Listening to Youth

I had the privilege of being a part of a spiritual retreat this past weekend for high school students. The annual event is called Bishop’s Bash and provides a unique experience for youth where they engage in conversation with the bishop of West Tennessee. In years past, we have designated a time period for the bishop to answer questions from the youth. I was rather surprised this year when Bishop Johnson asked, if for a change, he could put the youth on the hot seat and ask them questions. He had a unique opportunity to get unsolicited advice from a quorum of youth.

Bishop Johnson has been asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury to be part of a group that will try to figure out if it is possible for dioceses to have oversight from a different primate other than the Presiding Bishop. This is a challenging topic which threatens to change the structure of the world wide Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church forever.

I was a little surprised when the bishop asked if he could ask the youth questions. I naturally assume bishops are bishops because they are more knowledgeable about the Episcopal Church than most, have very good judgment, and are called by God. Foolishly, I wouldn’t have expected a bishop to seek the advice of forty high school students on how to handle one of the most delicate problems that has faced the Episcopal Church in years.

So often, we are guilty of writing off the opinions and viewpoints of youth. Even I, who work with youth, find myself looking elsewhere for advice. I can think of only one Episcopal Church in our diocese that has youth on the vestry. Of the twenty-two dioceses in Province IV, only two let youth vote during the diocesan convention. At least two dioceses do not even let youth attend. What Bishop Johnson recognized was that youth need to be listened to. They have quite a bit invested in the church. It is not only their church right now, but the decisions that are made today shape the church of tomorrow, the church the youth are left to run. And sometimes a fresh perspective from someone a little younger is a very valuable thing. Imagine how our education system could be changed, if teachers and school boards asked not only the parents, but also the students what they were getting out of their classes and what was and wasn’t working.