An evangelical Presbyterian in New York
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- June
- 16
I continue to be fascinated by how New Yorkers see all those evangelical Christians out there and by how Christians of the Heartland look at all those heathen New Yorkers.
It’s a staredown of sorts, based on some real truths, assumptions and myths on both sides.
The June issue of Christianity Today has a cover story on Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which is widely known outside of New York for bringing a lot of New Yorkers to…you won’t believe it… church.
The article explains that Keller was teaching and preaching in Philadelphia—not exactly cow country—when he wound up accepting a call to start a new church in the Ungodly Apple.
He got started 20 years ago, in 1989.
The article explains:
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Tim found Manhattan non-Christians amazingly, sometimes naïvely, curious. Though the borough’s 1.6 million people were used to religious diversity, many had never talked to an evangelical. Tim’s interest in art and music was an indispensable gift in communicating. His omnivorous reading also helped. New York is a city of high achievers to whom, Keller says, it made sense that a minister should be a scholar of ancient texts, exposing them to ideas and information beyond their experience. They needed someone who spoke their language, though, and Keller was a quick learner.
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Today, Redeemer sees about 5,000 people on Sundays at five services at three locations.
And Redeemer is planting churches around the New York area—including Trinity Presbyterian in Rye.
Keller insists that for 20 years, he has tried to preach to non-Christians. The idea is that many New Yorkers who come to his church, maybe with a friend, are not Christians. So he needs to meet them where they are, spiritually:
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The Kellers (note: meaning Time and wife Kathy) stick to a few rules. They never talk about politics. Tim always preaches with a non-Christian audience in mind, not merely avoiding offense, but exploring the text to find its good news for unbelievers as well as believers. The church emphasizes excellence in music and art, to the point of paying their musicians well (though not union scale). And it calls people to love and bless the city. It isn’t an appeal based on guilt toward a poor, lost community.
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The article makes a case that Keller changed the way that Christians look at New York and even cities in general. In fact, a Christianity Today editor named Andy Crouch is quoted as saying “Redeemer was the first to lead this change of posture to the city.”
A Redeemer elder named Charles Osewalt, a high school principal in the Bronx, explains why a change in viewpoint was needed: “Most churches look at New York as a cesspool.”
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 7:56 am by Gary Stern.
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The world of religion, we don't have to tell you, is vast. The purpose of this blog is for Stern to note, flag and comment on some of the more interesting religious developments on the scene – weighty and quirky, somber and laughable, far away and just down the road. He won't interpret Scripture, take sides in conflicts or judge anyone. But he will take advantage of the journalist's license to observe.
