Time marches on...
Another month gone... almost sounds like the lyric of a Sondheim song, doesn't it?
As we come out of the summer months the church I serve is dealing with a lot of issues. A new Sr. Pastor who's been challenging them each and every Sunday to step outside their comfort zone and reach out to people. A group of lay leaders who are accusing the church staff of "sabotaging" the leadership because they dared to ask questions about the (alleged) vision process that didn't ask for any input from the staff. A worship band that is having issues with the music they play each week, causing dissension among themselves and with me. And the attendance at worship has been dwindling down throughout the summer as well. Will they come back after Labor Day, or have they moved on to other worship venues seeking the face of Jesus that they aren't able to find here?
I'm starting to question staying in the UMC. I don't see any change, any growth, and truly committed Christians in leadership. It's all about power and keeping it. that's not the church I read about in Acts.
And I read that a non-denominational church in South Carolina had 10,000 people in worship this past Sunday. What's happening there that's not happening in the UMC? Might it be the presence of the Holy Spirit? You know, God's always there- but He doesn't always show up.
posted by David @ 7:49 PM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
I imagine here are problems in nondenominational churches as well. It's all a matter of what you can live with. I'm not a lot of help right now, since I'm currently rather down on the UMC as well. But, I do think mega-churches often have (maybe rather different) problems of their own.
It's unfortunate that there is so much apparent distrust between the staff and the congregational leaders. That does not bode well for the future. I wonder what can be done to build trust.
We had a staff retreat last Thursday and the facilitator also wondered about what we can do to try and bring the two sides together. Lay leadership seems to think that they're the ones who should be making all the decisions in the church, including how to worship. We're close to loosing a bunch of folks as the undercurrent is quickly being felt by the few youth and young adults still here. When they leave this local church probably won't still be here in 50 years.
That is where I got off the train. Laity in the church just refused to talk with me, expected me to do all the work. No secretary no worship committee, just complaining about everything I did. Told me they would only sing certain songs, when I asked which ones they said there is a list in the office, read it. I looked, there was no list. I spent 20 years in troubled churches, turned most around, but some don't want to change, and no matter what you do they will not stop. The stress forced me into retirement.
The UMC I attend now has a good pastor, but worship is still dead, because the congregation doesn't want to change. I enjoy the AOG much more than my own church. Might even switch myself.
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