I am a lot more optimistic about the fate of United States Methoidists than Mr Rankin but something in his piece The United Methodist Church is Imploding struck me.
As a number of our leaders have pointed out, within ten years at least half of our clergy leaders will retire or reach retirement age. Financially, we have all but exhausted our reserves. We have reached our limits. Institutionally, we are dying.
The Vocation shortage in the Catholic Church is often talked about but the Vocation shortage among many mainstream vanguard Protestant Churches is not.
The Methodist situation is again another reminder that the real problem that Catholics have as Vocations is perhaps not really about celibacy but something much much deeper. Something that is perhaps shared among American Christians Catholics and Protestants alike.
Untill that is combatted saying the solution is married Priests might be in the end like treating a brain tumor with asprin
This is where we need some clarity. Okay so all these clergy are retiring. *And* our financial reserves are gone.
ReplyDeleteSo are we running out of clergy? or are parishes/denominations running out of money?
And if both which is the more immediate problem?
I drop a comment when I especially enjoy a post on a site or I have
ReplyDeletesomething to add to the conversation. It is a result of the fire communicated in the
post I read. And after this article "Putting the Catholic Vocation Shortage In Its Proper Place - The United Methodist".
I was actually excited enough to create a thought :-) I do
have some questions for you if you do not mind.
Is it just me or does it appear like a few of the comments appear like written by
brain dead visitors? :-P And, if you are posting at other
sites, I would like to follow everything new you have to post.
Could you make a list all of all your communal pages
like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter
feed?
Look at my blog happy
Hello! I've been following your web site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!
ReplyDeleteStop by my page: nirasaki