[Magdalen] "Failing" parishes--Canada vs. USA

[Grace Cangialosi]

Jay, those parishes have been yoked for at least 30 years. They used to have that crazy, alternating Sunday morning schedule, too. Woodstock-Mt.Jackson-Woodstock. Do they still do that?

> On Nov 23, 2015, at 10:34 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I don't know how long Beckford Parish in VA (Woodstock and Mt. Jackson) has
> been yoked. There are a number of Lutheran and Methodist parishes
> hereabouts that are yoked also. It wasn't uncommon among the Methodists in
> TN either, but then, it never has been with them, where it was called
> "circuit riding" or a "circuit" and lay people picked up the slack.
> 
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 9:04 PM, Raewynne Whiteley <raewynne1 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> Re yoking parishes, my observation is that it is doomed to failure, because
>> it tends to prioritize building over ministry - they keep the buildings and
>> the administrative structures, but expect a single priest to serve 2 or
>> more parishes, and in most cases parishioners expect to get everything they
>> had before for half the money.  Which is a recipe for burnout for the
>> priest, and doesn't encourage the parish to be realistic about their life
>> and ministry.
>> 
>>> On Sun, Nov 22, 2015 at 9:37 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Clarissa's prayer request led me to wonder about the varying position of
>>> TEC vs. the Anglican Church in Canada regarding what are considered
>>> "failing" parishes. Marion's recent experience, too, has made me wonder.
>> I
>>> realize it varies from diocese to diocese, but ISTM that the Canadian
>>> church, at least in these instances, is behaving far more like the RCC in
>>> abruptly closing these churches or pretty much setting them up to fail
>> (in
>>> the case of Marion's) rather than encouraging them along or "yoking"
>> them.
>>> 
>>> Am I seeing things correctly, or is this a misperception?
>>