Whenever an organization begins to lose its grasp on the message it wants to deliver, it concentrates its efforts on improving the means of delivery. With gratifying timeliness, ECUSA has responded to its identity crisis by developing an Organizational Effectiveness Plan to streamline the ministerial services whose purpose it can’t seem to find.
Worth a repeat:
It’s telling isn’t it, that the first part of TEC’s mission in their effort to steamline and become more effective, is “Advocacy”? This of course, fits smoothly right into TECs structure of liberal, political actions groups advocating their social agenda.
“Strategic groupings of advocacy, evangelism, leadership development, and partnerships …. are central to a new organizational effectiveness plan to reshape ministries based at the Episcopal Church Center. ”
As they do not envision Christ, ANYWHERE in their new mission, then this is simply more of the prayed for clarity, which continues to be seen by those who chose to look.
From the article:
[blockquote]The crisis of liberal Christianity is precisely its inability to decide whether it has anything of value to give.[/blockquote]
Summarizes TEC’s problem quite succinctly. This is what happens when an institution no longer believes its own story. Makes the heart sad for them.
Brings to mind that popular game “buzz-word bingo” that was all the rage for corporate strategic meetings. This one may have produced a winner in the black-out version.
I dunno guys!!! TEC is doing better than we currently are at transforming society. Making fun of them doesn’t change that. They actually are pretty EFFECTIVE at their chosen mission.
They won’t win; we know that from The Revelation. But an awful lot of souls might be lost in the Lake of Fire in the meantime. We need to respect TEC even though we don’t follow them.
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas
Dave (#5)
TECUSA is not transforming society. You are mistaking correlation with causation. Society is transforming TECUSA. Can you point to one thing TECUSA supports that our liberal society does not? Can you show one thing where TECUSA stands apart from the liberal elite society and calls it back into relationship with God?
Racism? Society is against that.
Sexism? Society is against that.
Poverty? Society is against that.
MDGs? Liberal Society supports the MDGs.
Being “nice”? Society supports that.
Pro Choice? – so is liberal society.
Against the Death Penalty? – so is liberal society.
TECUSA is “leading” society by following it.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Dave wrote:
[blockquote]TEC is doing better than we currently are at transforming society.[/blockquote]
Dave, how is TEC transforming society? Assuming you have an answer for my question, on what evidence do you base this statement? BTW, who are “we”?
[blockquote]Making fun of them doesn’t change that.[/blockquote]
Who’s making fun of them? I see critiques of TEC, but no mocking in this thread. What’s the basis of your statement?
[blockquote]They actually are pretty EFFECTIVE at their chosen mission.[/blockquote] LOL! I guess that would depend on what you think their “chosen mission” is. However, if you think propagating the gospel is TEC’s mission, then I would respectfully and wholeheartedly disagree; TEC’s declining membership numbers don’t lie. I’ll be interested to hear your basis for making this statement. Thanks.
Phil:
TEC is right in there with the liberals pushing for every self-gratification there is. But a general acceptance of homosexuality, polyamory, poligamy, euthanasia, and so forth, will take time. It hasn’t happened fully yet. There has to be a transformation of society before these things will be fully accepted. It’s an educative process. A leadership.
Perhaps I should have said “TEC and her allies” are transforming society better than we are. But, still, *we* aren’t doing as well currently as they are. They are more effective so far.
Prof:
“We” are orthodox Christians. TEC is (helping to) transform society by breaking down society’s respect for scripture as delivered and destroying basic doctrines of Christianity handed down for thousands of years (biblical prohibitions of homosexuality, the divinity of Christ, for examples). Regretably, I’ve seen many posts make fun of the liberals, denigrating and mocking them (never denigrate your enemy… he will kill you). Their chosen mission is destruction of God and His authority over us. Declining numbers really don’t mean anything to TEC, except if it reduces their resources for carrying out ther real mission; in fact, killing off TEC fits right in with their goal.
I’d have thought most of that would have been obvious. ????
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas
When we have our new Anglican body in place in North America, we need to think carefully about what we want diocesan offices to do, and whether we need a national office and what it should do if we do need it. It seems to me that a great deal of the trouble has coincided with the detachment of the Presiding Bishop from an actual bishopric and setting him (now her) up as an independent functionary with a growing staff and no clear purpose.
In the new Anglican body, we desperately need help with educational/catechismal materials for both children and adults, and we need a coordinating body for charitable work (Anglican Relief and Development). What else?
This article describes in miniature the substitution of bureauracracy and ideology for theology and substance that has been the hallmark of so much higher ed. and “progressive” Christianity in modern American history. What we are seeing is really institutional inertia at work. As some point, change will be forced on TEC due to the inability to pay bills. Until then, expect more of the same, trumpetted ever louder and with more turgid, indistinct fanfares. The learning curve of bureaucrats is, sadly, not very sharp. As long as salaries can continue, it boils down to maintaining the gravy train.