Addressing Our Statistics With a Solid Plan
If
We Do What We Always Did, We Will Get What We Always Got
In this second blog on addressing the statistics of decline released at the last House of Bishops meeting, we will look at some of the solutions that can turn the downward trend. Some of these are solutions discussed among the Bishops and I have added a few of my own suggestions. Recruit our immigrant neighbors - Episcopal church decline could immediately reverse if we were able to recruit 10% of those who are Anglicans from other countries now residing in the USA.(There seems to be a language issue with them knowing that "Episcopal" is Anglican in the USA) Seek those who have been wounded by the church - in the past few years, our greatest membership gains have been from those who were wounded in other faith traditions and now see the Episcopal Church as "safe". (This means divorced folks, LGBTQ, and immigrant groups). While that has been the dominant group of those joining from other faiths, it is imperative that we also step up our own evangelistic witness to those who have never considered themselves Christian. Commit to raising up an
entrepreneurial priesthood.
Seminaries have continued with the same model of classical preparation. Now
in theory, they are learning the essentials of ministry, but praxis and
theory are not the same thing. We have trained clergy in the past to be
village chaplains. That model has continually yielded family and pastoral
sized congregations - the demographic that is struggling the most. Some of
our most successful clergy have learned from the business world how to engage
people where they are. If clergy are waiting for our newest would-be
parishioners to darken the doorstep, they need to understand that will yield
a very limited result. The old adage “if we do
what we always did, we will get what we always got” rings true here. It seems
that every few General Conventions, there is legislation that adds to the
training hours of clergy, usually for risk management or diversity issues.
Unless we can teach new clergy an entrepreneurial model, we will
get what we always got. (yet no one is suggesting that kind of training) Clergy committed to spending time
with unchurched people. Our models show that we are simply moving market share
and not resulting in new Christians. Our number of adult baptisms proves this
point. I once heard that 10% of clergy hours should be used meeting people
out in the world. I think 15% is more realistic in this age. All decline numbers seem
to be a harbinger of death. But not if we do something with the information
we have!. Too often we continue to do the same things and wonder why the
leadership at the national or diocesan level does not do something to address
the decline. The fact is that all of these numbers are reversible, but that
starts at the local parish level with people determined to create something
new, instead of simply maintaining the old. A colleague shared with
me this model: This is the very
picture of reforming the status quo. It does not interrupt the “old Guard” who
are the financial mainstays, but it does recognize that a new order has to be
created. The “Emergent System” recognizes that the cliff is approaching, and
goes the work of imagining a new order, while still shepherding the old one
to a good and holy death. One Illustration of this
model is in 19th Century entrepreneur Cornelius Vanderbilt. After coming to
this country as an immigrant, he slowly built a shipping empire. When it
seemed that railroads were the new up and coming model, he slowly converted
his shipping assets into rail assets. The process of arresting
decline is no different than restoring a classic automobile. Although there
is more work the longer the decline has happened, and a strategy needs to be
developed, there is nothing hopeless except giving up. Canon Robert+ |