c. 1999 Religion News Service
(Rabbi Rudin is the national interreligious affairs director of the American Jewish Committee.)
UNDATED _ Boeing, Coca-Cola and Walt Disney are three corporations once considered powerful global symbols of American excellence, efficiency and profitability. But incredibly, all three companies are currently facing serious long-term problems.
The financial and production woes of these commercial empires contain an ominous message for America’s religious communities: Nothing is permanent in life except for God’s existence and constant societal change. No institution, no matter its age, past record of achievement or manner of operation, is guaranteed continued existence.
Boeing is accused of withholding vital information about possible dangers of fuel tank explosions in some of its airplanes. For the first time in history the European Airbus consortium is outselling the Seattle-based U.S. corporation, and the 1996 TWA crash and the recent Egyptair disaster both involved Boeing aircraft.
Coca-Cola is suffering from its contaminated beverages that appeared earlier this year in Europe, and in a major public relations disaster, the Atlanta-based corporation floated the bizarre idea of charging more for its drinks during hot weather when thirst is greatest.
The Disney”Mouse House”in Burbank, Calif., has also come upon bad times. Have Mickey and his human friends dangerously overextended themselves in their quest to be the world’s dominant entertainment company? Videos, movies, theme parks, TV networks, publications, sports teams _ it’s a lot for any mouse, even a gifted one like Mickey, to handle.
On the religious scene, the 50-year-old National Council of Churches, once a dominant force in American society, is reeling from severe fiscal problems that demand sharp cuts in staff and programs. However, the NCC faces more than just money troubles. Many members of the Council’s 35 church denominations are wondering aloud whether the NCC’s traditional style of operation can be effective in the 21st century.
In its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, the NCC was frequently the voice of the dominant white Protestant establishment in the United States that included Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Northern Baptists. Joining them as Council members were several historic black denominations and some Orthodox Christian churches.
Together they represented a strong presence within the religious community.
The NCC leadership prided itself on confronting the critical domestic and international issues of the day like civil rights, South African apartheid and establishment of diplomatic relations with Communist China. Often controversial, the NCC was, however, a major player in American society.
But today the need for such an activist”umbrella”group is being sharply questioned. There are increasing demands that the money raised by member churches for NCC operations be kept closer to home and be specifically earmarked for local and regional programs. The political version of this cry for decentralization is, of course, also heard in the halls of Congress in Washington.
But the public calls for change are being aimed at more than the NCC. Even some large established churches and synagogues are under growing pressure to recast or reinvent themselves if they wish to survive. In our rapidly exploding technological world, many thoughtful Jews and Christians are sharply questioning whether the old way of”doing religion”is still working in today’s America.
Are large, cavernous houses of worship that are costly to operate truly necessary when increasing numbers of people are seeking small, intimate circles of a shared faith? While men and women will always join together as a community in common prayer and song, can the Internet or teleconferencing provide a different kind of spiritual solidarity for those who are unable to leave their homes because of age or illness?
Is it still necessary for seminarians to spend all of their student years on a sometimes distant campus? Are Internet extension courses possible that will allow future rabbis, priests and ministers to continue in their regular jobs and remain close to their families and home congregations?
Clearly, Jewish Sabbath services will always take place on Friday evenings and Saturdays, and Christians will continue to gather for Sunday worship. But in a radical change from the past, our religious institutions need to think of the 24 hours a day, seven days a week model to reach their constituents.
Of course, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Disney and, yes, the National Council of Churches can survive, but only when there is purposeful change within each organization. And that same kind of change is also required in all aspects of our religious life.
DEA END RUDIN
