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

[Jay Weigel]

I liked the folks in Woodstock a lot. I certainly hope they find a priest
soon. It's awful being in limbo, as it were. My parish in TN is still
there, although they have a great interim now who, I think, is finally
getting the mess straightened out that the last full time rector left.

On Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 10:08 AM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Oops!! I didn't read far enough!! For some reason, I thought you were
> saying who your interim was, Mike. I'm glad to hear Kathy is still in Luray.
>
> As to your question about a priest in Luray, Jay, I was referring to Scott
> Dillard, who has retired there. I think he may have supplied at the two
> churches I couldn't help last month; I had given them his name. He would be
> a good person for their interim, but I don't know if he'd have the energy.
> I know I don't.
>
> Sorry for the confusion...
>
> > On Nov 23, 2015, at 11:16 PM, "Mahoney, W. Michael" <
> wmmah at stoneledge.net> wrote:
> >
> > Yup.  Cathy Tibbets.
> >
> > Good priest.
> >
> > Mike M
> >
> >> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 10:54 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I thought Luray had a female priest. At least when I looked at their
> >> website that was the impression I got. I'm so confused.
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mon, Nov 23, 2015 at 10:52 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> 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?
> >>
>