tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post8868171547567386335..comments2024-02-15T03:32:25.686-05:00Comments on Preludium, Anglican and Episcopal futures: For the future of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, Subsidiarity is a bad idea.Mark Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06871096746243771489noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-28832875265307259372012-04-12T17:39:00.527-04:002012-04-12T17:39:00.527-04:00Mark,
Thanks for helping the conversation move bey...Mark,<br />Thanks for helping the conversation move beyond outrage to constructively considering models for ministry w/o DFMS funding. Please know that I write from the perspective of serving as a full-time chaplain in a campus ministry in the bible-belt, with property and program funding from my diocese. We're tightening our belts and can endure this proposed strangulation from DFMS but much of TEC needs help to fund more programming and to provide more leadership because most mission locations and most dioceses are NOT like mine.<br />It is also worth it to consider that Campus Ministry is not like any of the other formation ministries under the DFMS axe. For instance, if a parish takes on this work - as subsidiarity suggests - they are not ministering to their own children and often cannot minister using their own facilities. That in many cases has a profound effect on how these efforts are able to garner support and funding at the "local level." <br />In order for the church to have this budget conversation especially if it relies on subsidiarity as it's informing principle we must be careful to keep these many defunded ministries distinct in our descriptions and comparisons, all the while being just as careful not to force them to compete with each other. <br />Chaplain Dann BrownThe Very Rev. Daniel B. Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05205607142223107826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-43444096590362291392012-04-05T11:25:50.142-04:002012-04-05T11:25:50.142-04:00In a way, those working in Christian education and...In a way, those working in Christian education and formation (at all age levels) in the Episcopal Church have already been working in a network model. The problem has been the lack of resources for effective infrastructure development.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17550041790269387561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-56633885996260797462012-04-04T23:45:19.566-04:002012-04-04T23:45:19.566-04:00Kevin...yes, you are exactly right. If subsidiarit...Kevin...yes, you are exactly right. If subsidiarity is the guiding principle, then the inference is that things unfunded are under valued because not central to the upper end of the subsidiarity scale.<br /><br />Now. what to do about that? I hope there will be real push back. At the very least there needs to be ways to acquire the skills to meet a more neural network future.Mark Harrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06871096746243771489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-30287240849323781232012-04-04T22:24:49.424-04:002012-04-04T22:24:49.424-04:00I have to agree with Lois Keen about the messages ...I have to agree with Lois Keen about the messages this budget sends. I'm especially concerned about the cuts to Christian Formation, esp. youth and young adults. On one hand, you make a good point about networked strategies as opposed to hierarchical or hub-and-spoke ones. However, is cutting off funding the best way to bring this about? I can understand the need for budget cuts and creative responses, but in this case we're talking about close to a 90% cut. Where do you expect the resources to come from to build and network ministries? To use a brain metaphor, neural networks aren't going to form if they're starved of food and oxygen. To build and maintain computer networks, one has to invest in servers, routers, hubs, wiring, software, network managers, etc. You can't defund the IT department and then say, "Oh, people will figure out a way to make it work." <br /><br />As for the message sent, every person I've talked to who's seen the budget numbers, whether they're directly involved with Christian formation ministries or not, and I mean EVERY person, sees only one message: The Episcopal Church does not care about young people. Then when they hear about the large increase for the Office of Governmental Relations, they get even more incensed. I hear lots of talk about how we value young people, but budgets often more accurately reflect the real values held. The message this budget seems to send is that we value lobbying the halls of power more than forming children, youth, and young adults in the faith. <br /><br />-- KevinAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17550041790269387561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-39050144180211631972012-04-03T06:01:46.106-04:002012-04-03T06:01:46.106-04:00I totally don't understad Msgr. Oh well.
Subs...I totally don't understad Msgr. Oh well.<br /><br />Subsidiarity: Cutting diocesan financial support for mission with and for Spanish speaking Episcopalians for the second budget year in a row=Spanish speaking clergy joining together to try to work things out themselves whilst receiving the message that, when the financial going gets rough, the least get left behind to figure it out for themselves. And when we do, where will be the connection with the diocese? Subsidiarity=affiliated groups going it for themselves.Lois Keenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708877817422097051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10326675.post-57214837998329865282012-04-02T18:35:11.655-04:002012-04-02T18:35:11.655-04:00Is this an anti-hierarchy argument and does it ext...Is this an anti-hierarchy argument and does it extend to 815 litigation? I fear many of these things are package deals and not easy to disentangle -- though many have noted the oddity of defending the need for lawsuits from 815 (which requires hierarchy) by those who otherwise are fans of a 'House of Deputies' horizontalism.<br /><br />The budget reality may end up being a 'Rod of Assyrian Fury'...<br /><br />MsgrMsgrnoreply@blogger.com