[Magdalen] prayers for my former parish

[Jay Weigel]

Some of the people who want the former guy back are very powerful and LOUD
and can be threatening to people who are quiet or shy. I spoke up on FB and
said I didn't think it was appropriate to splatter the church's business
there and that's probably why she messaged me. I'm not particularly
intimidated by these people and never was. I also pointed out to her that
she could e-mail the Bp. and nobody would know.

On Monday, March 2, 2015, Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com> wrote:

> I dunno.  Sounds like a lot of triangulation going on.  Former parish,
> eh?  ... why would unknown people be urging *you* to call the bishop.  Why
> don't they do it???
>
> Marion, a pilgrim
>
> On 3/2/2015 9:19 PM, Jay Weigel wrote:
>
>> Okay, so I had a chat with the senior warden of All Saints who is an old
>> friend and here's what's happening. They *had* a PIC, appointed by the
>> Bp.,
>> and the vestry had voted to call him, with the Bp's permission. So last
>> week he called the sr. warden and asked to speak to her privately and it
>> turned out he was giving his two weeks' notice to accept an interimship at
>> another parish. So they were back to square one. It was right after that
>> that this other mess started. She suspects that although she had asked the
>> vestry to keep the whole thing private, someone, and she is pretty sure
>> she
>> knows who, had leaked the info to someone who is very close to the former
>> rector.  She is extremely upset with the person trumpeting it all over
>> Facebook. So am I, and I would unfriend him except that I want to stay on
>> top of what's happening. She did say that the Bp. is a man to be reckoned
>> with. I also have received a message from someone I don't know encouraging
>> me to contact the Bp. and let my feelings be known. I may have to do that
>> after all.
>>
>> On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 6:17 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jay.weigel at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>
>>  Well, it's worse than I thought, apparently the guy leading the campaign
>>> is back in town. :-(
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 5:37 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com
>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jay.weigel at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Since I'm not absolutely sure what's going on I don't want to stick my
>>>> own oar in. I just really hope the bishop isn't a man easily swayed.
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 5:27 PM, Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com
>>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','gingawilder at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Jay,
>>>>> The bishop needs to know your friends' reservations.  Also, I feel sure
>>>>> the
>>>>> bishop would ask questions about this man's previous tenure in the
>>>>> parish.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ginga
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 1:52 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com
>>>>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','jay.weigel at gmail.com');>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>  I have just learned via a Facebook post that a former rector of the
>>>>>>
>>>>> parish
>>>>>
>>>>>> I belonged to in Tennessee for many years has offered to serve as
>>>>>>
>>>>> interim
>>>>>
>>>>>> for a year. Now this may be seen by some as a gracious offer, but
>>>>>>
>>>>> IMNSHO it
>>>>>
>>>>>> is extremely self-serving. The place is currently apparently in a huge
>>>>>>
>>>>> mess
>>>>>
>>>>>> both financially and spiritually following the departure of the
>>>>>>
>>>>> previous
>>>>>
>>>>>> rector, and AFAIK has a priest-in-charge appointed by the bishop
>>>>>> rather
>>>>>> than an interim. (I'm not totally up on church politics, but this is
>>>>>>
>>>>> what I
>>>>>
>>>>>> gleaned on my last visit there on the occasion of my late ex's
>>>>>>
>>>>> memorial.)
>>>>>
>>>>>> The PIC is a very nice guy. Also some of my old friends, who were
>>>>>>
>>>>> seriously
>>>>>
>>>>>> wounded by the previous rector now offering his services but soldiered
>>>>>> faithfully on, are currently on the vestry.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't know what the protocol for such a thing is, but I think it is
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> Very Bad Idea. The guy IMNSHO has a serious Napoleon complex (yes, he
>>>>>>
>>>>> is a
>>>>>
>>>>>> short little dude and he *really* likes to throw his weight around)
>>>>>>
>>>>> and I
>>>>>
>>>>>> honestly believe he sees himself as riding in on a white horse to
>>>>>>
>>>>> "save"
>>>>>
>>>>>> the place. I know there is a certain faction within the parish that
>>>>>>
>>>>> would
>>>>>
>>>>>> just LOVE to see him back (he left to become headmaster of an
>>>>>> Episcopal
>>>>>> school in NC) but I also know that there are others who might very
>>>>>> well
>>>>>> leave, and I strongly suspect that it would keep my daughter and her
>>>>>>
>>>>> family
>>>>>
>>>>>> from returning, or that they will be among those leaving. I am
>>>>>> devoutly
>>>>>> hoping that God, the bishop, and the vestry will say no. In any case,
>>>>>> prayers are requested for All Saints,' Morristown, TN.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>
>