Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Happy Talk

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=3451

{The Living Church] 20 June 2007--“That’s one of the great joys I’ve had in my first six months, getting to travel and see the health and vitality that exists in this church,’’ she told a crowd of about 300 at Christ Episcopal Church. “I know it’s not always what you read in the newspaper or hear on the news, but it’s true.’’—The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori

Thus our Presiding Bishop seeks to assure the people in the pews of The Episcopal Church that all is well. Isn’t that what a leader is supposed to do within an organization during a time of difficulty? Be a non-anxious presence?

After all, there is much good ministry and mission going on in Episcopal churches day in and day out. If we could just get the word out about all the good ministry that is going on in The Episcopal Church, people would realize that we really are doing quite well.What’s wrong with this picture?

What is wrong with this picture is that it is not the complete picture.

Max DePree, author of Leadership Jazz and Leadership is an Art, says that the first task of the leader is to define reality. The problem with this quote from our Presiding Bishop—and she has said much the same thing in several venues—is that although there are places of health and vitality in The Episcopal Church, this assessment amounts to no more than happy talk.

Why is The Episcopal Church's current leadership unwilling to face up to the severe decline of the denomination? The leaders of other denominations are facing up to their denomination's slow growth or decline. Why not the leaders of The Episcopal Church?

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