Personally the this all sounds like the old "I am not getting fed" statement I hear at some churches... to that I would reply, "Are you still a baby that needs to still be fed? Have you thought that maybe it is your turn to feed someone else?" Now I agree, maybe the failure is not the "so-called" leaders, but those who are out there sitting on their butts not doing anything!
OK, the other side of the coin is this. If emerging is a movement, then it WILL pass... if it is not just a movement, then it will continue and even grow into something else... but still leaving the seeds to continue. My personal view is that emerging itself (which is different from Emergent) is the ongoing conversation that God started in Genesis with... "Let there be..." so it will not fade, it was always there in some fashion (whether called emerging or not) and will always be as long as Jesus is.
To a point I agree with Doug and Tony... yet in a way I think they are missing the boat. How? Some think that that Doug jumped ship and is off doing his radio show and thinking of politics (to some that may be boring Doug... sorry) and some think maybe that Tony has sort of gone off the reservation... (Sorry Tony, I still want to discuss some of your views with you.) Maybe that is a little harsh, but if I feel that way I imagine others do also.
Really I don't suppose I will hear from either of these guys... (which may be part of the issue again) Do they have the right to feel as they do... of course, but all I ask is that they also try to step back and look at it from an outsider perspective... to take a look that others feelings may be a little hurt also.
Now, to me I saw Emergent Village as a great resource for ideas. I loved the podcasts and thought they gave some thought provoking insights... I think the issue is that instead of sticking with the strong points of being what they were good at they tried to become a community... sorry we already have communities going yet, to lose Emergent Village as a resource does sting a bit. The Podcast is still going yet, if Emergent Village would look to being a resource and think of ways to help the communities that are going, then they may find their strong point again.
The bummer thing is that no one wants to publish "emerging" books as they stated as they did not sell well... so... how about starting a emerging publishing company? I mean Brian Mclaren alone could probably get it going... and make it a ground roots type thing where people can get books published and sell them as part of the resource help. (Hmmm dang good idea to me!)
My greatest advice is that Tony and Doug try not to get defensive and go on the offensive... you are leaders of sorts... whether you want to be or not... and whether people want you to be or not... but if you have your finger on the pulse as some of us think you once really did... then help us make things happen.
I hope I am not coming across to cranky... I am not meaning to say I am not thankful for all Doug and Tony have done. I just pray that they can focus or refocus on helping others grow.
Tony's response to the "Death of Emergent" voices.
Tony has a post that gives others views of what is happening to Emergent Village
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