Let me tell you about one of the more exciting developments I’ve come across in weeks! It all started three weeks ago when I received an e-mail from a West Coast Community Organizer who had served her Diocese as a member of their Executive Council for two terms. She and a team of friends had identified a neighborhood with particular unmet needs and had pooled their financial resources to start an after school program for Latino Hispanic children, as well as a weekend “club” for the Asian kids coming into their area. Well, they opened their doors two and a half years ago and now have an average of 130 families showing up at their three weekly Parenting Classes.
Recently they asked the parents (one by one) whether or not there was any interest in starting a Sunday morning service that would be based on the Book of Common Prayer but shaped by the community’s creative responses to the Spirit’s work in their community. With the exception of two families, the response was an enthusiastic “Yes!”
For the last six months, they started each of their Service Planning Sessions with the sharing of a meal and samples of people’s favorite spiritual music playing in the background. They then share stories of “faith encounters with God at Work.” They then explore participant’s best experiences with God – identifying common themes that emerge. The evening session ends with prayers offered by the participants.
This team of service planners has named their goal as “the creation of indigenous ritual that honors the Anglican way of being in the world by adhering to the shape of the BCP forms for worship.” Everyone was welcomed to attend and participate in this process. They are now gathering commitments for an Advent “launch date.” Their Big Hairy Adacious Goal is to have two hundred and fifty in their first service! It sounds to me as though they may exceed that goal.
But here is the exciting part. Recently, the two co-leaders approached their Bishop with a request. They asked the Bishop to help them find a priest who would contract with them to fulfill a priest’s sacerdotal responsibilities in their weekly service, and no more. They specifically requested a priest who would honor the service as the community had planned it (and as the Bishop had pre-approved it). They will handle all of the other pastoral care responsibilities with lay leaders trained via the Diocesan School of Ministry. The priest will be “called” permanently, though contracted six months at a time and paid $150 per week for their Sunday ministry. The rest of the ministry will be managed by non-ordained leaders, primarily on a volunteer basis. The search is on for that priest.
Since the early 1980’s, I have participated in discussions about the future of clergy-led ministries. This, to me, is one of the more exciting examples of a creative response to a.) a community’s real needs, b.) the need for a mix of lay and ordained leadership and, c.) the rising costs of employing clergy as the priestly leaders of Eucharistic communities. It also offers a model of team leadership where the priest is a member of the team, but not necessarily the leader. Given the number of clergy I know who are excellent at Celebrating/Presiding on Sunday mornings but really struggle with managing a team, this may be a hopeful sign. What do you think?
I’ll let you know more as I hear it!
With crazy hopes and growing cheer,
Tom
646-203-6266
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