[Magdalen] Sharing the JOY!

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

For the folks who get them, I'm sure it's a very nice feeling of
continuity. I was just thinking (1) never ever even heard of such a thing.
Nobody ever brought it up in my travels, and (2) the conversation seemed to
indicate that a person was not accepted into the parish if they didn't have
this letter, which just didn't seem plausible to me, since so many people
come from unorthodox (or non-existent) prior churches.  I certainly wasn't
objecting to it, just astounded that a bishop can prevent a person from
joining a parish without the proper paperwork.



James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 9:06 AM, Ann Markle <ann.markle at aya.yale.edu> wrote:

> Not just responding to James, but also to Chad -- in East Tennessee and
> Western New York they have been used since I returned to church in 1989 (I
> had my letter transferred from the church I quit attending in 1968 in
> Indiana), and are still used faithfully.  I have both written and received
> many requests for transfers.  We've even given and received transfers
> to/from other denominations -- especially Methodists and UCC.
>
> Ann
>
> The Rev. Ann Markle
> Buffalo, NY
> ann.markle at aya.yale.edu
> blog:  www.onewildandpreciouslife.typepad.com
>
> On Sun, Jul 26, 2015 at 11:21 PM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Never seen one in my life.  Anyone who wants to join a church can just
> show
> > up; they won't care where they've been.  And rightly so.
> >
> >
>