Spiritual Advisor

Vernon A. McGuffee II (he goes by "Bo") is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Administrative Assitant to the Emmaus Road New Faith Community. His passion for what he calls "postmodern ministry" flows from his fascination with emerging culture, alternative theologies, and practical ministry.

The question that haunts him:

"Into what is Christianity evolving?"

He did not grow up in the church, and as a result has a “spiritual but not religious” approach. He does not view Christianity from an exclusive perspective, but rather a pluralistic one in which God is free to move regardless of human intellectual categorization. As such, his favorite metaphor for God is "Divine Mystery."

As listed in his LiveJournal, his sense of drive includes:

~Striving to create a new, alternative faith community
~Seeking people who want to carve out their own niche for spiritual encounter
~Longing to make a difference in this world

When building a faith community, he strongly emphasizes an "adult sprituality." The key to understanding this is a sense of responsibility. Spiritual adults take responsibility for both their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Bo's current endeavor is the creation of a new spirituality group in Rockford, IL. Not everyone in the group is a Christian, and such self-identification is not necessary for full participation.  The group will be working primarily with Maya’s House (which helps homeless mothers) as their way of affecting social change.  And their personal development activities include such things as a meditation group, a Living the Questions DVD group, and an open discussion group (over food and beer).  As more people participate, more options will appear.  (Such is what happens with an organic spiritual community.)

He also currently serves as the administrative assistant for the Emmaus Road New Faith Community in DeKalb, IL, which is doing a similar thing in a different location. Currently, the two communities are linked in a conversational partnership as they explore what it could and should mean to be Christian in the postmodern cultural context.