[Magdalen] "leaving church" was -->Re: Prayer request

[Jim Guthrie]

>that has not happened,
and recent developments, which we did not discuss,
>have sent people jumping overboard in droves.  Is what it is. I was able to

Do you think that wasn't the goal of the vestry and search committee they 
appointed?  Or would both have been completely incompetent in carrying out what 
they thought was the right call?

It's far to easy to say it's all the new (or old!) Rector's fault, rather than 
the vestry and search committee that put him/her in place.

Then there's the idea that sometimes members of the congregation need to be 
thrown overboard. Consider a parish of my acquaintance that had an ASA of about 
80.The new PIC worked to bring it into the "modern" Episcopal church, including 
welcoming LGBT people. When when such people came into the church, a half dozen 
"Old timers" worked had to be rude and nasty to them, and worked to drive them 
away. Finally, the PIC laid down the law, and told them that there were churches 
down the road where kicking LGBT people out was basic to their belief system, 
and if they agreed, they should go there.

Some of the leadership went bonkers "We can’t afford to lose anyone." but the 
PIC stood her ground. And within a year, AS.A was up considerably -- and in two 
years was 135.  And the parish was on solid enough ground to actually call a 
Rector.

And there are lots of stories about people "sadly" leaving their parish after 40 
years because "They made a homo a bishop in New Hampshire."

>>without any feelings of deep sadness.  Time and life since then (on the 'other 
>>side' of MANY life changes since '06) have eased the divide.  I think

In most parishes=, for sure. I doubt that there are any TEC parishes outside, 
perhaps a few places (mostly in the south?) where, say, a lesbian couple with 
two kids and a seven-figure family income would be turned away because some 
old-timers might walk out if they came in, as I once witnessed on Long Island.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie