From her recent visit to Delaware we read this:
She also pointed out that white Episcopal congregations are not growing. “No single diocese in the United States has grown in recent years,” she said.
If this is an accurate quote, it is an error as blog readers perhaps will know. You can look here to see the figures for yourself. I have no desire to elevate South Carolina as we have all sorts of problems and struggles here, as do other dioceses, and, as you can see, there are other places where there is growth (i.e. North Carolina)-KSH.
What a great PR piece. This article could have been written by MFS of ENS.
[blockquote]Jefferts Schori summarized the situation by saying that the leaders in four of the nation’s 110 dioceses had voted to leave the national church and in each case [b]new leadership has emerged.[/b]
As a result, “we are trying to recover assets” in the dioceses. These include historical records, buildings, memorials and financial gifts, she said.[/blockquote]
1. New leadership has not “emerged”, it has been illegally engineered by 815 so that it can sue any departing diocese.
2. If TEC is interested in “recovering assets”, then why is it willing to sell those assets once they have been recovered?
3. [blockquote]The change on this “is challenging people who’ve read the Bible in one particular way and seen society in one particular way. Those challenges don’t disappear overnight.[/blockquote] Yes, let’s innovate shall we? So much for the 2,000 year history and tradition of the church and understanding of Scripture. This was an interesting use of a Chrism Mass for the usual propaganda.
But Kendall — no diocese could possibly have grown because we need to chalk up the decline [at least for today during this speech] to the general trend for all denominations [that count] because Americans are becoming post-Christian and are just not interested in converting to Christianity any more.
She would prefer to ignore the gowth rather than deal with it. If SC is right, then she is wrong. The last thing she wants to do is to enter into this type of dialogue.
It appears that West Texas and Alaska have also grown a bit (though not as much as SC). Again, she may wish that “those people” don’t really exist, since these two areas are probably more conservative than those in New England and other areas where the church is NOT growing.
Kendall … there does seem to be some disconnect between where growth is happening — or not — and what’s being reported. Here in Pasadena we’ll baptize 17 babies, 2 teenagers and 5 adults and welcome 28 new members at the Easter Vigil. So the idea that congregations are “not growing” is clearly not accurate.
Sorry Kendall and S.C.:
Your vitality and efforts don’t count because your theology, missiology, and blind/unquestioning adherence don’t measure up to Madame, et al. You certainly were not on the forefront of her mind to brag about as a contrast for a dismal overall TEC picture. Doesn’t THAT tell you where you stand?
Any more questions?
Susan Russell,
You’ve got a great deal to show at All Saints. It (apparently) can be reproduced in many places with your kind of leadership helping it along. Have you ever given thought about becoming a rector of your own parish and modeling the growth strategies that you enhance at All Saints?
I know it’s apples/oranges comparison, but interesting none the less. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Denver (Archbishop Charles Chaput) had 2,500 candidates in the Rite of Election a few weeks back. This includes un-baptized and those with Christian baptism coming into the church. Ages appeared to range from children (8 or so years old) to senior citizens.
She overlooks the Muslim-Anglican & Buddhist-Anglican laity which have increased substantially in recent years. Silver lining!
#7 — Choir Stall … I’m expecting this comment to be deleted by “the elves” as it is a response to a comment rather than to the post (but then so was yours and it hasn’t been deleted so go figure.) But as this isn’t the first time you’ve expressed interest in my vocational plans, let me just say I love what I do and where I do it and if that changes I’ll make sure to let you know. Meanwhile, we’ve got a slew of new members to welcome here on Saturday, so I’ll be getting back to that work now. (But thanks for asking!)
[i] Now… let’s return to commenting on the post. [/i]
Elf Lady
Susan Russell:
As observed in this post, the PB has obviously missed knowing her Church. There seems to be little confidence in her that the progressive/liberal priorities have borne or will bear fruit. Apparently you are proving her wrong at All Saints.
I’m impressed with the growth of All Saints. While it might in fact just be a pocket of special interest people in Pasadena I am truly instead hoping that your liberal priorities and strengths can be emulated as the hope of an otherwise imploding TEC. You should truly think about taking what you consider your progressive/liberal strengths and going in missionary fashion to limping or dying parishes, especially in remnant dioceses. I think that then you will prove to us all (and the PB) that All Saints is NOT a special interest parish and that the views you promote will turn this Church around.
If you won’t come to the rescue of widespread stagnation or abandonment in an average parish, then how can we believe that your viewpoints will cause growth in the whole Church? If you will take your story and methods “on the road” then this Church may have a chance. You believe that, I hope.
#8 – Can we also hear a similar result was generated by the efforts of Peter Eaton, Dean of St. John’s-in-the-Wilderness Cathedral in Denver ? His church is supposed to be larger than Bp. Chaput’s church – and it has its very own Arab-in-training seminarian.
#12 – Yes, indeed, some 1200 members of All Saints signing a letter to Pres. Obama but four days into his presidency proclaiming his already ” …courageous, principled and inspiring leadership… ” might cause non-members to wonder what would cause this boilerplate response to a 4-day-old presidency apart from it being a leftwing political action committee / cult masquerading as a church. It goes on to proclaim for each of the 1200 how ” As a person of faith, I am deeply grateful to you for bringing an end to our country’s morally grotesque and counter-productive practices of torture. What a moving and healing use of your moral authority! I feel the same about your lifting the shame of Guantanamo from our country’s future reputation in the world. Your Executive Orders banning torture and closing Guantanamo move the heart, stir the conscience, and take enormous strides forward in our collective responsibility to ensure dignity and justice to every member of the human family…” I am concerned as to whether the 17 newly baptized babies etc. will be allowed to think for themselves as God has commanded [ God forbid, no torture has occurred ] or be reduced to Ed Bacon groupthink. One notes a panoply of minstries just like all the conservative megachurches offer , so that may provide the sustenance. God forbid any of these newly-annointed turn out to be politically conservative, Susan. What do you do with them ?