A Look at the 2012 Lenten Preaching Series Speakers at Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis, Tennessee
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An impressive lineup of speakers, reflecting that parish’s extreme, multifaceted liberalism, as well as its wealth.
If only those funds were being used to promote Christian orthodoxy in that city!
I am trying to think of something positive to say about this and the only thing I can come up with is “positively dreadful”.
Golly, all the loonies in one place.
This reminds me of any number of yellowed, dog-eared copies of large metropolitan parish magazines from the 1950’s and 60’s, filled with then-trendy and “influential” names now reduced to complete obscurity. “The more things change….” The leisured class remains remarkably predictable.
Cheer up, everyone. A quick scan of their little attendance and money chart reveals that a whole lot fewer people will hear these heretics than might have occurred even 5 years ago — the “crowds,” let’s just say, are getting smaller and smaller.
In 2000 attendance at Calvary was around 650 and membership at around 2150.
It plunged two years later to around 500 ASA, 1800 membership.
And then it plunged to 400 ASA and a little under 1200 membership.
In 2010 it reached the stellar attendance of around 350 and membership of about 1000. Its plate and pledge is just a touch above what it was in 2003 — which is utterly devastating considering the rising costs of maintenance, utilities, health care, and pension.
So in a decade it has succeeded in losing almost half of its attendance — effectively disemboweling itself in the largest city in the state of TN and one whose 2010 census population was 662,897, up from a 2000 census population of 650,100.
Keep up the good work, Calvary Episcopal in Memphis!
Interesting stats, Sarah. Perusal of their website indicates that their interim rector is the author of 2 books, “Ten Dumb Things Churches Do,” and “More Dumb Things Churches Do.”
Bless his heart.
Two observations
1. Phyllis Tickle refers to herself as an “evangelical Episcopalian”. I guess it’s no big deal — so do Gene Robinson.
2. Friends of the Groom is the best of the lot, or at least the most entertaining, but you have to wait until the last day.
If this is the place I’m thinking it is, they are looking for a new priest, and they are attempting to regain former glory but avoid the disintegration of the ends of the last two rectors’ tenures. The report by the interim on such is interesting reading, attempting to bring to light that which seemed wrapped for occultation.
And they have enough money to offer their new rector $120,000 per year.