Empty Pews
April, 2005
A report coming out of England talked about the empty pews within the Anglican faith (AF).
This is not only a problem in England but all over the world, the Anglican faith is losing too
many of it members, and while we as Bishops and Priest pretend that we do not know why,
we do.
With the exception of Africans, Anglicans are flocking to other denominations. So too are the
young people who brake away from family traditions of Anglicanism and join other
denominations. The Continuing Church in America is doing a wonderful job too of running
people away, because they are always in turmoil with each other, some of seeking to proclaim
that only their style or opinion is right.. That is unutterable rubbish.
My opinion blames the lost of these good members to this thing we call tradition. Tradition in
itself is a good thing but when it begins to be a rope around your neck, sometimes you have to
let it go before you hang yourself. Some of us hold on to things like rubrics, and so many fancy
robes that we forget the real reason that we are in the church. Hear one bishop to me a couple
of years ago. When the peace was being offered he sat in his chair, when asked why he did not
go down and share the peace, he said he could not associate before the Mass. This is nonsense.
The peace is the true fellowship of love shared by all. There are those who are so stiff with their
rubrics, that when new people attend, they have no idea what is going, the service is over and
no clue is offered as to what the whole process means, THEY DO NOT COME BACK! Also,
there is the role of women. In some cases they are treated like second class Christians, so
many leave and go to other fellowships where they are welcome and feel free to participate.
Perhaps the straw that broke the camels back may well be the ordination of a Gay Bishop in
another branch of the faith, that was not only a mockery of the faith, but total abandonment of
God's word.
These things are why people are leaving. If this exodus is to stop, we must get back to the
basics of the faith, and this simply is the Word of God.
WE MUST:
Open our doors to evangelism in all aspect.
Examine the Role of women and treat them as equal participants where the canons allow.
Get back into neighborhoods and bring people to our doors.
When people come to our church treat them as friends and not strangers who are intruding.
When people seek to join us, received then as soon as they wish and not hold them on
probation, like we are checking them out to see if they are good enough for the faith.
Use our liturgy, but we must use it wisely, not boring and so stuck up and try to ram it down
the throats of new converts.
Share communion with all who believe in the resurrection of our Lord and not turn anyone
away from the table of Christ.
Stop the nonsense of trying to decide who has the right set of rule to follow and abide by God's
word.
Find a common path of unity.
I could go on and on of this, but the simple fact is this, if we as Anglicans do not lighten up we
are going to be left with:
Beautiful Sanctuaries
Beautiful Robes
Wonderful organ music
And a whole lot of EMPTY PEWS!
IT IS TIME TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS.
It is time.
April, 2005
A report coming out of England talked about the empty pews within the Anglican faith (AF).
This is not only a problem in England but all over the world, the Anglican faith is losing too
many of it members, and while we as Bishops and Priest pretend that we do not know why,
we do.
With the exception of Africans, Anglicans are flocking to other denominations. So too are the
young people who brake away from family traditions of Anglicanism and join other
denominations. The Continuing Church in America is doing a wonderful job too of running
people away, because they are always in turmoil with each other, some of seeking to proclaim
that only their style or opinion is right.. That is unutterable rubbish.
My opinion blames the lost of these good members to this thing we call tradition. Tradition in
itself is a good thing but when it begins to be a rope around your neck, sometimes you have to
let it go before you hang yourself. Some of us hold on to things like rubrics, and so many fancy
robes that we forget the real reason that we are in the church. Hear one bishop to me a couple
of years ago. When the peace was being offered he sat in his chair, when asked why he did not
go down and share the peace, he said he could not associate before the Mass. This is nonsense.
The peace is the true fellowship of love shared by all. There are those who are so stiff with their
rubrics, that when new people attend, they have no idea what is going, the service is over and
no clue is offered as to what the whole process means, THEY DO NOT COME BACK! Also,
there is the role of women. In some cases they are treated like second class Christians, so
many leave and go to other fellowships where they are welcome and feel free to participate.
Perhaps the straw that broke the camels back may well be the ordination of a Gay Bishop in
another branch of the faith, that was not only a mockery of the faith, but total abandonment of
God's word.
These things are why people are leaving. If this exodus is to stop, we must get back to the
basics of the faith, and this simply is the Word of God.
WE MUST:
Open our doors to evangelism in all aspect.
Examine the Role of women and treat them as equal participants where the canons allow.
Get back into neighborhoods and bring people to our doors.
When people come to our church treat them as friends and not strangers who are intruding.
When people seek to join us, received then as soon as they wish and not hold them on
probation, like we are checking them out to see if they are good enough for the faith.
Use our liturgy, but we must use it wisely, not boring and so stuck up and try to ram it down
the throats of new converts.
Share communion with all who believe in the resurrection of our Lord and not turn anyone
away from the table of Christ.
Stop the nonsense of trying to decide who has the right set of rule to follow and abide by God's
word.
Find a common path of unity.
I could go on and on of this, but the simple fact is this, if we as Anglicans do not lighten up we
are going to be left with:
Beautiful Sanctuaries
Beautiful Robes
Wonderful organ music
And a whole lot of EMPTY PEWS!
IT IS TIME TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS.
It is time.