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

[Grace Cangialosi]

Jay, do you know who the interim is at Woodstock/Mt. Jackson?

> On Nov 24, 2015, at 11:25 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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?
>>