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Monday, August 18, 2014
THE VACATION HAS COME TO AN ABRUPT END
Welcome to the re-opening of Real Anglicans. It has been enough time and as you might suspect, I am Real Anglican "upset". Here is a quote from my very first post in Sept. 2009:
A personal note in closing. We are madly, wildly and passionately in love with our Lord, Jesus Christ. We came to this conclusion through our beloved Episcopal Church. Truly we struggle from time to time but scripture, reason and tradition bring us through every time. Our God is madly, wildly passionately in love with us and sent Jesus to make sure we knew that. Trust us when we say we will no longer stand idly by and allow some group of thugs parading around as God's chosen stealing from us God's poem of love to us. Forewarned is forearmed
This blog was open from then until about two years ago when I discovered (among other things) I was writing to much about political things and too little about the diocese of San Joaquin and the Episcopal issues in general.
Since our diocese began anew in March of 2008 money (yep the root of all evil) has plagued us like the frogs in Egypt. Since 2008 this diocese has had no real set of plans, for recovery of the property or for our renewed spiritual journey. I have called publicly for diocesan plans from this blog and our sister blog, Off-topic at least 14 different times from 2009 through 2014. I have had a number of opportunities to speak with diocesan administrators and given outlines of how to begin a collaboration with representatives from all our parishes and one of two things have happened. First, and is usual, I have been patted on my head, told that "sure, we will start that soon", and never again does that topic come up in Diocesan dialogue. Second, I have been told that the "outline is too radical" for a loving, welcoming church. (this loving welcoming church on a macro level has kicked the crap out of any and every parish that went "South". Seems talk is cheap.
I have been told there is a sustainability committee but our parish has not seen any sustainability plans. We have been told, it was offered in Deanery meetings. Oh really, where are the CTK updates?
Recently, in April of 2014 I asked for an official audit at both the Diocesan level and the Christ the King Parish level. See, issues with cash accounting, separation of duties, gifts to restricted funds, large loans and large accounts recovered from the old diocese and who the heck knows where we are? For example, the parish was told that the vestry had brought funds in from our restricted bell tower fund to augment an anemic operating budget. When asked about who drafted the due to and due from entries and who had approved the actual transfer of funds the person who had been asked the question was hung up at "due...". Did not understand a word and yet this is good financial leadership. It was then that I called for an audit. Once again, patted on the head and told to press on.
Our financial accounting is rife with not bad accounting but inept accounting.
Now, with no better idea of where we or the diocese are the diocese has decided to "discuss" with Christ the King the OPPORTUNITIES that would be presented if we only merged back with St. Paul Episcopal Church in Modesto. St. Paul's Church, one of the leading parishes to not only break away from the Episcopal Church but then breakaway from the Anglican doctrine. St. Paul Church whose parishioners were arrogant and nasty as they went out the door. St. Paul's Episcopal Church who has a more spacious facility and the Bishop has setup a Cathedral there (instead of Fresno). Can you, our Episcopal readers fathom a more spiteful gesture than having a stalwart leading parish in the fight to remain Episcopal, a parish that was out on a limb for three months while everyone in New York debated in what appeared to be a cold and calculating manner what to do for three months.
Now, because the diocese has been so wrapped up in a singular quest to merely "recover property" Christ the King is faced with paying for mistakes that we never committed. Where are the diocesan plans drafted by a collaborative body from the diocese and approved by the convention? Where is all the money? How much did we/have we/ will we spend on property recovery and how on God's green earth is this diocese going to repay all those loans? (Remember if the National Church refers to these as loans the National Church is carrying these loans as due to/due from and as a result there is no paper loss since there is a loan. However, to forgive a loan, all at once or over a period of time will ultimately reduce the assets of the church by the amount loaned. If you just sucked in a whole lot of air you would have read that last line correctly.
And finally, in an ironic conclusion to all this happy news - The Bishop has decided he needs a new car. And, he has asked us (in addition to every other parish in the diocese to kick in some buks to buy him a new car. I have but one word for that : BRASSY.
If you can help by spreading the news around, especially to see if other "jacked up" diocese are feeling the same way help us out.
Stay tuned. Fred is once again open for business!!!
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1 comment:
Fred, it's so good to see you appear before me...I keep following San Joaquin diocese and keep seeing that you are alive, your property being restored (whatever that must mean after being dragged through the alleyways of ACNA trashing and looting) in physical ways...surely, these are signs of over-all regrouping that must come together soon? For me, I can't imagine what reconciliation with St. Pauls must feel like...it is very hard for me not to allow my resentments to carry-forward when faced with such wicked, and it was, treatment of exclusion in the past. Having a nother New Bishop in place must be a wholesome step for healing...I read about him because he is YOUR new bishop and he comes from New Zealand (they know something about how to ALL get along). I wonder if you could have a personal counseling with your New Bishop? Perhaps you could even volunteer to be part of the ¨reconciliation¨ program...it may seem far-fetched since what you discribe sounds like ¨seat of your pants¨ scurrying around BUT maybe getting closer and being in position of offering some fresh/old solutions (with few expectations of *things* being done your way) may be a great way to face the anger-of-neglect that you obviously FEEL. I have always identified with you, your passion, your insistance on clarity (after much deception in the past) and your fortitude standing up for basic common sense and decent, openness and willingness to work-together at Church. It seems REAL to me that some REAL ANGLICANS in your diocese are milling around trying to pick up the pieces after the schofield/duncan/venanbles/iker hurricane passed through the valley...I know this is a ugly task that may still be like looking through the wreckage of the past. Trusting in God seems the best answer when get-way unmanageable for me...letting go (maybe for the hundreth time) may be a solution if you find demands for accountability at this time are not being met...no sense blaming yourself or anyone else BECAUSE huge chunks of progress have been made in your diocese in Episcopalprotery recovery land...as we say south of the borders..poco a poco, let nature take it¨s course. In my case, like you, I get very pissed off when I am not appreciated or understood when putting forward, what I consider, proper solutions...offering myself in service and being willing to serve is different than working with others and making demands...especially in an atmospher that seems largely driven by Spirit...you ALL ought be rewarded in heaven for trudging through these years of self-righteousness and irresponsible/VICIOUSNESS better-than-thouness..I know what that feels like, yet I keep moving on and see the light is getting brighter and does NOT dim! Peace, love, and all the best you everyone of you in San Joaquin (especially to those I would prefer to make go stand in a corner with their mouths tapped shut for eternity). Sometimes it is obvious to me that it is I who needs more humility and the ability to forgive (even when not asked for gorgiveness is harder yet). Pick up the pieces, trust God, the evidence is in: San Joaquin DID survive and holy-hooded righteousnes-hurt of the past must be buried in the ground. Siempre, Len/Leonardo/Guatemala
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