Q: What’s a Vicinage Council?
A: The word vicinage comes from vicinity, and council is a gathering of wisdom. So, a vicinage council is our church seeking the wisdom of her sister churches from the area.
Q: Why hold one?
A: To seek wisdom when: calling a new pastor, dismissing a current pastor, dealing with internal conflict. But more than that, it’s about fellowship. As a church, we’re making a choice that’s going to impact their lives. It’s good courtesy to at least make an introduction.
Q: How does it work?
A: We choose to send an invitation. They choose to send a delegate. We choose to bring the delegates up to date on our current situation (in this case, calling a new minister). They choose to ask questions to get to the heart of the matter and then share their recommendation. We choose to accept their recommendation.
Q: Why haven’t I ever seen one before?
A: Because any time you give people a choice, it’s easier to stay home. Congregationalism is work, because choice is at the heart of everything. It would be so much easier if we could coerce and threaten to force compliance, but that wouldn’t be love. Love, to be real, must be free.
Q: If it’s so hard, why do we do it?
A: Because freely given and received love is the heart of the Trinity. The very nature of God is community, and our Congregational way of being church (both as fellow members of a church and fellow churches of an association) mirrors the heart of God. We don’t go our own way without concern for others, because love, to be real, must be connected.
