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

[Grace Cangialosi]

Do you know his name? What will they do this winter? I wouldn't mind doing some supply over there, though there is a priest in Luray who could do it, and he's much closer.

> On Nov 23, 2015, at 10:49 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> They do. The priest that has been doing it has taken a hiatus for the
> winter, saying he's too old to manage the roads. He preached a rip-roarer
> of a sermon on Sunday.
> 
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 10:47 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> 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?
>>