Today, the First Baptist Church of the City of
Washington DC held a breakfast and lunch session (as well as the worship
service) with congregational consultant Rev. Dr. John Wimberly (site) ,
actually from the Presbyterian denomination.
During the “Sunday school” portion, Wimberly was
discussing how “Generation X” (age 35-44) looks for church affiliation. One interesting point is that this is the
first generation that often experienced mandatory community service as a high
school or sometimes college graduation requirement. (For example, George Washington University in
Washington DC will introduce incoming freshman to an “annual day of service” on
a Saturday each September.) And many volunteer groups now require training and minimum time commitments from volunteers as well as staffs.
As a result, this group is used to the idea of “teamwork”
as opposed to working in “committees”, which it sees as rather authoritarian. I
used to associate the idea of committee with “draft board”, after all.
But “teamwork” has supplanted the idea of
hyperindividualism, Dr. Wimberly said, in an answer to a question from me. I
pointed out that the goal of a “team” can still demand commitment and loyalties
that are inconsistent with personal achievement goals. He said my attitude was the same as his was
during the 1990s, as the Internet was taking shape, during the best of the
Clinton years (a conservative Congress but relatively socially liberal by
fiscally responsible president – Bill Clinton).
The sermon was called "It Is Never Over", and I wondered if it would bear any relation to the film by Andrew Jenks, "It's Not Over", reviewed on the Movies blog Jan. 15.
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