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 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 This past month we welcomed our Synod Executive—Dr. Chip Hardwick—to worship with us and give us updates about the important work of the Synod. As some of you may know, the Synod is the intermediary body between presbyteries and the denomination general assembly. I invited Dr. Hardwick to Kinsman for a couple of reasons, most importantly, to remind us that our church is a connectional church. This means that we are one part of a broader tapestry of ministry being done across the country and, indeed, the world. As the program of the church evolves and priorities shift, like congregations, Synods and presbyteries have to adapt to changing circumstances.

I have been thinking a lot lately about institutions and whether they are important or a relic of the past. Sociologists define institutions as a set of values and norms that bind a people in some activity. Democracy is an institution. Education is an institution. And church is an institution. In a world where information can be obtained with the click of a button and individuals are “free” to assert their own facts, institutions have eroded quite considerably, and the church is no exception.

Our world is suffering from several ailments at the present moment. These include economic problems, governmental instability, rising levels of disease, and decaying trust in our systems. Rise in technology, most recently with artificial intelligence, has questioned the utility—and in some cases, ethics—of social institutions. I think the church today is being called to reclaim what it means to be the institutional church. Now, to be clear, this is not to defend archaic policies and procedures that Christ came to deconstruct, but to create spaces where shared values that truly bind and guide collective action.

Institutional religion can be dangerous when its mission becomes conflated with ideologies to achieve self-sustaining status. However, Jesus instituted our institution, as the body of Christ, to be the sharing and building of love in our communities. This month, we celebrate Valentine’s Day, which is associated with romantic love. I urge you to consider the ways in which you are being called to demonstrate love in all aspects of your life—whether it is as a spouse, a sibling, a child, a parent, or a disciple. God is calling each of us to build an institution of love and to ensure our work—through our actions—makes it thrive.

With God’s grace, mercy, and love,

David Paulik