Finally A Diocese That Doesn't Mince Words: Revision Training!
http://listserv.episcopalian.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0310&L=dsonews&D=1&O=D&F=P&S=&P=1718

The Diocese of Southern Ohio, through the Commission on Congregational Life, is pleased to offer training in use of Percept's ReVision(tm) to individuals and congregations of the Diocese. ReVision(tm) is a strategic mission planning program for local congregations who desire to "vision again" who they are, why they exist, and what they ought to be doing. The training session will be held Dec. 5-6 at Procter Camp & Conference Center. Our guest instructor is the Rev. Karl Lusk, from the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky. Karl has extensive experience in the use of the ReVision(tm) process within the Diocese of Kentucky and is one of Percept's most respected trainers. The cost for this training will be underwritten by COCL. The training is targeted for individuals who are interested in serving as consultants to DSO congregations using ReVision(tm); and vestry representatives from DSO congregations which seek to restart ministry or develop new visions for future ministry within their congregation. To register or for more information, contact the Rev. Canon Stephen Muncie, 513.421.0311. Registration deadline is Nov. 17.

Coming Soon: ReEducation(tm) Training!

Peter Lee Discovers the Mushy Middle Leaves You Broke

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031021-112753-1083r.htm

Peter Lee is about as hard to figure out as Bob Dylan. If Louie Crew's Bishop statistics pages are to be trusted, Lee has tended to be a friend to the conservative cause. He has tended to side with conservatives on issues of sexuality. However, at General Convention 2003 Lee voted to confirm Robinson as bishop, shocking many of the sheep of his flock. Now many are pretty mad, and withholding funds. One only needs to look at the AAC page to see that Virginia has quite a large number of parishes that might realign.

Lee is finding that the confusing, muddled "mushy middle" doesn't always cut it. Lee probably views himself as a man of compromise...indeed he is probably right, as both sides would agree, taking the meaning of compromise slightly differently. The mushy middle works when times are good, and you get all kinds of nice accolades. However, in hard and difficult times, the mushy middle will just leave you irrelevant and broke. And in many ways being in the mushy middle is a modern value that keeps bishops from being true pastoral leaders...hmm...had we only bought Lee some chicken dinners prior to GC2003, we could have reached him before it was too late...Better increase my donations to the AAC's chicken dinner fund.

Bishop Talbert Proves There is Such a Thing as Left-Wing Fundamentalism

http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=679&c=5

This article is older, but it is new to me...so just skip over it if you have read it before. It seems that everywhere those on the more radical left are bemoaning right-wing groups taking over churches. I would say "taking back" churches from radical-1960s theology, but hey, that's just me. United Methodist bishop Talbert seems to think that renewing movements are promoting white supremacy and white male domination. While I would condemn any kind of real white supremacy and white male domination (after all I believe Africa and Asia to be the new epicenter of Christianity...and a this is a positive step for Christianity), but Talbert provides no proof Thomas Oden or any other member of these renewal groups actually is a white supremacist. In fact, once again the far-left proves that they don't see too many white supremacists to actually know one. This is a good thing; one never wants to meet too many of them! However, as someone who has met them, let me say, these renewing groups are far from white supremacist. Talbert lumps these groups with racism and sexism, two words that are so often misapplied in Ivory Towers across the world (Note: I have multiple degrees from these Towers) that real racism and sexism can often go ignored.

This is the expected reaction of a Church whose "progressive" element is dying off. This element is dying because the progressive churches and conferences in the UMC are losing members. The more conservative ones are growing. In a last gasp for air, those "progressive" holdouts from the bygone 60s blame those who are growing. And of course women and blacks within these groups must be "tokens" only. Talk about racism and sexism. Saying that if a black person or woman makes a decision that is not in line with the agenda of the radical left, he or she is a token? Trends show that both blacks and women are moving in the conservative direction (look at opinions of abortion in 20-something women), proving that Bishop Talbert is telling people what to believe rather than asking them.

Now I am not politically right-wing. I am mixed. I usually vote Democrat so you know. I do not think that the right-wing politics of the Christian Coalition and similar groups is a good idea. However, these groups Talbert lists in his speech are hardly Christian coalition types of groups (one only needs to actually read Thomas Oden to see this), once again proving the out-of-touch nature of the insulated world of mainline churches. At least our own Bishop Griswold can be diplomatic about the more traditional elements in his church; Bishop Talbert is a fundamentalist on the left...taking facts out of context, creating conspiracies where none exist, and insisting the issues are black and white. If I were in the UMC again, I think I would get very impatient as the 1960s dinosaurs in the Church become extinct.

Oh Primates, Where Art Thou??

http://www.churchnewspaper.com/?go=news&read=on&number_key=5686&title=Plot%20to%20silence%20the%20Primates'%20gay%20debate

Recent news suggests that the primates meeting will be kept under such tight control that very little could ever get done, including the creation of a conservative province. I honestly hope that whatever happens, Church politics do not influence this meeting in a negative way. The statistics show that the Western dominance of Christianity is losing ground, and that the "hub" of Christian belief will be in the so-called 2/3 world. A word of warning to the Archbishop of Canterbury: Let the primates speak or the Rt. Rev. Peter Akinola will be the new ABC! All jokes aside, Western interests in Christianity need to seriously rethink their role. The recent ECUSA General Convention decision shows that the minority West still wields immense power. If we do not at least offer a voice to the non-Western bishops, the Anglican communion as we know it might be unknown to the next generation of persons!

The Primates need to be allowed to speak, and they need the time to make their case. In some ways the recent actions of ECUSA are the straws that have broken the camels' backs, and the Primates are hopping mad for this reason. Appeasement, calls for "pluriform truths," and other "let's keep disjunct views in tension" will no longer work. ECUSA upset the precious balance by pushing agendas too far, so now the Primates must use their authority to push it back.