Loading...At the end of January, the clergy of the Susquehanna Convocation – the eleven Episcopal churches in Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Union, and Snyder Counties – met with Bishop Scanlan. We do this every other month to hear what is going on elsewhere in the Diocese and to tell her what we are up to as well.
There is usually also a “program” led by one of the attendees. One meeting it was about evangelism, another time it was Biblical scholarship. But at this meeting, the only topic was us, the parishes and ministries of the Episcopal Church in our region. We wanted to begin a discussion (an overused word, but for now the most accurate one) about the present and future prospects for the Church and how we might collaborate to sustain what we believe to be holy work.
First, the bad news. Of the eleven churches in the Convocation, only three have full-time clergy. Two pairs of churches share one priest each. One church has no permanent clergy, and a few others likely will not in the near future. Several churches have average Sunday attendance of fewer than 10. Demographic, social, and economic changes have left many, perhaps most, of our churches with aging congregations. One church has serious structural problems that are beyond its resources to fix and most others have aging buildings and growing lists of deferred maintenance.
Now the good (or at least better) news. There is still a remarkable amount of life in our churches, life that flows out into our communities. Saint Stephen’s, Mount Carmel, has a thriving internet café. Saint Andrew’s, Lewisburg, is working with Syrian refugees in Europe. All Saints, Selinsgrove, has expanded the days on which its Martha’s Table dinner program is offered. And Saint Paul’s has, among other things, the only active campus ministry (that I know of) in the Diocese. And we have many devoted people who give their time and energy and love to the churches where they worship and serve.
We don’t lack imagination. We just have to figure out how to apply it to conditions with which none of us have much experience. That is what the clergy gathered to begin talking about, and that is what all of us – clergy, lay leaders, parishioners with all kinds of work and professional experience – will have to engage with in the months and years to come.
I wish I could say that we have already come up with a comprehensive plan that I and others could begin to “sell.” We haven’t, and that may be just as well. Our ideas so far are small and focus mainly on collaborative projects. Letting the ways we work together “grow up” rather be imposed improves the chance that trust and mutual affection will grow.
In the coming months, your clergy will begin to broker opportunities for lay leaders and parishioners from our various churches to meet and talk. In March, there will be a Convocation-wide confirmation service at St Andrew’s, Lewisburg (which I will host as the Convenor), and in April, Saint Paul’s will host John Shirley’s ordination. Both are being “branded” as Convocation events, and both will be occasions to celebrate through the worship of God what we are blessed to be doing week by week.
Please keep these discussions and all of our sister churches in your prayers.
Blessings
Howie+
