Looking ahead -- to next year and to a
new generation
a report from the Re-Imagining Gathering
by Doug King
posted 11-1-00
During the "Community Responds" talk-back
session on Saturday afternoon, a number of the caucus groups that had
met during the preceding two days reported on their work. One of the
provocative reports came from Carrie Brunken, who convened a group out
of her own concern at the absence of younger participants in the
Gathering.
She began with a sure attention-getter: Standing
nervously at the lectern before a crowd of some 500 people she looked
out, gulped visibly, and said, "I'm Carrie Brunken, and I think I'm
gonna throw up." She didn't, though, but went on to offer a
thoughtful challenge to the group.
She had offered the caucus, she said, after hearing
the exchanges on Friday that reflected such difference of concerns and
problems among the generations. For her own generation, she said as a
woman just out of college, she noted the high degree of mobility which
makes it hard for people to form connections and communities. She
pointed too to the growing tendency of people to "draw boundaries
on what a Christian is or isn't," and growing weary of being told
so often that she can't be a Christian, a minister, or whatever, because
her faith falls outside other people's boundaries.
(In a conversation later, Brunken said her own
explorations in Christian theology took her far enough afield that she
was expelled by her Christian sorority.)
"I'm so frustrated there aren't more people my
age here," she said. Pointing to the growing custom of a "Take
Your Daughter to Work Day," she wondered "Why not a Take Your
Daughter to Re-Imagining Day"?
"We want not just a place at the table," she
went on, "but a place at the podium. We'd just like to be listened
to. ... Use your voice to give a voice and power and space to a young
person."
She concluded, "I'm charging you to contribute to
get more young people here. Help us to continue the fight!" Her
short report was welcomed with a standing ovation from the whole group.
In a short interview after her report to the group,
Brunken pointed out how effectively young people are being courted by
evangelical groups. Then she added, "I want someone to court
me!"
Brunken grew up in a Dallas suburb of Highland Park,
is a member of the United Methodist Church, and graduated recently from
the University of Texas in Austin. She plans to begin work soon at the
United Methodist office at the United Nations.
When asked what she sees as some of the distinctive
concerns of her generation, Brunken said first that "we've never
had the 'You can't be a minister' struggle." But she added that it
is difficult for her peers to find connections, because they have no
focus around which to gather. She did add that the national ecumenical
"Celebrate!" student conference in 1998 did provide one such
focus. (Re-Imagining should be represented at such events, she added.)
She sees a need also for young women to have increased
visibility, and a voice of their own in the larger feminist groups in
the church. One problem she finds is that with the primacy of
"experience" as a basis for feminist theological thinking,
"we're told too often that we don't have enough experience" to
share in such thinking.
Another problem for her has been the lack of role
models for "Christians for justice." She feels that concern
very deeply, but can't find older people who can show her the way into a
life of action for justice.
Toward the end of our conversation she seemed to sum
up her feelings: "Someone here has dropped the ball on me and my
generation -- and I'm angry."
Her anger was well expressed to the whole Gathering.
It will be interesting to see how the Re-Imagining planning team decides
to deal with her suggestions.
