tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post6412101539342724589..comments2023-11-05T00:58:55.352-07:00Comments on A Peculiar Prophet: A Short Account of a Continuing Journey – 3William H. Willimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00002821401928222858noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-69296856725091385562009-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:002009-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00I continue to be concerned by the financial struct...I continue to be concerned by the financial structure of the church. I grew up in an area full of very small congregations. What has happened in the last ten years in this mostly poor rural area is that these small congregations with huge potential for growth have been denied good clergy. Because of their lack to pay full apportionments or health insurance packages some of these churches have gone from full time clergy, to part time clergy, to licenced local pastor and now to lay speaker or courageous volunteer in some instances. In my opinion we should be sending our most talented to these churches who have such potential to become a center of mission and outreach in their rural communities. As it stands now we are abandoning them. We need to turn it around.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03376096488399269392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35889031.post-63068754076399998852009-01-27T08:11:00.000-08:002009-01-27T08:11:00.000-08:00"Most of our institutions ... that we founded in t..."Most of our institutions ... that we founded in the last two centuries, are no longer totally dependent upon our church for their financial survival... How will we retain these institutions as truly Christian institutions when our financial stake in them has become negligible?"<BR/><BR/>As one seeking to combine his academic work, pastoral experience and calling, I've been looking at a lot of UMC College chaplain ads over the past couple of years. It's sad that so many appear to be looking for managers of an abstract religiosity or spirituality than anything connected with making disciples of Jesus. I'll be happy to see what we figure out about this challenge.Richard Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04787755397416393855noreply@blogger.com