ML: In my opinion the most significant matter before the 219th General Assembly will not be what we will do, but how we will do it. To be peacemakers in the world we must first find peace within our denomination. In a time when dangerous rhetoric and shrill monologue seem to dominate both the secular marketplace of ideas and national politics, we cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in the dissonance of contentious discourse. Listening first for the voice of the Holy Spirit, avoiding the polarization that can leave us prisoners of personal preference, we can then fulfill our roles as disciples and followers of Jesus Christ.
TPO: What do you believe are the causes of conflict in the PC(USA), and what do you hope this General Assembly will do to help bring resolution?
ML: Could it be that “the people of the middle way” are in danger of losing their way? Do we allow the adrenalin of combative conflict to cloud our minds and blind us to the possibility of resolution? Do I really have to be wrong in order for you to be right?
My hope, and my prayer, for our church and denomination is that we, individually and in General Assembly, will not yield to self-righteous polarization but rather yield to the redeeming love of God’s grace, listening respectfully, studying prayerfully, and voting conscientiously — in the full understanding that God’s wisdom does not rest in the hands of the few, but in the hearts and minds of the many. It is in sharing that wisdom, putting the pieces together, that we find resolution. Ultimately, let us celebrate our differences while always rejoicing in the commonality we share in the grace of God.
TPO: In your opinion, what is the most urgent need in the PC (USA) over the next five years?
ML: I believe, as followers of Christ, we must reclaim our focus. We must stop the bleeding! If individuals and families seek relevance and community in the Church and fail to find it, they move on. And as they move on, we are losing the lifeblood of the Church. Unless we empower the coming generations to lead in worship and creatively foster Christian community, we, like the Shakers, will grow old and die, leaving empty buildings as our legacy.
I truly believe that we are called to be both a denomination of tall steeples and a Church of small congregations. We must continue to promote the strength that exists in the large church while encouraging, through attitude and resources, the great potential for growth that I believe exists in the small churches of our faith.
TPO: What are your goals for your moderatorial years, and what strengths do you bring to the task?
ML: As moderator of the Assembly I will represent fairly and without judgment the diverse viewpoints within the denomination; as representative of the denomination I will bring a strong, positive, and consistent message of God’s promise for our future, reminding us all that we are brothers and sisters in Christ; as a passionate advocate for spiritual and numerical congregational growth I will encourage all churches — and especially the small (churches) — to find their voices, empowering the young, nurturing the old, aggressively welcoming the stranger and the broken, as they build community among those who long for a church home. To this task I will bring a lifetime of people skills, my strengths as a community builder, and an unwavering conviction that God can make a way when there is no way.
