Millennial Idolatry
Rev. Mark Andrews
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:2-3 (NRSV)
We are United Methodists. We have a polity that includes itineracy, where appointments are made after consultations with pastors and church committees. Care and prayer are exercised in the process, trusting that the Holy Spirit is “in the mix” as the Bishop and Cabinet deliberate over each church, determined to serve the mission of the church with each appointment that is made.
In consultations with Pastor-Parish Relations Committees it is not surprising that almost universally, requests are made for a pastor who will help the church reach young adults, the millennial generation – a generation which is largely missing from not only the United Methodist Church, but also other denominations as well. Millennials are among the “none” and “done” population that have largely exited the church or never darkened the church’s doors.
Most churches are bewildered by the millennial exodus
and are looking for answers for how to reach this generation. Many of us, in fact, have the unspoken belief that as some of our churches struggle to survive, if we can just get millennials back in the church it will save us. It is almost as if we have attached messianic expectations on a whole generation...
