Monday 18 July 2011

Hang on to the church building? Why?

It's in the middle of nowhere, but where once there was a vibrant community with a football oval and a cricket oval, tennis & netball courts, a school and a community hall. But now all the houses are gone and all that remains in a small tin church, with no power and an old school, where no-one has attended to the old books and magazines and paint brushes.  A couple of weeks ago, I conducted a baptism in the old tin church.  We ran a power cord from a gen-set for the portable organ player and we filled the church with family and locals.  A number of people are interested in creating an engagement with faith as family units.  They don't want it to be one particular denomination: but I also sense they don't want any denomination.  Denomination stands for institutional church, which is clearly rejected by community.  There is a hunger for something new.
Lets not talk denominations.
Let's talk about who will do what and when.
I'll help you do what you want to do.
Will the tin church have a place in this?
Do we keep it to see?
Who pays the insurance? Who deals with the stuff  that the institution did?
A building can't lie fallow like  a paddock. 

Friday 8 July 2011

75 and young

Rural ministry often struggles to fund ordained clergy, so clergy are often spread very thinly.
Last Thursday night at the induction of the new Uniting Church Minister at Kimba, SA, the moment came when clergy or representatives of other denominations could extend a welcome to the new incumbent. This is alway a fine moment for rural ecumenism.  
Fr Adrian stepped forward. A gentle white headed man with his collar and old, long grey coat, that had faithfully served many winters. He listed the communities to which he ministers, with a simple comment - I'm very young to be doing this. I'm 75.
75 and covering all of central Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.
Now there is a dedicated servant of God.
May his church be the healing, compassionate Christ to him.