Years ago, my family and I often spent much of our summer on Long Beach Island, one of the barrier islands off the coast of South Jersey. Those were delightful years, the sort that make me smile, even now. Just a few years before I was born, a big hurricane had breached the island in several places, leaving… Read More »
You can’t make this stuff up. In the midst of the pandemic, at a time where abuse and domestic violence are skyrocketing, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is now proposing to zero out its budget for sexual misconduct training and prevention. Seriously. The announcement comes as the diocese attempts for the second time to pass a 2021 budget.… Read More »
Recently, Amy Haynie, the editor of Episcopal Cafe, promised in a post that if readers provide feedback, they will get a response. That is simply not true, as I have written Amy privately with my concerns about the publication, and have sent both comments and an op-ed to her, only to be met with passive-aggressive silence. So, below… Read More »
Wouldn’t you love to see more former evangelicals in your parish? Folks who believe in equality, inclusion, and social justice? Who are looking for a new church home? If you are like most church members, the answer is a resounding yes. But my experience is that a great many persons who come to the Episcopal Church from other… Read More »
Earlier today, I was a participant in the Zoom meeting with +Budde and Randy Hollerith over the Max Lucado debacle. Here are my thoughts: Bishop Budde was far more convincing than Randy Hollerith. Specifically, +Budde opens up and becomes vulnerable as she discusses this mess. Randy seems very much the narcissist who has learned responses by rote, and… Read More »
From the earliest days of Christianity, the church has treated Lent as a time of prayer, penance, and preparation for the Paschal feast of Easter. But in recent years, it seems like Lent has become much like making New Years’ resolutions: A sort of whimsical exercise where, for example, we give up chocolate for a few weeks, safe… Read More »
Let me cut to the chase: It’s time for the Dean of the National Cathedral, Randy Hollerith, to resign. It’s no secret that, as a progressive, I often find myself unhappy with recent decisions in the Episcopal Church, particularly when those decisions evince a lack of leadership. But when it comes to stupidity and downright meanness, nothing holds… Read More »
If we’re honest with ourselves, conflict is inevitable in all areas of life, and church is no exception. But my experience is that churches are particularly bad at conflict. Perhaps it’s because we hope that church will somehow be immune from strife. Or maybe we feel that we need to be all “churchy nice.” Possibly it’s that churchgoers… Read More »
One of the things that is interesting in watching the Episcopal Church over the years is how customs start out being progressive, then become normative, and finally become outdated. That is the case with funeral customs in the Episcopal Church, which at one time were greener than most, but today are increasingly outdated. Indeed, many today no longer… Read More »
Ed.: The following was written and published by Tom Ferguson aka Crusty Old Dean, for his blog located here. Reprinted with permission. With just 4 percent of Episcopalians being black, versus 13.4 percent of the US population as a whole, the church’s dismal track record on race warrants closer scrutiny. And while the church talks a good game,… Read More »