With tongue in cheek, we could boast of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as a global church. I did this with a friend, who was part of a denomination with “USA” in its name. I could have done the same with one that had “America” in its name. The CP church is a global church while yours is merely national. This was all in fun as we were at a Presbyterian church that used to be Cumberland. That church teaches in its membership class their roots of being Cumberland Presbyterian. They even have a hall named “Cumberland” that reminds them of their heritage. Seriously, though, being a global church is certainly more than not having “USA” in our name.
In its first few centuries, according to Justo Gonzalez, professor of church history, the early church formed three centers of theological thought. There was Carthage on the north coast of Africa. There was Alexandria at the mouth of the Nile. And there was the Northeastern Mediterranean, an area that included what is now Turkey and Syria. There were three “centers,” not one, which produced three types of theology, each of which were distinct from one another.* What might this teach us about being a “global church”?
First, there is no one center for theological development. You would have thought that Jerusalem, the birthplace of the church, would become its center. Or, that the powerful city of Rome might become the center. But no, those cities were not hospitable. Persecution scattered the church all over, such that her theology and her forms would take root and take shape from the diversity of peoples and cultures that hosted her. And the Spirit did not stop with three centers. In time, those three prominent places gave way to other centers around the globe.
Second, local cultures shape not only theology, but also forms and practices. Take, for example, communion elements. The Roman Catholic Church is a global church that has very strict requirements for the host and wine used in the mass. Wherever you go in the world, you can expect the same elements. They have conformity. On the other hand, Protestant churches like the CP Church uses a diversity of local food for its “bread.” As an Asian American, I have served and received local communion bread in the form of sourdough, rice crackers, and naan. Holy Communion joins us to believers from every time and place–a sign of unity. The variety of bread and cup, however, shows our diversity. Thus, we have theology and practices that grow from local contexts.
Thirdly, Tennessee is not the center of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The history of the Cumberland can be traced to Tennessee. Our denominational headquarters is in Tennessee. But Tennessee is not our center, because for the truly global church, there is no “center” for the church other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a global church with particular churches, presbyteries and synods throughout the globe. Global missions does not mean sending missionaries from the USA to other parts of the world. CPC’s global missions sends missionaries from every place to every place, from Hong Kong to the UK, and from Colombia to Guatemala, from Japan to Brazil. As a global church, we speak many languages, we do theology in many contexts. A truly global church is not one flavor but multi-flavored.
All kidding aside, we could tease other churches about having “America” or “USA” in their names, but to be a truly global church within the Cumberland family is a huge challenge. Travel costs are often prohibitive. Translating to multiple languages risks something important being lost. It takes true humility and grace to undo centuries of one-way thinking, so that we can nurture true interdependence and mutuality, true giving and receiving. But the costs and the risks, the humility and the effort, are worth it. In the end, when we base our unity not in our conformity but in our diversity, we discover what it means to be the body of Christ of every language, culture, and place.
*Christian Thought Revised: Three Types of Theology, Justo Gonzalez (Revised Edition, 1999)