Two days ago, when I learned that Pastor Rodney Willis was fired for attending a Rick Ross concert, I stared at the computer screen both in amusement and sadness. I was amused because it is clear that we are growing up in a time where Generation Xers and Millenials aren't sure how to navigate discretion in a world that wants them "smack dab" in the middle of reality TV, with mediated messages of "being real." I was amused because this seemed to showcase a general clash of power between two generations (The Silent Generation & Baby Boomers) of people next to other generations of people. And, at the same time, I was saddened that both a church lost its pastor and a pastor lost his church over William Leonard Roberts, II's (aka Rick Ross) music. I was saddened that the message ultimately sent (no matter the intention) is that there is no room for a pastor (and possibly congregants) with Hip Hop sensibilities in God's church.
First off, let's just put this out there. Rick Ross' music isn't worth getting fired over. The lyrical content, creativity, and ability to rap are mediocre at best. But, Rick Ross has a lot of star power behind him, catchy hooks, and a unique story which has made him a compelling artist to some in the Hip Hop industry. I'm just not a fan! That doesn't mean that I don't like some other artists who, dare I say, don't often exhibit what we all might think of as Christian ideals. However, there is an even deeper, more pressing concern at bay.
Given that I grew up in the Hip Hop golden era, listening to Tupac, Biggie, Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, JJ Fad, and yes MC Hammer & Luke Skywalker too...I don't know how I would feel as a ministerial/educational leader if I wasn't able to pull from this era of music as a source for understanding, critique, and inspiration. How does one put the sound of one's generation up on a shelf...even in the church?
In previous generations, Black church sacred music and black secular/cultural idioms conspired together (even when Respectable Negroes didn't like it). This is the story of modern day Gospel music with all of its funk, jazz, and r&b interpolations inside of it. It doesn't take very long before you begin to hear the Blues in Gospel Quartet music, or Hip Hop in Kirk Franklin's music...so why all the fuss about attending a concert?
I think that it's fair to say that many churches want to maintain their potency and relevancy by packaging a young body in an old suit. It's no secret that a church can grow in both stature and nature if they can find a pastor who can attract visually what it wants. And, the strategy for most churches is to empower a young pastor as its shepherd, while maintaining its status quo in regards to its other leadership. The thought is that a young pastor will attract younger people to keep the church growing (numerically) and moving (in the way that older/mature leadership will appreciate). The thought sometimes is: "if we can just find someone in this age who acts like us...and thinks like us...all will be well."
The challenge with this model of innovation is that you can't pour new wine into old wines skin without having a mess on your hands (Luke 5:37, Matthew 9:17, and Mark 2:22). And, inter-generational leadership doesn't just happen from the top down...it happens from the inside out. Inter-generational leadership must be a value that is found in the choir, the deacon board, and the trustees of a church in order to create a wealth of understanding in a church. I imagine that Mt. Salem probably had a graying church leadership board, with a graying congregation...and some youth sprinkled in for effect. I imagine that the church did not have young adults sprinkled into all things related to the church. I imagine that no one had ever talked about the value of Hip Hop in evangelism, youth ministry, and diagnosing social dilemma.
While I think that it is reasonable to have expectations of a pastor as a living witness, I also think that it is reasonable for congregants in a Baptist denominational setting to also hold themselves to the same standard of holiness to which they are holding a pastor. At the heart of Baptist polity, is the belief that all of us are ambassadors for Christ. To summarily dismiss someone as a Pastor for viewing a concert that others from the congregation were also at is a bit hypocritical. Why do I say this? I say this because we have just created a subjective line of respectability...and the real question is: "who gets to decide what I can do/see?" If the pastor can't go see Rick Ross, should congregants watch horror movies (which I actually think are demonic!!!!!) or sit and regale their favorite scene from The Game, Scandal or Love and Hip Hop Atlanta (which should also be problematic for devout Christians).
I think the real problem in this dilemma is not that a pastor would/should/could go to a Rick Ross concert. The real problem is the depth of the generational gap that continues to divide congregations...and ultimately spawn newer/hipper/less-diverse congregations. Here in Durham, there is a church that has mostly 20-30 somethings as its majority...and because this is a sizable congregation, other churches don't actually have critical numbers of this missing age group. Quietly, "seasoned saints" in the area complain that the church isn't "a real church," and is taking their "youth" away. But when I talk to a variety of members there, they seem to be genuinely learning and excited about their relationship with God. I wonder if many of the other churches in our area can say the same about their dwindling young adult populations.
I know the traditional church wants a group of pastors who have "old school" sensibilities...but the reality is that young leadership has grown up in "new school" circumstances...and inherited a cornucopia of distrust premised on public church scandals. The world has changed drastically, and requires pastors who don't just embody Holiness, but who can also interpret (and minister) in a world that is filled with Rick Ross imagery. To be quite honest, some mega-church pastors aren't that far away from embodying Rick Ross at all, with their celebrity branding, IBM church culture, prosperity hermeneutic, and conspicuous personal living.
Most importantly, the church has a responsibility to reach a generation who sees it as hypocritical and judgmental. Far too many of us church children who have grown up in the church have learned (from the church) to value appearance above action. When I say this, I'm reflecting on the many pastors who stay employed at their churches with known mistresses, narcotic/alcohol addictions, and abusive behaviors. And, I'm reflecting on the many children of the church who have given up on the church because of these things. A pastor who can appreciate Rick Ross, but who can still not live out the values offered on a stage, may be exactly what the church needs. This is what theologian Richard Niebuhr might call "Christ IN culture." Who is better fit to interpret Lil Wayne or Rick Ross than a pastor?
Finally, if we kick out a pastor for going to a Rick Ross concert, what hope then do we have for our children who set next to him and imbibed on the same music? What hope do we have for ourselves when we go see Jill Scott, Prince or The Commodores? None of this music is sacred. And, maybe God can't use imperfect people and things. Oh that's right, that's the whole point of The Bible...God works with us because we have imperfections.
