Sunday musings

Grace Chapel defies definition. Grace is a popular Christian congregation in Boston, but is not Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox or Pentecostal. Even as worshippers at most traditional churches in this part of the world are rapidly dwindling, new congregations such as this are full and overflowing into the balconies and lobbies.

While places like Grace Chapel defies definition, it is by no means difficult to describe them, for such congregations are a growing phenomenon around the globe. Some describe them as free churches or non-denominational ones. Scholars use the term “Neo-Pentecostal” to describe such congregations. These places are certainly not the traditional Pentecostal with their insistence on adult baptism, speaking in tongues and rejection of ornaments. Grace Chapel is none of these, but still is the new face of Pentecostalism. Demographers who study church growth trends describe Pentecostalism as the fastest growing Christian trend today. Probably that is where the future of Christianity lies.

One aspect that makes Neo-Pentecostalism popular around the world is the people’s waning interest in rigid rituals and sacraments that have come to define mainline churches. Traditional churches just do not speak to the contemporary men and women. Inability to address the pastoral needs of the people is another aspect that makes the traditional churches unpopular with a growing generation. Our church structures are just too institutionalized and far removed from the people.

There are clear positive factors too that attract people in hordes to Neo-Pentecostal churches. Music is one such. At Grace Chapel, the music is just terrific. Except for the duration of the sermon, the rest of the service is virtually musical. Sensitivity to differently abled people is another factor (This is probably true with most places in the West, but for someone from India, is still a refreshing change). At Grace right through the service, a specialist in sign language stands in front, interpreting the songs and sermons to those who cannot hear like most others present.

The messages at Grace Chapel are clearly non-partisan. No overt attempts are made to “proselytize” worshippers from other church backgrounds, though I believe, adult baptism is a requirement for full membership at the Chapel. Often, social themes are addressed in sermons (even if it is a generalized exhortation to the hearers to “care for the poor and needy”, but not advocating any radical social action).

For all their success, however, Neo-Pentecostal churches raise disturbing questions. Rigid and irrelevant forms of worship and a “lack of spirituality” can drive people out of traditional churches but such negativity may not be enough to keep them for long in Neo-Pentecostal congregations. Playing down theological and social differences is an attraction today for these new congregations but may not be enough to build up a church. Sooner or later, they too will have to wrestle with deep questions of justice, peace, sexuality and other related issues.

Yet, such places of worship obviously meet a dire need today. Denominational rigidity is clearly on the wane. At the grand piano at Grace Chapel today was the son of a Mar Thoma pastor from India. Last Sunday he was one of the organists at the local Mar Thoma Church. Denominationalism, at least in the diaspora, seems to be giving way to an era of trans-denominationalism.