Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Light That Failed (Episcopal Church)
American Interest ^ | 7/16/2012 | Walter Russell Mead

Posted on 07/16/2012 5:43:07 PM PDT by RightGeek

New numbers reveal that the collapse of the Episcopal Church dramatically accelerated in the last ten years. The denomination is literally falling apart, with attendance down 25% between 2000 and 2010.

For a link to the PDF file with the numbers, and for Rod Dreher’s comments on them, look here; but it’s important to note that the effect of these numbers on the life and the well being of local churches is even greater than the raw figures might suggest.

Many mainline Protestant congregations today are stuck with an infrastructure built in the 1950s and 1960s. There are buildings to maintain and salaries to pay. As congregations have dwindled and aged, it gets harder and harder to keep the place running. The congregation has less money for program, for outreach, for anything but survival, and the energy of the congregation turns inward. There is less going on that can attract new members, and each year more maintenance is deferred, more corners are cut, and the congregation gets a little smaller and a little greyer.

Ten years ago, roughly half of Episcopal parishes faced this kind of situation. Ten years of declining attendance on this scale means that many more parishes are now in survival mode. As the church’s resources decline, more and more of the energy and the funds of its members go to staving off collapse. Less and less is available for the wider world.

The numerical decline, bad as it is, matters less than the collapse in the moral authority of the church. The Episcopal Church has made many controversial pronouncements on social issues; at the latest General Convention the church declared that transgendered persons cannot automatically be barred from the priesthood. One can agree or disagree with some of these individual decisions, but what is striking over time is the decline in the moral weight of the church.

It used to matter what the Episcopal Church thought of this or that social issue. Other mainline Protestant churches and many social and political leaders followed its theological and political debates. Now, basically, no one outside the dwindling flock in the pews really cares what The Episcopal Church says about anything at all. General Convention can pass a million resolutions, and nothing anywhere will change. No one is even really angry anymore at anything the Episcopal hierarchy does; at most, there is a sigh and a quiet rolling of the eyes. Soon, there will not even be that.

It’s an extraordinary decline in an institution that a generation ago was still one of the pillars of American life. At this point the disaster appears irretrievable; those running the church are determined to run it into the ground and it is hard to see how that can change.

For Anglicans, the theological and demographic collapse of their church is a bitter blow. The traditions of this church exert a powerful hold on those who were raised in it; those declining attendance figures bespeak a lot of sadness and despair. But The Episcopal Church has moved on, headed down what looks increasingly like the theological path of least resistance as it makes the transition from a church that once spoke to a nation to a sect in communion only with itself.

Let us wish The Episcopal Church well on its journey towards whatever hope its bureaucrats and functionaries see glimmering ahead of them in the deepening twilight. God moves in mysterious ways, and the failure of a church is not the failure of a faith. Christianity is all about hope in the face of death; America’s Anglicans are learning a lot about what that means. For this, perhaps, we need to learn to be thankful.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: anglican; church; ecusa; episcopagans; espiscopal; fauxchristians; gaychurch; homosexualagenda; icky; religiousleft; schism; tec
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last
To: onedoug

Ping


21 posted on 07/16/2012 6:43:09 PM PDT by windcliff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: iowamark
E xtremely
L ibertine
C ult of
A ntinomianism

22 posted on 07/16/2012 6:46:53 PM PDT by lightman (Adjutorium nostrum (+) in nomine Domini--nevertheless, Vote Santorum!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: iowamark; lightman

Ohmygosh, I can’t believe I messed that up!!! Yes, I knew that ELCA was Lutheran, sorry about that. I was trying to ascertain how the U.S. Episcopal Church (of which there is one, yes?) fits with the Anglican Church (of England, internationally, etc.?) Lightman, will check out your link, thanks.

Again, I apologize for the mistake.


23 posted on 07/16/2012 6:50:40 PM PDT by workerbee (June 28, 2012 -- 9/11 From Within)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: raybbr
"I belong to an Episcopal Church in CT. It’s just the opposite. They sermons are invariably based on the day’s readings. No politics has ever been mentioned by any of the four rotating ministers. I feel pretty good going there. The church is mostly made up of Catholics who go there to get away from the Catholic Church’s weekly begging for money and animosity towards its own parishioners."

What a nasty thing to say. This is a thread about the Episcopal Church. Your nasty, petty, unkind, remark was quite unnecessary.

If you have confession in your Episcopal Church, you might want to think about going.
24 posted on 07/16/2012 6:51:23 PM PDT by Not gonna take it anymore (If Obama were twice as smart as he is, he would be a wit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Not gonna take it anymore

Our former bishop, now Jolette, Indiana’s problem, exemplifies that statement. He closed nine churches. Although mine was one of those, I understood why. Attendance was down because population decreased from when many churches were built. However, he then demanded, saying that God instructed (?!), that we give $9 million for a new cathedral. Needless to say this did not go over well. Those who sent their WWII checks to build the current cathedral were now being asked to leave their life’s savings for the new?


25 posted on 07/16/2012 7:12:31 PM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Not gonna take it anymore

Our former bishop, now Jolette, Indiana’s problem, exemplifies that statement. He closed nine churches. Although mine was one of those, I understood why. Attendance was down because population decreased from when many churches were built. However, he then demanded, saying that God instructed (?!), that we give $9 million for a new cathedral. Needless to say this did not go over well. Those who sent their WWII checks to build the current cathedral were now being asked to leave their life’s savings for the new?


26 posted on 07/16/2012 7:12:31 PM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek

The same thing is happening with our nation.


27 posted on 07/16/2012 7:18:50 PM PDT by donna (Mitt quote: ..gay couples raising kids. That's the American way..(Penn St feels same about showers))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Not gonna take it anymore

‘Your nasty, petty, unkind, remark was quite unnecessary.’

But telling, no?


28 posted on 07/16/2012 7:23:26 PM PDT by JCBreckenridge (Texas, Texas, Whisky)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek

The main problem with them is that they have an agenda ... theirs, not God’s!


29 posted on 07/16/2012 7:30:58 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Skittle pooping unicorns are more common than progressives with honor & integrity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek
the decline in the moral weight

The disease that is roaring through numerous organizations.

30 posted on 07/16/2012 7:35:29 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault (Dick Obama is more inexperienced now than he was before he was elected.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: workerbee
ELCA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, is the liberal version of the Lutheran Church. There are several more conservative Lutheran denominations, but the main one is the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.

FYI only.

31 posted on 07/16/2012 7:38:24 PM PDT by Prov3456
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Wife of D28Man

“the ones that still take the Bible seriously - are all doing just fine, thank you very much.”

Why go to a church that doesn’t believe in anything? I mean there are plenty of health clubs, the Rotary or Toastmasters if you just want a community of friends.

Here is my take on the deity of Christ creed: http://gillespiepoems.blogspot.com/2012/06/of-many-worlds-comments-on-nature-of.html


32 posted on 07/16/2012 7:43:22 PM PDT by garjog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Prov3456

Thanks, I don’t know where my head was! See #23, I really do know ELCA is a Lutheran sect!! lol


33 posted on 07/16/2012 7:45:40 PM PDT by workerbee (June 28, 2012 -- 9/11 From Within)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: raybbr
The church is mostly made up of Catholics who go there to get away from the Catholic Church’s weekly begging for money...

LOL! I hear this all the time from disaffected Catholics, even some who attend the same Parish as I. I don't know how they get the notion that the Church is always begging for money. In my 24 years in this Parish, I've heard exactly three sermons suggesting that folks think seriously about supporting the Parish, and two of those were in the past five years when the Parish was planning to build an addition to the Church/School building.

There have been a couple of other times that the head of the Finance Committee gave a little talk after Communion, and just before the final blessing. Many were shocked to learn that the average 'offering' from among the 1800 families that received envelopes for contributions each year was a whopping $4. When they realized just how LITTLE was being given, some did increase their contributions, but it wasn't because of badgering, it was because they were gently encouraged to do so.

Sometimes there is a Second Collection, or a fundraiser for some organization or the other, but usually there is simply an announcement about it.

34 posted on 07/16/2012 8:19:47 PM PDT by SuziQ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Shery
MOST of the developing world provinces of the Anglican communion are VERY orthodox, and growing too, not those only in Africa. Even in Africa there are something like 60 MILLION+ orthodox/bible-believing Anglicans--growing by the 100s of thousands every year.

So outside of the West, things are really looking up for the World's 2nd largest Christian denomination.

Even in England--despite that country's wholesale abandonment of the Church (something less than 5% attend church at all), of those who still do attend church, something like 1/3 are conservative/evangelical types--a higher percentage than those in mainline American denominations.

In the USA the newly formed Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)--with conservative/orthodox EX-Episcopalian American bishops, working with African and other foreign bishops, are doing well in building up the NEW Anglicans here in the states.

Worldwide Anglicanism is more and more getting away from depending on the weak and ineffective leadership of Canterbury...as the robust churches in the developing world are asking themselves 'We're following the lead of the decrepit English Church because what?'

Over 100,000 Americans worship in non-Episcopal Anglican (usually ACNA) churches now. So...Anglicanism as a very old form of orthodox Christianity, still exists and is growing, thank you--in spite of the apostasy and dissolution of the Episcopal Church.

35 posted on 07/16/2012 8:27:09 PM PDT by AnalogReigns (reality is analog, not digital...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: RightGeek; Plutarch; All
Well...twas an episcopalian freeper--a Mittbot named plutarch -- who gave the fr "flying inmans" their name. {See...they still have some influence}
36 posted on 07/16/2012 8:46:34 PM PDT by Colofornian (Saying Mitt would keep past political promises is like prophesying that Gumby won't bend anymore)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: windcliff; stylecouncilor
St. Mary of the Angels fight drags on
37 posted on 07/16/2012 9:05:49 PM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: lightman
Thanks for the ping, lightman.

2nd Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.

After years of watching the denominational "leadership" (I mean that in the same vein that Tinkerbell was part of the leadership cadre there in NeverNeverLand) within the elca, pcusa, tec, et cetera, being driven by the itching in their ears, it has finally come down to simply being too mundane, too common, and too tedious to get up in arms about any longer.

Even the redoubtable Vicke Gene Robinson recently complained that "[his "marital status"] is nobody's damn business." virtue on line Vicke made sure it was everybody's business a few years ago, though. This religious pioneering and moral groundbreaking stuff is tough duty. Seems it can wear on a chap.

Seems the fabric is getting a bit frayed, tawdry, and tiresome.

(yaw-n-n-n) Bedtime...g'night, all y'all.

38 posted on 07/16/2012 9:51:09 PM PDT by RobinOfKingston (The instinct toward liberalism is located in the part of the brain called the rectal lobe.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: raybbr; SuziQ; Not gonna take it anymore

A message to these “Catholics” that attend the Episcopal church in Connecticut: “Good riddance!!!” The Episcopal church can have them.

They think nothing of spending $5 at Starbucks for coffee or $10 to see a lousy movie at the theater, but whine and complain when it comes to supporting their church on Sundays. Who do they think pays the heating and a/c bill, the priest’s salary and expenses, the janitor, the grounds keeper, cleaning supplies, the bread and wine, the religious education programs for the children, insurance, etc. etc.??? Don’t they realize everyone else has the extra burden of paying their way too?


39 posted on 07/17/2012 2:09:33 AM PDT by dupree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Not gonna take it anymore
What a nasty thing to say. This is a thread about the Episcopal Church. Your nasty, petty, unkind, remark was quite unnecessary. If you have confession in your Episcopal Church, you might want to think about going.

Oh, you're funny. I report to you what people have told me about why they moved to the church and you tell me I've sinned.

What's that about judging others the Church teaches us?

40 posted on 07/17/2012 3:34:55 AM PDT by raybbr (People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-48 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson