An unconscious death grip

Re Look out Church, Here they Come, Sept., by Patricia and Ryan Browne
We in the Presbyterian Church do a poor job of encouraging young people to continue in the denomination. Two examples come to mind: At the 2006 General Assembly there was an articulate and passionate Young Adult Representative from the Maritimes who was prophetic, pertinent and practical every time he came to the microphone to speak to the issues facing the church. Yet, he might as well have saved his breath for all the influence he had. Assembly chose to ignore what he said.
The second example was at the Synod of Eastern Ontario and Quebec several years ago when the Presbyterian Young Peoples Society made its annual report. It was like a breath of fresh air — full of enthusiasm, joy, happiness, optimism and passion. Yet, as soon as it was over, dark clouds returned and delegates immediately returned to the sludge of fiscal restraints.
We as a church choose not to take young people seriously, seeing them only as a means of fun; nice to have around, but denying them any real input in the avenues of power. It stems from union in 1925. The continuing church developed an unconscious death grip on survival, blinding and deafening us to the possibilities, nuances and visions of new and unfamiliar voices; because of our fear of letting go and trembling we may lose everything. So, it continues, and young people leave every year, taking with them their vibrancy, energy and zeal. It happens at seminary. People who were outstanding in the PYPS, camping and evangelizing, are instead judged on their ability to conform to the academic standards of Greek, denominational polity and whether or not they are kosher.
Speaking as someone with 25 years experience in small, struggling congregations, the prevailing ethos revolves around the tried and true rather than the risky and Christ-centred because to do what Jesus advocated, to love your neighbour as yourself, is too often perceived as un-Presbyterian. Young people, the PCC secretly believes, can't be trusted, so, while giving lip service to their idealism, we fall back on what worked in the past, rather than considering what might be effective for today. It all comes down to vision and attitude: better the way it is than something that may upset. And as minister you learn to pick your fights carefully, by painful experience selecting those you know you can win. Pity.
It's no wonder the Patricias and Ryans are too often lost to our denomination.