February 20 - Time for a New Blend

A double shot of espresso for communion might just increase that old Presbyterian heart rate.

By Magdalena I. García

Today I spent all day at a Presbytery assembly meeting in Elmhurst, a suburb on the west side of Chicago. The day started out with a very upbeat, jazzy worship service (something very unusual for a denomination known for its adoration of pipe organs). It also included a power point presentation on several mission projects, among them the Organic Faith Garden at Ravenswood (a partnership with a sister church, Lakeview Presbyterian). And last but not least, there was the installation of the new Moderator, which always includes a clever charge by a member of the assembly.

Then we went to lunch and, instead of the usual boxed lunches, we had a really nice homemade meal, prepared by a local chef: old fashion meat loaf with Balsamic vinegar; gourmet salad with spring mix, spinach, and grape tomatoes; smooth, buttery mashed potatoes, and brownie bars as big as the palm of your hand. The perfect ending to such a feast could have been a double shot of espresso, but no such luck; Presbyterians drink pretty weak coffee. In fact, at lunch I sat next to a man who told me that at his congregation the Session (the local governing body) had decreed that only decaffeinated be served at coffee hour. My God, I thought, it’s a sign of the times when local church bodies are discussing the hot drink for their social hour, instead of mission initiatives. But just then a possible insight started brewing in my head.

According to the denominational website, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), with national offices in Louisville, Kentucky, “has approximately 2.3 million members, more than 10,000 congregations, and 14,000 ordained and active ministers.” But the “About Us” blurb needs to be updated, because a June 22, 2009 report by Presbyterian News Service posted at the same website says the following:

“Membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) fell by 69,381 in 2008, the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) has announced in its annual statistical report, continuing a trend that began in the mid-1960s. Total membership of the denomination is now 2,140,165. According to the Research Services office of the General Assembly Council (GAC), the 2008 decline was the PC(USA)’s largest numerical and percentage net membership loss since Presbyterian reunion in 1983.” (http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09525.htm)

Yikes, there are now more Muslims than Presbyterians in the US. Clearly coffee is not the only area where we show weakness. I’d say it’s time for Presbyterians to try a new blend, like Jamaican Blue Mountain or Volcanica House. Anything that will help us reach new heights and erupt into action. We need a strong picker-upper. We need to wake up and smell the coffee.