Anyone up for a chat thread?

Paidiske · Nov 1, 2025

And you know what, there's something there that's important and valid. These folks who are difficult, they're usually difficult because they really care about the church and its life. They were there before whichever cleric is foisted on them, and they will (usually) be there afterwards. We are the ones who come in for a short time and then leave, and there's a level of humility we need to have about that.

It takes grace in both directions...

Philip_B · Nov 1, 2025

Priests come and Priests go and the Parish Council goes on and on and on and on and ...

Paidiske · Nov 1, 2025

I don't have to deal with parish council any more, at least right now.

I'm not especially sad about that.

Paidiske · Wednesday at 8:39 PM

I believe I promised, some time ago, that when my new role was public I would let folks know.

I can now share that I have been appointed to the dual role of healthcare chaplain, and sub-dean of the Cathedral, in Bendigo.

RamiC · Thursday at 12:55 AM

Paidiske said:
I believe I promised, some time ago, that when my new role was public I would let folks know.

I can now share that I have been appointed to the dual role of healthcare chaplain, and sub-dean of the Cathedral, in Bendigo.

What is it like? Are you happy there?

Paidiske · Thursday at 12:59 AM

Well, it's so very new I'm not sure what it's like, yet. The role I have hasn't existed before - the bishop has kind of pulled together some things that used to be done by different people, in a way that he hopes will work better than it has before - and so we're all feeling our way. For example, the bishop wants me to be responsible for Anglican pastoral care in the big public hospital here, but he's still negotiating with the hospital how much of an "insider" I can be from their point of view.

It's going to be a big adjustment to go from being "in charge" of a parish to a very different sort of role, and it's a whole new context and set of relationships, but so far I'm hoping that it will work out well.

RamiC · Thursday at 1:08 AM

Paidiske said:
It's going to be a big adjustment to go from being "in charge" of a parish to a very different sort of role, and it's a whole new context and set of relationships, but so far I'm hoping that it will work out well.

Jesus, please be with Paidiske and help her work out her new place serving You.

Shane R · Thursday at 1:39 PM

Paidiske said:
They were there before whichever cleric is foisted on them, and they will (usually) be there afterwards.

That used to be true. There's a significant segment of the American church going population that gets a new church about as often as new shoes.

seeking.IAM · Thursday at 3:19 PM

Is there any data on the average tenure of clergy in Anglican parishes?

Paidiske · Thursday at 3:43 PM

seeking.IAM said:
Is there any data on the average tenure of clergy in Anglican parishes?

I would think there would be, at least at a provincial level, but I wouldn't know where to find it.

Anecdotally I would say that average tenure is becoming shorter, at least in my part of the world, but that's at least partly because of episcopal and diocesan attitudes and decisions, as well as parish realities.

Philip_B · Thursday at 6:09 PM

Paidiske said:
I would think there would be, at least at a provincial level, but I wouldn't know where to find it.

Anecdotally I would say that average tenure is becoming shorter, at least in my part of the world, but that's at least partly because of episcopal and diocesan attitudes and decisions, as well as parish realities.

I think that part of this has to do with a change in structural ecclesiology. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the centre of Church life was the Parish, and the relationship between the people and the Parish Clergy was central. In this model, the purpose of the Diocesan Office was to support the Parishes, and the Diocesan Bishop to support the Clergy. There has been a subtle but cathartic shift in this, so now we find that the Diocesan Office is the Centre of Church life, and the purpose of the Parishes is to raise funds to support the Diocesan Office.

Paidiske · Thursday at 6:11 PM

I wonder how much of that is driven by a changing compliance landscape.

I did notice a big difference between the way things are in a big urban diocese like Melbourne, and the rural dioceses. In the rural dioceses everything revolves much more around the bishop (who micro-manages to a much greater extent...)

seeking.IAM · Thursday at 8:34 PM

I grew up as a Methodist preacher's kid back in the day when the Bishop moved clergy like pieces on a chessboard every 3 years. My dad's longest pastorate while I was home was 4 years. My parents would go off to Conference in May and we never knew until they came home whether we were staying another year or packing things up. Stays have changed for them with longer lengths of stay being more common now. It made me curious about clergy tenure in general and in Anglican communities specifically.

Paidiske · Thursday at 8:37 PM

It used to be, once upon a time, that long tenures were the norm. It's harder to get those now. The longest I've stayed anywhere was five years.

Shane R · 2025-11-09T16:08:35-0600

Veteran's Day is this Tuesday in the US. Thankfully, church was not hoo-rah patriotic nationalist faux religion today. We didn't even sing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" or "My Country Tis of Thee." Pastor Al did insert a couple of thematically appropriate petitions in the Prayers of the People, which is fine and about what I tend to do myself if left to my own devices. I thought his petition for "those who have been maimed in body or mind" was poignant.

Anyone up for a chat thread?

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