Also in his remarks, [Bishop Stacy] Sauls spoke about how in September when he came to work at the Episcopal Church Center in New York he found a “demoralized staff” that was fearful, overly regulated, distrustful and that felt their creativity was stifled. He said he has begun to refer to the staff as “missionaries” in keeping with the church’s corporate identity as the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society “because it suggests something about the reason for our being.”
“I want them grounded, not in a place, but in an endeavor and that endeavor is to participate in the mission of God and to lead others to participate in the mission of God,” he said.
Based on partial 2010 data for TEC (USA), the Executive Council will be challaged to promote Mission with declining people and finances. Parishes decllined by 101 to 6,794, Members declined by 54,436 to 1,951,907 (breaking the 2 million mark), ASA declined by 25,312 to 657,831 and Plate & Pledge adjusted for inflation declined by about 3 percent. The most alarming fact is that ASA may decline to 600,000 in two or three years which would have a major impact on finances in 2013. Statmann
It is amazing what TEC can call a missionary. I used to help with the monthly newsletter, and was appalled the first, and I made certain last, time it was referred to as “my ministry.”
Bp Sauls is quoted as saying,
“I am surprised that there is so much confusion about what mission is….The mission is to meet Jesus and the place that Jesus said we would find him is with the poor.”
“The mission is to meet Jesus…..and the place Jesus said we would find him is with the poor.”
hunh. How about that.
1) The mission of the Church is to meet Jesus, and
2) The Church will find Jesus with the poor.
I have to wonder if Bp Sauls wouldn’t want to explicate that statement if given the chance.
As it is, it sounds strangely self-serving of the Church, doesn’t it?
As it is, it sounds a bit convoluted, doesn’t it?
As it is, it sounds as if one is a member of the Church in order to be on mission to find Jesus, because you haven’t found him yet (unless of course you were with the poor prior to becoming a member of the Church).
As it is, what about all those other slobs on earth who might like to have the Church meet with them? Or does that question presume too much on my part regarding what I think the mission of the Church is?
As a representative sound bite, it could possibly provide understanding as to why +Sauls is under the gun for his manner and method of articulating a vision of structure as the COO.
Is that really what Jesus said? Maybe he’s stating the mission of a different organization.
Funny thing…. I just asked my congregation last Sunday how many of them had “found Jesus”, and they all had!! I guess we’re done, then….