Annual Parish Meeting, Rector’s Comments January 29, 2006 The Rev. William V. Livingston, Rector Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi This being my fourth Annual Parish Meeting as your Rector, I now recognize some well established patterns. First, some of you will not pick up the Annual Report that has been prepared to keep you informed about your parish. Some who take one home will not read any of it; most will only skim it, and only a few will actually read it. Second, some of you will leave after the Eucharist and before the parish meeting. As one would adjust to a moving target, instead of a sermon, I’m offering a version of the Rector’s report – similar to but not the same as I have included in the annual report. The disadvantages: those hoping to get away without hearing such reports won’t be so lucky, and my comments will be longer than my typical sermon – and I know some of you are saying to yourself, “But his sermons are already too long.” The advantage for those of you who will stay for the annual parish meeting: you have to hear me only once. I take this approach because I consider this a very important year in our life as a parish – important for several reasons which I will identify as I proceed It is an important year because it is 2006, the year of the Triennial, the meeting of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the USA. The last such Triennial occurred as I neared my first anniversary as your Rector. The 2003 Convention debated but did not resolve the issue blessings of same sex unions, and the majority of the deputations voted to ratify the Diocese of New Hampshire’s bishop election, a male living in a monogamous, covenant relationship with another male. This ratification and that your church had not condemned same sex unions hurt and angered some of you. Some of you were hurt and angered that your church had not blessed same sex unions and were appalled by the attack on the Bishop of New Hampshire. Most of you were somewhere in between and confused. As a parish we weathered the post-2003 General Convention very well, with only two couples leaving our parish as a result. While a very few have restricted your pledges so that none of their financial gifts can be used to support the ministries of our diocese or national church, none of you quit giving to your parish. Not because of General Convention but because of your love for your parish and your desire to support your parish’s ministries, many of you have substantially increased your pledge, with our average pledge increasing by 39% over the last three years – a phenomenal increase anytime, but especially when other parishes have experienced substantial decreases. The weeks and months that followed the 2003 Convention required my spending innumerable hours in one-on-one visits with those with concerns. With no change of your opposition to the decisions made, through these visits many of you and I developed a deeper bond and understanding of each other that could not have been acquired in any other way. Some of you have become substantially more involved and supportive of your parish following those visits, and I thank you. During this past year, many of you with strong feelings at opposite sides of these issues participated in our educational series on the Windsor Report. You cared enough about your parish and your respect for those with differing views to learn more about the history, structure and decision-making processes of the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church and the various doctrinal, theological and pastoral issues. Our 2006 Council delegates and alternates participated in each of these sessions and recently attended a Council Convocation Caucus in Tupelo to better understand the issues that will come before our diocese council next week. The issues of recognizing same sex unions and ordination of gays and lesbians is being discussed by most faith traditions. At least one, the United Church of Christ, now blesses such unions and ordinations. Some, most notably the Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Church condemn such actions. Others, including the Episcopal Church, have very differing views among their leaders and members. Therefore, as Episcopal Bishops and Deputies from across the US gather this summer, I can only assume this will be a major topic. The views will range from those advocating that General Convention denounce all previous actions, confess its sinfulness and bring heresy charges against any who have advocated differing views to others who advocate greater acceptance of gays and lesbians in the life of the Church. The broader middle will include those who seek reconciliation within the Episcopal Church and within and with the Anglican Communion and advocate that any actions taken involve the full Anglican Communion and be based on sound scriptural, doctrinal, theological and pastoral reasoning, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than instructing God how to fix things. I cannot predict the outcomes. However, because our parish is a diverse parish, I anticipate no matter what happens, some of you will once again be disappointed, hurt or angered. It is in anticipation of such reactions that I have dwelt on this topic thus far. With recent mining tragedies, we have become aware of risks to coal miners. I invite us as a parish to consider what coal miners are instructed to do when they lose power and in diminishing oxygen must find their way out in the dark. Each is instructed to hold the hands of those next to them and to find their way out as a group. Yes, at each junction, differing views will be expressed as to which is the best way to go, but to let go of one another’s hands means almost certain death. This is the Anglican way. As we struggle to be the Church in the darkened world, we debate, even fight, about which way to go, but we continue to hold hands because God has called us together and to let go is certain death. Long before deputies and bishops gather, I ask you to pray for the Episcopal Church and for General Convention and all who will be involved, that you understand decisions made at General Convention are not decisions made by Them, Those People, or The Northern Church. General Convention decisions are made by bishops and deputies elected by the all the peoples of the various dioceses (including Mississippi). Even though Mississippi has reduced its giving to the national church since the 2003 Convention, the national church and Episcopal Relief and Development Fund immediately responded to Mississippi’s needs following Katrina giving over $1 _ million in relief and helping coastal clergy, with another $4 million promised, plus financial support, resources and innumerable volunteers have come from every other diocese. Yes, we have held hands. My hope and prayer is that we not consider anyone who disagrees with us to be expendable from our parish community or that we not consider those with views different from ours to be heretics. I ask that if you have concerns you share them with me as soon as you are aware of your concern and not by pulling away from your parish, not by directing your emotions toward those who had no influence on the outcomes and not by being punitive. I ask that we as a parish family continue to hold hands so as the Body of Christ in this community we can continue to be about proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to a hurting world, inviting and welcoming others into our worshiping community, transforming our lives to be imitators of Christ and in Christ's name to serve those who suffer. Second, this is an important year in the life of our parish because we are beginning to see the outcomes of the new vestry organization structure approved a year ago. You will see it in today’s Vestry elections. Parishes now struggle to find parishioners willing to serve on vestries. Resurrection is no exception. However, through our new structure, individuals who have been active in the various parish ministries were approached by your nominating committee in the fall, and we now have a slate of candidates already active in and supportive of the ministries for which they will assume greater leadership. We see the outcome in the Wednesday Agape Meals with some 60 children and adults gathering to share meals and further develop our Christian faith. We see it recent activities offered to build a more active young adult ministry in our parish. We see it in the establishment of a DOK chapter which offers a method of transforming its members’ lives through a community of prayer, study and service. Still, no matter how effective your Vestry is, it can only accomplish what you help it accomplish. Those of you giving your time and talents to this parish are making great things happen, but we need so many more to help. The best example I can give is our children and youth Christian education, which most of you indicate is one our most important ministries. However, only after numerous written and verbal pleas to the whole parish and asking some 80 individuals did we have 8 persons offer to assist with a class. Similarly, committee and ministry chairs need to involve all who have offered their gifts and talents. Failing to do so not only limits what we can accomplish but reduces the involvement of the one offering his or her time and talent. Your Vestry also needs your financial support. Resurrection’s approach to stewardship teaches that all we have comes from God and that our parish pledge represents our thanksgiving for the blessings God has given us. Since offering this theological teaching, we have, as already acknowledged, seen a 39% increase in our average pledge – a very generous $2,621. Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that only 58% of our households pledge or that 20% of our parishioners pledge 68% of our total pledges. To expand our youth Christian formation and our visibility in the community or to add other needed ministries, both additional lay leadership and increased financial giving by those who are not giving proportionately will be needed. Finally, 2006 will be an important year because we will establish the goals for the next few years based on the results of our parish discernment process and the Diocese Vision. The results of the survey and small group discussions were both enlightening and positive. Comments were offered which will allow your Vestry and me to better meet your needs. The survey results and small group comments show that most are very satisfied with your involvement in and connection with your parish. However, 68 parishioners, only 23% of our total membership or 50% of our ASA participated in the discernment process. This level of participation reflects the same level of attendance at today’s meeting. I fear this reflects a lack of interest in the leadership and ongoing operation of Resurrection by far too many of our members. I fully realize that, as the saying goes, “I’m preaching to the choir.” By your attendance today, you are expressing your interest and support in the future of your parish. I imagine most of you gathered today also participated in the parish discernment process. For this, your Vestry and I thank you. One of the primary reasons for conducting the discernment process was to assess the parish’s interest in expanding its membership. I’ll not state it here, but in my written report you will find an historical accounting of your Vestry’s interest in having Resurrection grow as a parish and an explanation as to why your Vestry needed to assess the interest of all parishioners. Of the 23% who participated in this discernment, 45% expressed a hope in seeing our parish grow, 42% oppose Resurrection growing and 12% have no preference either way. While you have expressed your preference and I respect it, I have concerns about this opposition to our parish growing for various reasons. Without growth, the lack of lay volunteers and financial support will continue to limit the quality of our children and youth Christian programming and other ministries. Because of it close connection to MSU, Resurrection experiences larger turnover in its membership than most parishes of comparable size and in similar size communities. For instance, since the summer of 2004, we have had 12 parish families or 32 people move from Starkville, and I already know that between now and May, four active parish families will leave Starkville. If we do not consciously seek to draw new members into our parish, not only will we not grow, our membership will decline. Most importantly, a parish which is not seeking to continually make the Gospel known to others through its ministries fails to understand why the Church exists. The Church is God’s way of making the Good News known in the world. Seeing the Church as existing primarily to meet the needs of its members fails to understand the mission of the Church. This concerns me because it reflects my failure as your rector. I have failed to teach that the Church’s primary mission is to take the Gospel message outside the church walls. I have failed in having parishioners fully understand what is meant by the need to grow our parish. Several of you expressed concerns about growing our parish by asking why we would want to draw in new members when we have so many inactive members. I have failed to clarify that growing our parish includes not only attracting new members but also current members becoming more active. Currently our average Sunday attendance includes only 47% of our members. Growing our parish means having more of our members worshiping on more Sundays. Also, if we simply bring in new members only to see existing members leave, we will not grow as a parish. I failed to teach that parish growth will include keeping all members more involved and maintaining contact with parishioners who seem to “drift away.” Because some anticipate that increasing our ASA would further strain our parish budget, I also failed to clarify that with the goal of increasing the participation of our members, it also includes having them participate as pledging members of our parish. If the percentage of our households that pledged increased and incoming members pledged, the increased cost of additional members would be offset by the increased pledges, allowing Resurrection to offer more needed ministries. Through this discernment process, you have spoken. You expressed your satisfaction with how we operate as a parish: our worship, our pastoral care, our communal life. You offered suggestions for specific improvements. In the Vestry planning retreat we will seek to develop goals that bring these about. We will also have to consider the fact that most of our members do not have a desire for our parish to grow. Because our Vestry originally called me to assist Resurrection to grow and I accepted the call because of this vision, I will have to discern the implications of this for my ministry as your rector. As already stated, I realize I’m preaching to the choir. By your presence today, you have already shown your interest in the future of your parish. Therefore, we can congratulate one another on the strong family atmosphere that exists within Resurrection and how welcoming we are as a parish; we thank those who generously support their parish financially and who give of their time and energies as Vestry members, teachers, assisting with pastoral care, and as members of the choir, Altar Guild and St. Joseph’s Guild, or other ways. Not only do you support your parish financially but also those in the world in need. You gave generously to assist victims of the tsunami and have given over $12,000 in Katrina relief. Resurrection is a fantastic parish, with loving and caring members. I hope nothing I have said today infers anything to the contrary. Daily you make this a wonderful place. Someone recently told me I am a person who sees the glass as half empty. Actually, I see the glass as half full. Thus, I celebrate the life of our parish each and every day. I celebrate the accomplishments of this past year and look forward to what we will accomplish this year, and I give thanks for each and every one of you and that we have held hands together as we fumbled in the dark together, but I still ask if we have some 60 children in our parish, should we be satisfied with only 12 participating. I see and celebrate that the glass is half full, but when we are promised God’s grace and cups overflowing with abundance, why would we want to be satisfied with half-full glasses?