[Magdalen] Epiphany

[Lynn Ronkainen]

Mike M >We are in the midst of a transition in my parish.  I kid our search
committee that if our eventual "call" works out wonderfully, we will all
say it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  But if it turns out to be a
disaster, the search committee will get the blame.  I am not just kidding,
though,  We need more explicit recognition that the hiring process, like
most human things, is an uncertain business.


Well said Mike!!  I remember pondering the prayer the head of our search 
committee prayed before every one of our meetings - it included this phrase 
or similar as a conclusion to her extemporaneous prayer: "thank you God for 
already choosing our next rector".

YIKES!!  I only tangled once with that theology on some of the same grounds 
as 'what if'... and what if did come to pass with my fellow call committee - 
it did not go well. This individual and their family are still members, but 
of the original 12 members of this committee there remain only three people 
still at that church. All of us left within the first 4 years. The diocesan 
powers that be who instructed our search asked all of us ahead of time to 
commit to staying at least 2 years to support the call and we agreed. Three 
left within 6 months... I left just shy of the two year anniversary.

I completely agree that it is difficult to figure out how to work things out 
when it 'goes south', especially if it's fairly quickly.  From what I've 
seen in many other dioceses, the bishop is often very hands off, which has 
always made me uncomfortable.  OTOH, how do you 'call' someone from another 
place, pay to move them, in essence uprooting them even thought it is a 
'good deal' to begin with all around, and then somehow build in a mechanism 
to release them.... not to mention the division in the parish over such a 
decision, or the intricacies of making said decision.  My parish was a large 
one in a large city. I often ponder how difficult it is when someone is in a 
small town or very rural area and things turn upside down with a call that 
does not work out as far as the decisions they have to make about church 
attendance (as some in the pub have experienced).

I do know that a large church in another good sized city in my diocese paid 
off a rector's contract and asked him to leave, 6 years into a divisive 
tenure.  I think they gave him a 10 year contract with that clause included. 
I guess that is really the only way to go, hope for the best and plan for 
the worst, with a deal that both sides might find 'safe' if they trust each 
other.  This is not a model that can work in most places I'm sure, due to 
the financial structure of the contract to begin with.

I still don't like that prayer however...  my own faith does not believe 
that God has 'puppet strings' on anyone's life.

Lynn

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck
 "Either Freedom for all or stop talking about Freedom at all" from a talk 
by Richard Rohr

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Mahoney, W. Michael" <wmmah at stoneledge.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2016 1:36 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Epiphany

> On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 10:21 AM, Judy Fleener <fleenerj at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Please pray that we at St. Paul's, Muskegon have not picked incorrectly.
>> Not only are we experiencing discomfort with a change in liturgical 
>> styles,
>> but also a seeming inability to get work done in a timely fashion.
>>
>
> It may be that its a rocky start and that eventually things will work out.
> We can hope and pray.  But it is certainly consistent with my belief that
> the Church ought make much greater use of the "Priest-in-Charge"(PIC)
> approach.
>
> With the PIC approach, a priest is hired with a two to three year
> contract.  The contract provides both for periodic evaluation and *no 
> fault
> *termination or non-renewal.
>
> There are many good reasons why rectors should have tenure.  But they are
> not sufficient to grant it to a priest the day he or she arrives.  It
> doesn't happen in the academic world; it doesn't happen it the private
> sector; it doesn't happen in other denominations; and, it shouldn't happen
> in the Episcopal Church.
>
> The literature on "transition" is extensive.  But you will find little if
> any discussion of the plain fact that a "call" is ultimately a crap shoot.
> Prayer and hard work may improve the odds but they don't eliminate risk.
> The PIC approach does not eliminate risk either but it does lower the cost
> when things do turn out badly.
>
> We are in the midst of a transition in my parish.  I kid our search
> committee that if our eventual "call" works out wonderfully, we will all
> say it is the work of the Holy Spirit.  But if it turns out to be a
> disaster, the search committee will get the blame.  I am not just kidding,
> though,  We need more explicit recognition that the hiring process, like
> most human things, is an uncertain business.
>
> Mike M.
>
> Mike M.