How do you come up with an extra $10 million in a budget which you are already slashing by $2.1 million? “Voodoo economics” is a term which Episcopalians may have to revive to apply to the solution for the hurting Diocese of Haiti which the Executive Council finds in this particular situation. Once again, I am somehow certain that whatever that solution turns out to be, it will not involve the settling of any pending lawsuits . . .
And then today, we have ENS’s next item about the Executive Council Meeting, which reports — among other things — the opening address to it given by the Presiding Bishop. I hesitate to criticize the ENS reporter, who is an experienced professional, and has always has done her job superlatively. Therefore, in copying that reporter’s exact words in what follows, I leave it to the reader to determine whether what is reported is, shall we say, more or less coherent:
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori challenged the Episcopal Church’s Executive Council Oct. 24 to avoid “committing suicide by governance.”
Jefferts Schori said that the council and the church face a “life-or-death decision,” describing life as “a renewed and continually renewing focus on mission” and death as “an appeal to old ways and to internal focus” which devotes ever-greater resources to the institution and its internal conflicts.
Does anyone else besides this Curmudgeon perceive in these words a certain parallel — not exact, I grant you, but close enough to be exceedingly troubling — with a certain situation involving a sinking ocean liner, whose Captain is urging everyone, while facing a “life-or-death decision,” not to spend too much more time rearranging the deck chairs, and instead to scramble for the lifeboats?
We all now know where that extra $10 million is coming from in order for Kate Schori and her friends to be able to sue everyone in sight. They’re borrowing it! And mortgaging 815 and throwing in some endowment assets as well.
Kendall,
Yes, the answer to your question is “Yes.” The Curmudgeon isn’t alone in his take on this, and yes, I agree that the parallel with the incredibly foolish captian of the Titanic is very troubling, if inexact. Among other things, the captain’s hands were effectively tied by his instructions by the owners of the doomed ship, who wanted the Titanic to set a new transAtlantic speed record. They believed their own advertisements that the Titanic was literally unsinkable, when it was merely almost unsinkable, if operated with reasonable care.
This may be the stern wake up call that many bishops and lay leaders in TEC need. This may be the splash of cold water in the face that startles some out of their Rip van Winkle like slumber.
I hope so. But the power of denial to keep addicts from facing their issues is very, very strong.
Thanks be to God for the Curmudgeon. His incredible ability to take the most complicated legal and financial issues and boil them down to their essence in lucid English that all the rest of us can clearly understand is amazing. Like a champion athlete who can pull off spectacular sports feats in such a way that they look easy.
All of us are greatly in A. S. Haley’s debt for this whole series.
But not as deeply as TEC is now literally in debt.
David Handy+
A hopeless mess! They might as well turn off the lights, close up shop, and lock the door.
Yes, to everyone above. And why are they giving $10 million to Haiti to rebuild the cathedral for their “pride”?
Actually starving the TEC beast for cash is not a bad idea. Money flows out of the parish to the diocese and to TEC and never back. Stopping the flow at the diocesan level is a good thing.
Of all the ways that TEC spends money, helping to rebuild the cathedral in Haiti may be the most justifiable.
Situation FUBAR, as I commented elsewhere on this topic a few days ago.
[Not an acronym which will bear too much repetition here please HG – Elf]
Yeah, but #7’s acronym is accurate…what’s wrong? Too blunt?