theological, and architectural. Dr. Anne Burkholder, director of the Association for Christian Training & Service, Durham, N.C., noted that Postmodernism is shaping congregations today to reflect changes in society at large. Postmodern is how we define ourselves today--a distinction that seems to say more about what we are not than what we are. "We aren't Modern," notes Burkholder, yet we seem to resist being pigeonholed. Postmodernism has shifted us from a universal, allencompassing, shared value system, "to a multiplicity of truths grounded in the cultural context." Rational, universal sources of truth are abandoned, and we are not sure who we are or where we are going. Postmodernism seems best revealed in the next generation, beyond the baby-boomers. Burkholder says that these societal changes are influencing congregations. Where the older, "Modern" generation sees change as disruptive, a response to disasters, the Postmodern generation sees change as the social norm. Families are configured in a variety of ways, we are uprooted and move in response to changing careers. With this comes a diminishment of "place." Especially with computers and telecommunications, "near" and "far" are the same. The Internet removes geographical barriers, and identities are no longer tied to a place. Communities--both virtual
and actual--are fluid, and we are unsure of our sense of place in the order of things.<p>
Postmodern society, adds Burkholder, has cut loose any sense of universally shared interests. The reality is that we can choose where we wish to live, work, associate with, and where we worship. Those who cling to the old landmarks--ethnicity, denomination, political interests, class--are now the targets of moral criticism. In such a multicultural milieu, what binds us together and how do we achieve unity? How this effects religion, Burkholder says, is that denominations must struggle for relevance in the new social landscape, must be flexible and foster theological and spatial connection with God. They must be welcoming and accessible, "inviting those who do not understand the language of the church into that world." Dr. Jack Carroll, professor of Religion and Society at Duke University, transformed the broad picture of society into the particulars of belief, depicted by two couples, the Englands and the Pimmers. The sexagenarian Englands are lifelong residents of a small town that encompasses their world, with an extended family nearby. They are active in local groups and a Methodist congregation. In contrast, the 30-something Pimmers moved to the small-town for its amenities and affordable housing. Their family is scattered, and they have few local ties. They attend the same Methodist church as the Englands, but they also drop in at other churches. For the Englands, the small town defines their identity, and they resist change. The cosmopolitan Pimmers go out of town for friends, work, and entertainment, and question tradition or reject it. While the Englands can be described as "religious" and grounded in the institution, the Pimmers see themselves on a quest for connection with the spirit. Along with the Pimmers are the "Gen-Xers," who also distrust institutions, and the "Millennials," postmodern traditionalists who embrace ritual. Such a kaleidoscope of people within a single congregation, says Carroll, is having a profound affect on clergy and architects alike. Congregations are popping up to satisfy the wants of individual groups, with an array of architectural responses. John E. Joyner with McClure Hopkins Architects in Raleigh, presented images from his study of rural churches, showing how traditional styles of Gothic revival were strongest in the 19th century, and only gave way to more contemporary styles in the mid-20th century. Meanwhile the reforms of Vatican II in the Roman Catholic Church have echoed in other faiths and denominations to encourage greater participation in the worship service on the part of the congregation.<p>
Michael J. Crosbie, PhD, assistant editor of "Faith & Form," is an architect with Steven Winter Associates in Norwalk, Conn.