The past couple of weeks our priest has been sidelined due to being hospitalized. We have been receiving communion thanks to consecrated elements (consecrated by our priest) being distributed during a "Deacon's Mass." We anticipate this to be a temporary situation, but what happens in churches that go without a priest for a longer period? In a "progressive1' congregation, isn't there the temptation for a lay leader to give it a go?
That may be what Episcopalians end up doing as the number of priests in training drops. See this report by Rebecca Paveley, at the Church Times:
Applicants are older, and fewer churches can afford stipends.
A FALL in the numbers training for ordination in the Episcopal Church in the United States, together with churches’ inability to pay for full-time ministry, is causing a crisis in clergy recruitment, figures suggest.
Data released by the Church show that the numbers coming forward for ordination have fallen over the past 12 years. Seminaries are also reporting a decline in enrolment over the past five years.
In 2010, there were 325 newly ordained priests, compared with 225 in 2022. Clergy retirement numbers have remained steady at about 400 a year, and half of the remaining clergy are within ten years of retirement.
Those coming forward for ordination are also older and sometimes only within a few years of retirement.
Figures reported at the Episcopal Church Council in June also showed that the number of parishes seeking a priest far exceeded the number of clergy looking for a post.
The director of the Church’s office of transition ministry, which supports recruitment by dioceses and congregations, the Revd Meghan Froehlich, reported that there were 622 vacancies and just 87 clergy identified as seeking a new post.
In the south-east of the US, just eight clergy were searching among 123 vacancies.
If I know Episcopalians like I know Episcopalians, Lay presidency may be the next innovation pushed forward at a future General Convention.
Posts
Well, if they don't accept the traditional faith (and they don't), why bother with traditional ministry? They're essentially Unitarian-Univeralists with fancier clothes at this point.
ReplyDeleteConsider just who might be considered fit for ordination into TEo. Such a person has to swear allegiance to the gods of same sec marriage, the transgender agenda, Pride parades, and clown Eucharists. Lay presidency shouldn't bother them one bit.
DeleteDon’t worry there will be plenty of LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 to run the episcopal church.
ReplyDeleteThe Episcopal Diocese of CT has 20 parishes open and can't find any priests to fill them. Funny thing how Progressives use the church to push their agenda but none have the faith or commitment to take Holy Orders
ReplyDelete