In its proposal, the task force notes that “the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is in steep decline.” Charts included in the document reveal that average Sunday attendance has declined by 22% since 2000. During the same time period “pledge and plate revenues” for all congregations combined has decreased by approximately $2 million, when adjusted for inflation.
The proposal also notes that since 1995, the annual diocesan budget has been dependent on a draw from the “appreciated value and investment income” of the EMF. In 2007 that draw amounted to 36% of the revenue in the budget. Tithes and offerings from congregations amounted to only 57% of the budget that same year.
The task force reported that the diocesan budget has been “cut substantially” over the past several years, including a reduction in staff. It said it concurs with its predecessor body (the EMF Task Force I) that “further budget cuts would cripple diocesan operations irrevocably.”
Beyond the usual reasons for a TEC drop, the entire economy of the State of Michigan is in terrible shape, with the highest unemployment rates in the nation. God bless our neighbors there.
[deleted, off topic]
Eastern Michigan and Michigan have been in sharp decline long before the economy went south. All of the Michigan dioceses are leftist in nature in their leadership and suffered major losses after GC 2003.
The experiment to separate the dioceses should be ended and to save money (administrative costs) they should be combined again. Having four bishops in an area with a population that justifies one is ludicrous.
It would shorten the margin of available votes for future depositions, however.
Jim, good point. On the other side, why on earth do Fond du Lac, Quincy, etc. allowed multiple votes in the HOB? I know, I know, it’s history, but c’mon.
Revitalization plan: More cowbell.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sounds like ECUSA’s four Michigan dioceses prefigure ECUSA’s own future—a future with an eroding financial and membership base, chronic decline in attendance and personal commitment, top-heavy administration [cf. #3], and an accelerating lurch to the theological left.
I wonder if there is serious (and non-theological) discussion about the numbers; and why megachurches thrive. Episcopal churches, alas, hire caretakers. Parishes want caretakers. And for this reason, they will continue to diminish.
John,
I think that the people need to be formed into missionaries and evangelists. That is the job of the clergy. It is one of the reasons we exist. However, the selection and formation processes for clergy don’t stress how to create evangelists or how to lead people. The seminary process tends to produce people good at reading and writing papers. The M.Div. is an academic degree, not a practical one (such as an MD or JD). The screen processes tends to weed out people with strong opinions. In short, we produce “likeable” clergy, not leading clergy. Witness your point in the Apologetics thread where we have too many people who cannot articulate the faith. I believe that the problem starts with the clergy – and those who select and form them.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
“Parishes want caretakers”
John [#6]: I’d be interested in better understanding what you mean by “caretakers” and why parishes want them.
Death throes. They have not only been taking a cut from endowment income, but have been eating into “appreciation,” which tells me that they’ve been taking more than the usual 5 percent. By dipping into “appreciation,” which is really taking principal, they have ensured the fund doesn’t grow as it ought. And now they are deliberately taking a big chunk of principal–from a fund that’s unlikely to be $9 million today. That they’ve been depending on the income from that bequest to make ends meet itself says much about the state of the diocese. But to dip into the fund and still be in wretched shape says more. Financial disaster is what’s ahead for them. This taking of money from the endowment is not going to be a one-time thing.
The market woes are likely going to expose other dioceses and parishes that have depended on endowment income, and suddenly they’ll find themselves unable to do much, save beg from parishioners who are voting with their pocketbooks.
Interesting times.
#7 – not having attended an Episcopal seminary I cannot speak to all of them but my experience at a moderately liberal Baptist seminary is that it was not altogether academic. Is there no academic in an MD or JD program? Perhaps it could have been more “practical” – and I would agree that much of what I learned does not get [i]”used”[/i] in parish ministry (parse that Greek verb! is this the Deuteronomist or a later Redactor?) just as I wish we had spent more time on issues/skills that one does experience rather a lot in parish ministry.
(Confession – this is partly my own fault. Having finished a PhD and thinking I would perhaps teach in a university/seminary setting almost all my electives were “academic”. As in biblical languages and seminars on particular books of the Bible.)
My colleague who graduated a couple years ago (Truett in Texas) her training was clearly much more “practical” than mine.
But all of this is slightly off topic… and John Wilkins asks a fair question. Why are Episcopal dioceses drying up? Is it Michigan and its economic woes? Is it the rank theological liberalism (boy I hate using that word) of the past umpteen years? Is it a bunch of parish maintainers educated at highly academic seminaries?
The answer might be… yes.
(I suppose as an experimental control one might ask what happens if you have a progressive {”liberal”} diocese in a thriving state whose clergy received plenty of “practical” training.)
[i]*Cough* like Nevada? *Cough*[/i]
The stat page is [url=http://12.0.101.92/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_1015200861813PM.pdf ]here[/url]. Decline then leveling off then steep decline in 2003 and after (what happened in 2003?). Notice how flat the P&P;graph is. It is easy to forget that this is NOT adjusted for inflation.
The diocese is going to launch a big, bold plan that spends down the endowment and misses the point entirely of why the diocese is shrinking. The march of folly.
I do expect that dioceses will start merging. They didn’t want to do it till after Lamebeth. (Little Cabbage, I don’t imagine that Quincy will be sitting in the HOB too much longer.)
[i]”Design a plan to realign our buildings and physical presence with our mission, as part of financial revitalization and preparing for more effective ministry.” (The goal would be to match building size and function with congregation size while reducing overhead.)[/i]
Ummm… and exactly how might one do that? Forced relocation of parishioners?
Forgive me for sounding so snarky. But truly, what does the above jargon mean? Merging parishes? If so, SAY so.
Is it just me? How can one speak of “revitalization” without ever mentioning spiritual renewal or evangelization?
Alright, lets remember too that Michigan has had serious economic problems for the last several years. When I lived there 02 – 06, unemployment rates were the highest in the nation (yes, above Alaska). I still own a house in the state that I would love to sell. The financial difficulties in the state seem to have drug everything down over the last 9 years. That doesn’t account for all of the problem, however, I have never experienced a place with a higher attitude of scarcity anywhere in the US.
Speaking from the diocese of N. Michigan, which is currently working on replacing the office of bishop with a sort of central committee where the title will go to whoever draws the short straw, a bishop is not really necessary. With an ASA (for the diocese) of 700 (no, I did not leave a zero off), a rector and 2 curates could handle the numbers. This comes from forcing the most liberal diocese in TEC (open communion is the norm, largest church has replaced the Nicene Creed with a modified baptismal covenant, and write your own liturgies are quite common, in addition to open heresy- see the responses to Dar and New Orleans on the diocesan webpage- and “mutual ministry” that allows ordination with no seminary training), on a very conservative part of the country. I don’t know all the history, but I do know that the local church (of the 26 in the diocese that are still open) can seat 350-400. I believe this is also true of the church in Marquette. Which is to say, you could seat the entire ASA of the diocese in 2 of its churches. Granted, distance would not allow for this, but a strong argument could be made for joining the eastern third of the UP to the ACoC diocese of Algoma, and the other 2/3 to Fon du Lac. Except that I can’t see the clergy here submitting to the bishop of either of those 2 dioceses. And for that matter, I suspect that the bishops of those 2 diocese would be just as happy not to have the clergy from this one.
On the question of Quincy, every “renegade” Anglo Catholic I know, clergy and laity, has a very high opinion of Bishop Ackerman. I rather suspect that Quincy will become a much larger diocese should it leave TEC. I know any number of people, myself included, who may request association with Quincy should the “geographic” restrictions be lifted. I could see any number of small Anglo Catholic parishes springing up around the Midwest and requesting oversight. Maybe some not so small, if a parish or 2 were formed in Chicago.
13, Wall Eye….
From the Diocese of Michigan’s website… their 5 mission priorities.
Episcopal / Anglican Identity – Develop a deeper understanding of our foundational beliefs, our Anglican heritage and our American Episcopal Church’s structure, roles and responsibilities. ♦ Provide opportunities through worship, education and forums for all ages to discover and discuss our beliefs, our history and our traditions. ♦ Reaffirm the importance of our partnerships with provinces of the Anglican Communion and beyond.♦
Leadership Development – Leadership and team-building enhanced through developing stronger and more effective teams of laity and clergy. ♦ Work with existing teams, such as Diocesan Staff, Deaneries, Vestries/Bishop’s Committees, Christian Educators, etc…) to develop stronger leadership and communication proficiency, conflict resolution aptitude and leadership / follower skills. ♦ Provide opportunities and models for celebrating successes – sharing best practices, tools and common concerns. ♦ Develop leadership resources that can be shared across the diocese and church.
Justice, Peace and Diversity – Promote justice and peace for all God’s creation Reach out to the dispossessed, imprisoned, and otherwise voiceless but in need. ♦ Reaffirm our commitment to greater diversity at every level of the church and community. ♦ Strive for membership that reflects local demographics (e.g., age, gender, race).♦
Revitalizing and Transforming Congregations – Help our diocese and communities of faith (congregations, chaplaincies, etc…) to grow and develop both in health and membership, and the meeting of people’s needs both with the faith community and its local area. ♦Consider the viability of the mission and ministry of each community of faith. ♦ Create actionable strategies for growth in number (both of and in communities of faith). ♦ Develop skills to discern our community of faith’s mission, share our beliefs and to share our beliefs and values at the individual, congregational and diocesan levels. ♦ Engaging and reconciling those who do not yet know Christ by participating in God’s mission of reconciling all things to Christ and proclaiming the Gospel … so that we can more effectively bring people to Christ and then to worship and involvement in our communities of faith. ♦ Create and implement specific local and regional programs that are relevant to communities of faith, youth, singles, young parents, parents without partners, seniors, and others who are served and underserved by the church.♦
Youth and Young Adults – Intentionally include and encourage full incorporation of youth and young adults in the thinking, work, worship and structure of the Church.♦
Seems to me that this covers your evangelism and renewal concerns.
““Design a plan to realign our buildings and physical presence with our mission, as part of financial revitalization and preparing for more effective ministry.â€
Karen- that is more or less the language they used in W. Michigan a few years ago. What it means is: sell the Cathedral to a growing Evangelical church that can fill the pews. Use the money to rent or buy some cushy modern office space for the bishop, and you will have almost enough left over to fund some lay ministry programs. Note that the sale price for the Cathedral in W, Michigan in 2006 (I think it was) was considerably less than the cost of construction in 1979- and this was BEFORE the real estate bubble burst in Michigan.
tjmcmahon, there wasn’t much of a ‘real estate bubble’ in Michigan; their poor employment picture has been a drag on everything there for many years now, especially after the big corps. were allowed to ship their manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China, Guatemala, etc., etc. (and their profits to off-shore tax havens like the Caymans). They don’t call it ‘the rust belt’ for nothing. Sad, sad, sad.
The population of Michigan, has actually increased from the year 2000 to the present by almost 2%. Has the local economy been robust? Of course not. But the diocesan declines stated in the report in question far exceed that which can be explained merely by the economy. Again, the issues of spiritual vitality simply must be examined. Hand wringing about the local economy cannot solely explain declines in attendance, membership, stewardship and outreach.
Pruning the dead vines…All is Well.
Intercessor
“With an ASA [for the Diocese of Northern Michigan] of 700”
Breathtaking!
But pay no attention to the corpse behind the curtain! The diocese is “realigning its physical presence with its mission.”
Little Cabbage,
I am a homeowner in Michigan (would love to be able to get rid of the one I own, as I currently live 250 miles away from it, but for the moment, it is virtually unsalable). 2006 was the peak year for real estate values in most of the US- and this was true for much of W. Michigan- not that values were what they were in, say, California, but compared to prior years. My point was that a building that cost $3 million in 1979 should have sold for more than half that in 2006. (The house I bought for 69 grand in 1989 sold for 130 grand in 1999- real estate went up through most of those years pretty dependably. You would be correct that the economy here has been lousy since the 1970s- but real estate valuations were rising until 2 years ago, with only the occasional glitch.) I do suspect they overpaid for the cathedral in the first place. But let’s face it- All is NOT Well when you have to sell your cathedral.
Irenaeus-
Do be sure you are not confusing the ASA of Dio. of N Michigan with the ASA of Dio of Michigan (separate dioceses). Michigan may be sick, but not as sick as up here. Sadly, that is a literal truth- the intercession list of some parishes lists more people than the ASA.
“especially after the big corps. were allowed to ship their manufacturing jobs to Mexico, China, Guatemala, etc., etc. (and their profits to off-shore tax havens like the Caymans)”
I hope that I don’t get scolded for going off-topic (or just deleted entirely), but the phrasing of the above is too curious to pass up:
When you talk about “big corps.” (keyword for “bad, selfish, demonic, greedy capitalists.” Note the that the Church Pension Fund is also a “big corp.”) being “allowed” to “ship” jobs and profits to other countries–whose permission did they have to beg to get the freedom to run their businesses and to dispose of their profits as they saw fit, in the best interests of their shareholders, subject to director and shareholder control? Aren’t they still free actors in a society based on individual freedom rather than totalitarian control? Or did I sleep for 13 weeks, and find that January 20, 2009 had already arrived and passed without me realizing it?
Perhaps if we had a tax code that encouraged saving and investment rather than consumption, we might find fewer jobs and profits being so “shipped.”
“With an ASA [for the Diocese of Northern Michigan] of 700â€
Breathtaking! But pay no attention to the corpse behind the curtain! The diocese is “realigning its physical presence with its mission.â€
Still, more than twice the COMMUNICANT numbers for the rump of DioSanJoaquin.
TjMcMahon [#23]: I understand that the ASA figure refers to Northern Michigan.
As for “Pay no attention to the corpse behind the curtain” in #21:
Insofar as ECUSA “realign its physical presence with its mission,” it will ultimately ROT because of the theological rot in ECUSA’s “mission.”
Y’all are routinely speaking of The Diocese of Michigan, The Diocese of Western Michigan (who sold their cathedral), the Diocese of Eastern Michigan, and the Diocese of Northern Michigan, and I am afraid you are conflating them.
The Article is about the Diocese of Michigan, so why not talk about that Diocese instead of that small diocese in the UP and how the Canadian church ought to take it over, or the selling of the Cathedral in Western Michigan, etc.
The solution to the problem of decline in the church is actually pretty simple. Unfortunately, too many people benefit off of the way things are to make the changes necessary to grow. The simple heart of the matter is that the church is declining because it doesn’t want to grow. The people who are currently in the church are happy with things the way they are. They may be concerned about “growth” because they don’t want to lose what they have, but they aren’t willing to step over and make room for anyone else who doesn’t fit their mold.
The problem with the church isn’t liberal theology; it’s no theology. I agree with John Wilkins here. Too many clergy see their primary role as pastoral care. The seminaries are filled with gifted educators, and there is an opportunity for a remarkable, broad education there. Unfortunately, the attitude is that none of the “book learning” really matters. What’s truly important is pastoral care. So seminarians are given so much training in pastoral care they think it’s their job (and that they are good at it) but they are given too little training in pastoral care to be truly effective.
In the meantime, the church is an incredibly attractive place for people who want cheap pastoral care. The clergy attract needy people and then resent the needs of the people they attract. But to attract strong, useful people would be to threaten their power base, so instead lines are drawn between the “ministers” and the “ministries” and the gap grows wider. And strong people not called to the ministry who want growth and challenge and who could actually be useful move on to other places and other things where their gifts and talents can be recognized and used.
The church won’t change until the people firmly implanted in the way things are no longer benefit from the current system. And that won’t happen until the money runs out. And right now there are still enough wealthy people feeding the current system that it won’t happen for a while yet.
One of my heroes, Phil Snyder writes:
[blockquote] The M.Div. is an academic degree, not a practical one (such as an MD or JD).[/blockquote]
Not sure that I agree with this (a first). I have a PhD (Mathematics) and an MD. While the MD had a lot of academic coursework, I would agree that it was a “practical degree.” Most of my medical school classmates were the antithesis of scientists, growing impatient with detailed study of pharmacokinetics and cell physiology. Similarly, my wife has both an M. Div. and an M.A. in Theology. Her M.Div. (from ETSS) coursework was homiletics, pastoral care, etc. . Sure some of the courses were in New Testament Greek and the like, but the focus was very much on training clergy to be pastoral.
[blockquote] Extended Ministries Fund Task Force II that calls for spending up to $325,000 from the principal of the EMF to fund the [b]first phase[/b] of [b]planning[/b] for a project designed to promote ministry and growth. [/blockquote]
PROJECT BLEAK HOUSE
Phase 1 of Planning: $1/3 Million
Phase 2 of Planning: $1/3 Million
Phase 3 of Planning: $1/3 Million
Planning Total: $1 Million
I notice, by the way, that the Bishop’s name (Wendall Gibbs?) is mentioned nowhere in the story.
#29 robroy:
At my school — Seattle University — there is in fact some ongoing debate over whether the M.Div. degree properly ought to be considered an academic degree or a practical one. For the most part, the school comes down on the “practical” side, and has a strong emphasis on pastoral skills courses.
Although on that head, I’ve talked to a couple of priests who said that the thing that most seminaries don’t teach, but which many priests are desparately in need of, is small business management — working with a budget, managing a staff, understanding relevant state and federal regulations, etc. It’s a lot of what many priests actually spend their time doing, day to day, and they receive virtually no training in it.
re #32
I have a cousin who’s a priest in TEC and said the same thing. Big part of the job, almost zero prep.
Interesting point, Ross. Church finances 101. I went to Christianbook.com and there are a lot of books if you search for “church finance”.
#32 – I will second (or fifth) that. Gobs of administration/management involved in pastoring a (small) congregation. MDiv is not quite as academic as our friend robroy suggests – but even as practical as they can be there is much we use every day that is somehow never covered.