tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post6223816075028230202..comments2023-11-28T12:21:53.986-08:00Comments on Kevin on Congregations: Resistance and SabotageDean Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10900463973040820047noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post-2717680739706978862010-09-20T04:23:24.560-07:002010-09-20T04:23:24.560-07:00"Sabotage" reminds me of a story Louis W..."Sabotage" reminds me of a story Louis Weil once told in Liturgics @ Nashotah. Let me see if I can remember...he had gone to an unnamed diocese and parish and was speaking to the issue of children being communicated before Confirmation. His audience appeared appreciative, thoughtful. There was a woman in the audience who gave no evidence of disagreement. But without any indication of anything, ratted--so to speak--on Fr. Weil to her bishop, as teaching (?) heresy (?) something new (well...new to her). <br /><br />Sabotage is often most difficult to deal with because it can come in the form of passive aggression. Open aggression and/or hostility would be honest, at least.John Richmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13587302719107504726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post-63607781220690312952010-06-16T08:15:20.471-07:002010-06-16T08:15:20.471-07:00Jim,
Thanks for your interesting comment. While w...Jim,<br />Thanks for your interesting comment. While way too many Episcopal Churches are small and in decline, there is a healthy group of congregations willing to learn from outside our "mainline" world view to be more dynamic mission oriented congregations. We've several in Dallas and I've seen this all over TEC. In addition, there is every reason to believe that some fairly traditional congregations will survive with much health far into the future. The American Church scene is a complex situation. Bill Easum is a great guy with great insights but a bit prone, IMHO, to hyperbole. I don't think most churches need a "hail Mary" solution. They need good leadership that leads with vision and values.Dean Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10900463973040820047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post-69466777491480285442010-06-16T07:12:53.707-07:002010-06-16T07:12:53.707-07:00Kevin...
From a recent post:
"church as we ...Kevin...<br /><br />From a recent post:<br /><br />"church as we have always done it, will find increasingly fewer participants."<br /><br />That's the challenge in TEC. <br /><br />Bill Easum (www.billeasum.com) wrote recently that survival depends on starting over. He outlines a "Hail Mary Strategy."<br /><br />Could most EC's execute a Hail Mary Strategy? It would be almost impossible for all but a very few.<br /><br />Any significant change, I believe, would have to come at the grassroots level, someone, somewhere willing to push the current parameters.<br /><br />My question: are there any places where this is taking place?<br /><br />Jim Baker<br />Cary, NCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post-81239376112515174132010-06-10T10:14:42.966-07:002010-06-10T10:14:42.966-07:00Amen. Bonnie Perry was, BTW, quoting a former Bis...Amen. Bonnie Perry was, BTW, quoting a former Bishop of our Church. Some of our congregations are the walking dead, but at the same time many places need revitalization, but are not "dead" so I think too general of such a comment not helpful from a diagnostic point of view. <br />Thanks for your thoughtful post.Dean Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10900463973040820047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2306378782640780675.post-7576611505844206712010-06-09T22:31:28.323-07:002010-06-09T22:31:28.323-07:00I'd written a more detailed response, but the ...I'd written a more detailed response, but the vagaries of the interweb conspired to lose it. Here's the crux of it.<br /><br />Parishes will tend to reject change - even necessary change - unless the death of the community is imminent. It's rather like the overweight smoker. Education about the risks of obesity and smoking are unlikely to bring about a lifestyle change. A severe but not quite fatal heart attack is more likely to work.<br /><br />As long as parishes think that a minor tweak here or there will be sufficient, they won't accept anything more. It's usually only when death - imminent death, not slow decline and eventual death - is staring them in the face that they might be ready to move.<br /><br />I saw a YouTube clip of Bonnie Perry speaking when she was a candidate to be Bishop of Michigan. In the clip, speaking of parish revitalization, she says something like "Of course we believe in resurrection - but first you have to realize you're dead." I think that's the key.Malcolm+https://www.blogger.com/profile/08469936715413110334noreply@blogger.com