Creating Space and Making Room: Our Reasonable Service
By Vanessa Anderson
“The doors of the church are now open” is a familiar saying during a sacred time in the worship experience: the invitation to accept Christ. This specific part is for all, whether one is familiar or unfamiliar with church or starting or recommitting their relationship with Christ. All are welcome and accepted. Heaven rejoices for yet another soul’s salvation-winning experience. The fulfilling and ongoing process of sowing, watering, and planting spiritual seeds into various lives to enhance the Kingdom of God is an unforgettable part of one’s journey.
From the perspective of longevity, how often are we compelled to welcome, invite, and accept others to grow and learn from us for church growth, succession planning, and leadership development? We should have a similar mindset toward future progress. Do we extend our tables with our eyes on the future or continually feast with the few we know best?
COVID-19 showed us the importance of being intentional and intergenerational. The church, as we knew it before, sparkled at the thought of having the same faithful few lead the efforts, remain stagnant to new voices, and ignore opposing methods. The fight or flight mentality produced challenges where changemakers had to stand firm if they believed in the power of progress at all levels of church and leadership. As the body of Christ, it should be our goal to strive for excellence in training younger generations, having strategic plans, and implementing task force objectives that will keep us in the mindset of forward movement. The purpose of intergenerational growth, leadership, and development are not for creating props or puppeteering. It to help spread knowledge and growth potential in safe nurturing spaces that will develop leaders to advance the mission to bring others to Christ. This is important if the church is serious about creating quality successions to help enhance the future state of the church at all levels.
At my current church, St James AME Church in San Jose, California, my late grandparents, the Rev. Ulysses Allen, Sr. and Sister Irma Allen, were a vital part of the progress and development of St. James’s ministry and growth. This is the same church where my mother, Exhorter Janet Anderson, developed her skills and began efforts to enhance the ministry to thrive in the spirit of excellence. Upon joining in my young adult years, it was laid on my heart to not just be a pew sitter but to be intentional in my service to God and the church. Through development and opportunity, I joined the beginning stages of the Richard Allen Young Adult Council in the 5th District and I was later appointed a steward at my church. Soon after, I was given the opportunity to serve on various levels of the church such as becoming the Director of Digital Communications for the California Conference. These opportunities came because of leaders in the church who felt it not robbery to be intentional about welcoming more intergenerational voices and ideas to various platforms to help build the future development in our Zion.
In summary, as we invite others to Christ and encourage them along their spiritual journey, let us remember to make room at our tables and extend our efforts to be intentional about our future and progress for church growth, church succession planning, and church leadership. Everyone does not have the same calling in life but everyone has a role to play in the continuation of keeping our Zion growing and developing for current and future generations.
Vanessa Anderson, M.A. is a Millennial who serves the Lord with gladness as a steward and as the president of the California Conference RAYAC in the 5th District. She is also the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Carey G. Anderson, the senior pastor of FAME in Seattle, and the youngest granddaughter of the late Anne White, a life-member of both the Lay Organization and Women’s Missionary Society.
The photographer is Sydney Johnson of Hayward, California, and is used with permission.
