This is a great example of why many of our systems need overhaul. Healthcare, education, immigration, all have their roots in a world that has since been ravaged the pace of technological and social change. We're living by rules designed for a world we left behind before I was born. No band-aids will fix this, we need new ideas designed for an emerging world.
Remembering ordained life in the 1980s and 90s, 20th century systems were already killing the 20th century church. Adding a new and mostly undefined level of bureaucracy to the ordination process in 1970 (aka Commissions on Ministry) added to the hurdles faced by aspirants and effectively weeded out entrepreneurs. Increasing the size of diocesan staffs along with the wild inflation of medical insurance meant that diocesan assessments, which had formerly been used to subsidize new missions now were redirected to maintaining diocesan staffing. (To be fair, some diocesan mission support simply enabled congregations to remain "chapels of ease," without any impetus to evangelize and grow. One diocese at least made the distinction between missions in areas of low population that were unlikely to become self-supporting and missions in growing areas that stayed stagnant as the surrounding areas grew.) I am intrigued by what you are doing and looking forward to learning more of your ministry.
So sorry you went through this. Some of our rules & refs are baffling. Years ago, one of our clergy who was newly appointed to oversee the ordination process here, discovered that 36 separate documents had to be signed off over a four year span before a postulant was ready to be ordained. No one could explain why. He deleted most of them; got it down to about ten.
This is a great example of why many of our systems need overhaul. Healthcare, education, immigration, all have their roots in a world that has since been ravaged the pace of technological and social change. We're living by rules designed for a world we left behind before I was born. No band-aids will fix this, we need new ideas designed for an emerging world.
Remembering ordained life in the 1980s and 90s, 20th century systems were already killing the 20th century church. Adding a new and mostly undefined level of bureaucracy to the ordination process in 1970 (aka Commissions on Ministry) added to the hurdles faced by aspirants and effectively weeded out entrepreneurs. Increasing the size of diocesan staffs along with the wild inflation of medical insurance meant that diocesan assessments, which had formerly been used to subsidize new missions now were redirected to maintaining diocesan staffing. (To be fair, some diocesan mission support simply enabled congregations to remain "chapels of ease," without any impetus to evangelize and grow. One diocese at least made the distinction between missions in areas of low population that were unlikely to become self-supporting and missions in growing areas that stayed stagnant as the surrounding areas grew.) I am intrigued by what you are doing and looking forward to learning more of your ministry.
thank you!
So sorry you went through this. Some of our rules & refs are baffling. Years ago, one of our clergy who was newly appointed to oversee the ordination process here, discovered that 36 separate documents had to be signed off over a four year span before a postulant was ready to be ordained. No one could explain why. He deleted most of them; got it down to about ten.
that is good to hear!