Hello St. Paul’s,
Welcome to the holy season of Lent. In this time of crisis and war, we hold the people of Ukraine in our hearts and pray for peace, healing, and a turning away from violence. We are blessed in this country to live without fear of invasion, and to be able to dream and plan for our future together.
Last week I had the good fortune of attending an Episcopal Church conference in Atlanta. The Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes or CEEP was founded about 35 years ago to provide a support and ideas exchange network for churches with resources, particularly endowment funds. CEEP’s annual conferences are known for their substantial content and opportunities for parish leaders to come together annually from across the church. CEEP offered free webinars throughout the pandemic, not limited to endowed churches, and these were so well received that they decided to change their name, reflecting a more egalitarian vision. Instead of restricting membership to churches with endowments, the organization will be open to all parishes and will be known as the Episcopal Parish Network, or EPN.
Last year’s conference was virtual, so this year’s was a joyful reunion. About 550 people attended, plus a score or more of exhibitors including pilgrimage leaders, seminaries, and companies offering investment and strategic services. This year’s theme was The Hopeful Journey, as we all turn our faces to the post-pandemic future. I got to sit in on some extraordinary conversations and participated in several workshops plus an exhilarating worship service. Topics included creating a “third space” for non-traditional community-building activities; diversifying revenue sources; social justice; racial reconciliation; and interfaith relationships, to name a few. Speakers included Congresswoman Kim Jackson, Dr. Bernice King, the Archbishop of Jerusalem (who is also the cathedral’s Dean), the Rev. Dr. Senator Raphael Warnock, author and podcaster Casper ter Kuile, the Rev. Dr. Greg Ellison, and our own Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
One conversation started with the parallels between communities in 14th century England during the plague and our own parish realities during COVID, and moved us toward planning for the future. We were reminded that:
- We need to avoid the trap of focusing on spiritual practices in order to avoid feeling the pain of the current situation;
- Just as the experience of the Plague provided the impetus for the Protestant Reformation, so this experience may be equipping us for something new;
- Change happens in Galilee, and only rarely in Jerusalem;
- The metrics we currently use for success no longer match our context;
- As leaders we are more frequently reaching the limit of our competencies and knowledge, and this is scary and stressful;
- Our brains have not been wired for a trauma lasting two years;
- The daily use of your particular gifts is the best indicator of job or ministry satisfaction;
- We must turn away from putting people in categories or metaphorical boxes;
- 17% of today’s 13-25 year olds seek meaning in church. Where does the other 83% seek meaning, given that all human beings long for meaning?
- We have a responsibility to provide a mixed spiritual ecology of meaning-related and meaning-making events, meaning both traditional church activities and activities that are traditionally seen as secular;
- The secular community’s leaders need our help to pastor people through traumatic events: we are the professionals and we can be a resource;
- As churches with some resources we can encourage innovation in community by shining a light on it and creating support systems, but without imposing structures that stifle creativity;
- Be alert for the charisms of the church showing up in unfamiliar forms;
- Make friends with those in the community who are doing meaningful work, whatever their field.
We were also challenged to think about what it means to unleash Jesus on the world.
All this came from just two hours of the conference, which lasted 3 ½ days, so you can imagine that I have a lot of things to ponder! My overall takeaway was a reaffirmation of many of the things we are already doing at St. Paul’s: we are firmly in the forefront of churches preparing for the future.
This year I was the only St. Paul’s representative at the conference; if we can send a team in future years we can cover more of the many workshops and bring back even more good ideas. Next year’s conference, in early March, will take place in Jacksonville, Florida, where the host will be St. John’s Cathedral, another leader in innovative ministry.
See you on Sunday!
Your sister in Christ,
Penny
