December 06, 2006
That's My Church!
Sorry if the Episco-blogging is getting a bit tedious, but I thought you'd be interested in this:
T'other day I was ranting about the escalating slide of the ECUSA into open civil war under the guidance of Her Graceness the new PeeBee and the move-along-nothing-to-see-here air I sense around my own parish. I wondered then if I shouldn't ought to try and do something to change this.
Today, I get an email from the Rector wanting to know if I'd like to switch back over from the Parish Life committee, on which I currently serve, to the Adult Education committee, which I used to do.
Coincidence? Perhaps. I'm reasonably sure he doesn't read us Llamas and I certainly can't imagine why he would want to put a potential gadfly like Self back on the committee that is responsible for setting post-service programming on Sunday mornings. It may just be that he's noticed the way my eyes have tended to glaze over recently at meetings to arrange the punch and cookies for various parish social gatherings.
At any event, I think I'm going to take the job. I'm also going to nominate myself as Unofficial Schism Czar, making it my business to keep as fully informed of the latest news as possible and try and figure out the best way to beat the drum for more what they like to call "engagement" by the parish on this issue. The Rector may ultimately kybosh me, but it's better to give it a try than to sit about silently grumbling.
As Basil Fawlty would say, "Just trying to enjoy myself."
Have you ever considered the Presbyterians? Seems like your cup of tea theologically (they've already schismed and you can pick the right flavor of congregation). Plus, their music's a heck of a lot better than the Catholics'.
Posted by: JohnL at December 6, 2006 02:32 PMNaturally, the above assumes you bolt from the ECUSA if/when they schism.
Posted by: JohnL at December 6, 2006 02:34 PMI am a daily reader and infrequent commenter of your site which I love. The Presybyterian church is still in the state of schism so would need to choose your church carefully. Probably too free of pomp and ceremony for an Anglican, though you do have Scots heritage.
http://tomgrayofthekirk.blogspot.com/ is the blog of the pastor of my church (though I currently work out of town) which disaffiliated from the PCUSA this summer and is currently in a legal dispute with the Presbytery (=Diocese) over the property. He has several posts regarding the Episcopal break-up and similar issues facing all of the main-line churches. You may find educational reviewing the history of the blog which started at this summer's PCUSA General Assembly and the subsequent actions that led to the disaffiliation. The Kirk is a leader in the New Wineskin Association of Churches which is a Presbyterian renewal organization and is in the process of joining the Evangelical Presbyterian Church which I believe it chose over the PCA in that The Kirk has women in leadership roles which the PCA allows but the PCA does not. Side note of interest, Dr. Gray spent some time pastoring a church in Scotland.
Posted by: DJH at December 6, 2006 07:08 PMI think the whole thing is fascinating. Especially since I wouldn't hear/read any of this if not through your reporting.
I am confused since your local church seems to be following the ECUSA right down the line and you seem to be going in a different direction why you are sticking around. Is it different at the diocese level than at the local level?
I also don't know what the real issues are. Yes the gay bishop has everyone worried about gay cooties, but this one diocese seems to also have a problem with women in any position of power. What is the real issue? Or are there multiples?
Posted by: Zendo Deb at December 6, 2006 08:36 PM
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