[Magdalen] Prayer request

[Roger Stokes]

On 27/04/2015 23:03, Jon Egger wrote:
> I'm curious why anyone leaving a parish has to explain to anyone in the
> parish why they're leaving the parish.  It's none of their business
> actually!  (At Old Trinity the secretary is not an Episcopalian and does
> not attend church there.)

I understand that an exit interview is often conducted when somebody 
leaves a firm where they have been working.  This is at least partly to 
see if there are issues that might make others think about leaving and 
which need addressing.  I would have thought that a similar interviewmis 
at least as warranted when somebody decides to leave a particular church.

During my ministry I have known people leave the church where I had 
pastoral charge for various reasons.  In a couple of cases they had 
decided that the next stage of their personal spiritual journey was to 
join the Roman Catholic Church.  I made it clear by personal action that 
they knew they went with my blessing.

Another case was what I would call collateral damage because of a 
division within the church that needed to be worked through.  I was sad 
to see him go but the point of division was one I could not ignore or, 
seek to paper over.  The future of the church mattered more than that 
and I do remain on good terms with the individual concerned.

The truth sometimes hurts and needs to be told, but sometimes the person 
who needs to hear it is "stiff-necked" and will not listen. Being honest 
without seeking to offend is a fine line to be drawn but it can be 
beneficial to both parties.  The person who is leaving can express their 
views and be open to a positive relationship in the future.  The church 
that is being left would be wise to reflect on what is said to see what 
truth there is in it.

Roger