Speaking to about 325 attendees at the annual diocesan convention at the Washington Cathedral, Bishop Chane, 65, admitted he was stepping down during a time of flagging growth and stagnant giving in the 42,000-member diocese.
“Parochial reports filed by the parishes of our diocese for the most part tell a story of no real measurable growth in membership within the last 12 years,” he said. “Financial giving has been stagnant.”
The budget that supports the missionary work of the diocese to its congregations, schools and our mission outreach beyond our borders has been stagnant as well. Any financial growth has come primarily through the bishops annual appeal and from the generosity of individuals, some who are not even Episcopalians.
Always good to get off the ship BEFORE it goes down!
Bp. Chane’s Diocese hasn’t grown at all. Gosh. What a surprise.
He was a better cathedral dean (less provocative of division) in San Diego than the bishop he ended up as in D.C. A genuinely tragic story, quite like that of so many other TEC bishops who have seen themselves first as supporters of radical social activism and only last as guardians of the historic revealed faith, assuming that Bultmannian-Spongian-Borgian-“suspicion” theologies about Jesus are fundamental, rather than what Jesus’ first witnesses remembered that he taught them.
Unfortunately, Henry, all too many TEC bishops are or were students of this infamous triad, and things will only get worse……if that’s possible.
No. 2: “Bp. Chane’s Diocese hasn’t grown at all. Gosh. What a surprise.”
The surprise is not that the diocese is not growing. The surprise is that a bishop would refer to a diocese characterized by flagging growth and stagnant giving as “the best and one of the most influential” in TEC.
An innocent observer would be excused for asking, “If this diocese is the acme, then what does the nadir look like?”
And a cynic might or might not be forgiven for observing, “If this diocese is one of the most influential, then it’s no wonder that TEC is in the shape it’s in.”
he seems, unsurprisingly, unwilling to examine WHY the diocese is shrinking. I guess he is afraid of the answer?
He hears what he wants to hear, and he sees what he wants to see, while at the same time, he preaches what he thinks is good news and denies the truth.
“Parochial reports filed by the parishes of our diocese for the most part tell a story of no real measurable growth in membership within the last 12 years,” he said. “Financial giving has been stagnant.”
The snarky comments just write themselves after this confession, I think I’ll follow KSH+ high example and only think them instead of writing them.
On a serious note the Lord has been blessing many faithful preacher in the DC area whom have been more successful. Praise God that He has not abandon the area and these numbers are not geographical, merely confined to a sector that seems to have lost its way, may the Lord exercise the same care He does for all lost sheep.
[blockquote] Chane announced Saturday he will retire in the fall of 2011, saying it was “time to elect a younger person to lead . . . [/blockquote]
Of course; a younger person can squeeze blood from a stone much more easily.
I just hope the next one doesn’t think it’s a good use of diocesan funds to sue a homeless shelter.
I can’t help wondering, given the liberal penchant for spin, that “no real measurable growth in membership within the last 12 years” actually means “growth in membership has been spiralling downwards in the last 12 years”…
I do not understand. Chane supported abortion. Chane championed same-sex “marriage” and did one himself in 2004. Chane invited Mohammad Khatami to speak in the Cathedral. Chane talked in a Christmas sermon about “God speaking to the Prophet Muhammad”.
So Why Hasn’t There Been Revival???
Why haven’t all the gay Islamopalians come flooding in???
Why atren’t there lots of kinds in his church? After all, he calls it “one of the Best Dioceses in the Anglican Communion”!
Remember one of the definitions of insanity: to keep on doing the wrong thing and expect different results.
“kids in his church” – typing too early.
Sad to say, MichaelA, that Washington has some of the best numbers in Province 3: in the decade of 1998-2008, ASA “only” declined by 9%, and baptized membership actually grew by 1%; and the diocese has only lost two parishes since 2002 (the oldest date I could find parish counts for). The population of the area is still growing, so there is at least demographic opportunity for growth.
“Demographic opportunity?” Maybe. Spiritual opportunity? Always! The chances of it succeeding? Not as long as the revisionists are in charge!
Well put, Cennydd.