Anyone up for a chat thread?

[PloverWing]

Will you still be pastor of the merged parish, or are they "downsizing" their clergy roster?

 

[Paidiske]

That's the positive thing?!

Thanks, gordon. I find myself immensely heartened.

I actually think a merger would reinvigorate the community significantly and be good for everyone. (For crying out loud, we're only 2km apart). But it's the letting go of control that I anticipate being a big hurdle.

 

[gordonhooker]

Will you still be pastor of the merged parish, or are they "downsizing" their clergy roster?

I don't believe there is anywhere in Australia that has a glut of ordained clergy - so I am pretty sure anyone who takes on the job of the clergy is good at it will always have a job.

 

[Paidiske]

Will you still be pastor of the merged parish, or are they "downsizing" their clergy roster?

I missed this before.

It's way, way too early to tell what a new reality might look like.

I have no particular agenda in that regard, anyway. If it works out that it makes sense for me to stay, that will be an interesting challenge; and if it works out that it makes sense for me to go, as gordon says, I have no fear of being out of a job. My diocese has almost twenty vacant parishes at the moment, and I'd be quite willing to look further afield too.

 

[PloverWing]

I'm glad to hear that you don't have employment worries. The clergy-to-job ratio is different in my area, and women especially can have difficulty finding rector/senior pastor jobs.

You'll be in my thoughts as you and your parish go through this transition.

 

[Paidiske]

Well - it's not by any means a given that it will happen yet. It's at the initial discussion stage. But thank you.

It is true that there are still places that wouldn't have me because I'm a woman. But not so many that I'd have to worry about not being offered something suitable, I think.

 

[gordonhooker]

Well - it's not by any means a given that it will happen yet. It's at the initial discussion stage. But thank you.

It is true that there are still places that wouldn't have me because I'm a woman. But not so many that I'd have to worry about not being offered something suitable, I think.

It is a pity really as I believe women priests and bishops bring a whole new life to the sacramental, teaching and pastoral work of a parish or diocese. Why prevent half the community from participating in the leadership of the Body of Christ?

You girls go and ignore the ignorant that want to live in the past cultures of the Church.

 

[Paidiske]

Thanks, gordon. You have no idea how heartening that is, today.

 

[gordonhooker]

Thanks, gordon. You have no idea how heartening that is, today.

I have seen our part-time priest Fr. Sarah (teacher and chaplain at an Anglican college) get called in at the last minute because our rector has got sick and has been taken to hospital without having had a chance to prepare a sermon, read the Gospel and get up and give a 13 minute homily right out of her head. She is a born natural and was born to be 'Priest of God'. That is not to say that a male priest couldn't do the same thing, but that is not the point.

 

[Paidiske]

You call her Fr? I'm fascinated. Must admit I've never really taken to being called Mother.

I was fortunate when I came here, only one person left in protest because I'm a woman. The rest have been very supportive (relative youth being more of an issue). But that is not so everywhere, and I have had issues elsewhere. (Did I ever regale you with the story of being kicked out of college when I was pregnant? That was fun...)

 

[gordonhooker]

You call her Fr? I'm fascinated. Must admit I've never really taken to being called Mother.

I was fortunate when I came here, only one person left in protest because I'm a woman. The rest have been very supportive (relative youth being more of an issue). But that is not so everywhere, and I have had issues elsewhere. (Did I ever regale you with the story of being kicked out of college when I was pregnant? That was fun...)

Sarah has a sense of humour and loves it when she is called Fr. Sarah.... In our catholic arm of the Anglican Communion a priest is called Father - Paul tells us that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, slave nor free. Far be it for me that I correct Pauls writing LOL

 

[gordonhooker]

You call her Fr? I'm fascinated. Must admit I've never really taken to being called Mother.

I was fortunate when I came here, only one person left in protest because I'm a woman. The rest have been very supportive (relative youth being more of an issue). But that is not so everywhere, and I have had issues elsewhere. (Did I ever regale you with the story of being kicked out of college when I was pregnant? That was fun...)

No you didn't tell me that story - you're joking surely a college leadership team wouldn't be that narrow-minded they would kick a pregnant woman out of college. Yikes that is disgusting and just plain wrong....

 

[Arcangl86]

You call her Fr? I'm fascinated. Must admit I've never really taken to being called Mother.

I was fortunate when I came here, only one person left in protest because I'm a woman. The rest have been very supportive (relative youth being more of an issue). But that is not so everywhere, and I have had issues elsewhere. (Did I ever regale you with the story of being kicked out of college when I was pregnant? That was fun...)

A friend of mine had a priest in the 80s who insisted on being called "Fr. Barb." Her logic was that male priests were called Father and she should be treated the same.

 

[gordonhooker]

A friend of mine had a priest in the 80s who insisted on being called "Fr. Barb." Her logic was that male priests were called Father and she should be treated the same.

Good on her - I totally agree with her...

 

[Paidiske]

No you didn't tell me that story - you're joking surely a college leadership team wouldn't be that narrow-minded they would kick a pregnant woman out of college. Yikes that is disgusting and just plain wrong....

I still have the email. I had been trying to organise some flexibility in my programme (was far too ill to maintain a challenging field placement), and the dean - by email, as I said! - told me that I was not a student of the theological school for the time that I needed that flexibility, and that I was not eligible to attend formation or related activities (except for chapel services, since they are public gatherings).

I took a semester off and was back the following year, babe in arms, but the relationship was never really the same after that...

 

[Arcangl86]

I still have the email. I had been trying to organise some flexibility in my programme (was far too ill to maintain a challenging field placement), and the dean - by email, as I said! - told me that I was not a student of the theological school for the time that I needed that flexibility, and that I was not eligible to attend formation or related activities (except for chapel services, since they are public gatherings).

I took a semester off and was back the following year, babe in arms, but the relationship was never really the same after that...

Wait, this was theological college? What in the actual F. That's insane.

 

[Paidiske]

This was theological college.

I remember my husband reading that email over my shoulder and saying, "It's like they're punishing you for being pregnant."

But I was - as far as I know - the first ordinand ever to be pregnant while at that college, and they had no policy about how to support me, and no idea what they were doing. And the person making the decision told me (on another occasion) that "It's not appropriate for a young woman to do this job, anyway." So they put me in the too-hard basket, basically.

 

[gordonhooker]

This was theological college.

I remember my husband reading that email over my shoulder and saying, "It's like they're punishing you for being pregnant."

But I was - as far as I know - the first ordinand ever to be pregnant while at that college, and they had no policy about how to support me, and no idea what they were doing. And the person making the decision told me (on another occasion) that "It's not appropriate for a young woman to do this job, anyway." So they put me in the too-hard basket, basically.

All I can say, sister, you obviously have the patience of Job and the strength of a lion - just know we all love you and thanks for having the strength to prove them all wrong.

You would make a good Franciscan tertiary....

 

[Paidiske]

Thanks, gordon. I really mean it; it means a lot.

I tend to think that I have a tendency to be pig-headed and thick-skinned; not always my best traits, but sometimes helpful!

 

[gordonhooker]

Thanks, gordon. I really mean it; it means a lot.

I tend to think that I have a tendency to be pig-headed and thick-skinned; not always my best traits, but sometimes helpful!

Well we are human - you have seen me in action when something really gets up by nose LOL