Emerging versus Emergent

[Gary Creely]

I hear these two terms tossed around a lot in the forum. They are often used interchangeably, but they are distinctly different things. Emergent is the organization that Tony Jones heads up, and Brian Mclaren help found. They run the site emergentvillage.com. I really enjoy their work and have learned much from them over the last 5 years. I have however begun to look upon them with a little more discernment of late.

Emerging speaks of a general church movement, or trend that is not affiliated with any organization.

Just felt this is an important distinction to mention.

[Scott Sherwood]

Thank you. Good to see where these different terms came from. Not that people's use of these terms will ever be nearly so tidy.

Language is a fluid thing. Usage often determines definitions more than definitions determine usage.

[Billy Cox]

I hear these two terms tossed around a lot in the forum. They are often used interchangeably, but they are distinctly different things. Emergent is the organization that Tony Jones heads up, and Brian Mclaren help found. They run the site emergentvillage.com. I really enjoy their work and have learned much from them over the last 5 years. I have however begun to look upon them with a little more discernment of late.

Emerging speaks of a general church movement, or trend that is not affiliated with any organization.

Just felt this is an important distinction to mention.

I am aware of the distinction and while I understand it, I still think it's silly.

[Gary Creely]

I still think it's silly.


What is silly? The distinction??

[Ryan Scott]

I've heard a couple of board members of EmergentVillage talk about how they hate that this has become so confusing since the generic "emerging" term has nothing really to do with the reasons they began in the first place.

I've never said it, but all I can think is, "stop stubbornly holding on to the name. If you call yourself something different, people wouldn't be so confused."