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Mature Clergy
Okay. Maybe the title is a bit inflammatory but it got your attention, right?
We began our clergy session this year with talk about covenant. That's when I began to get a little nervous. And then I heard three little words that rank among the scariest in the English language: “Just trust us.”
Because that's worked so well for us in the past.
But the very first item on the agenda pretty much confirmed that my idea of covenant and the leadership’s idea of covenant are wildly different. The question was this: “Are all the clergy members of the conference blameless in their life and official administration?” And the answer (if you want to call it that) was this: “Yes, except for those who know their name is on file in the Bishop’s office.”
Now one way to look at this is that it is a very “Methodist” statement. It certainly makes sure that no one is “shamed,” which seemed to be a major concern in the covenant talk. However, one could also look around the room and say to oneself, “Hmm, I wonder who? I think I know some of them, but maybe there are others.” Since we don't know, suspicion rests on all of us.
Further on in the report is a question about who is on voluntary leave of absence. Two of the people on that list are on leave because they committed adultery. With each other. Do we really consider that voluntary leave? Now I think this is true because I've heard it through the grapevine from some pretty reliable sources. But I am not absolutely sure. So here’s the deal - is “voluntary leave” going to become a euphemism for “This person did something wrong, but we don't want to shame them, so we will call it something else?” Because we don't really know about the two folks I mentioned, we don't really know why anybody is on leave. I’m on voluntary leave. Are people going to look at me and wonder why?*
No, I'm not really that paranoid; but the official and public silence does encourage private rumor and speculation. You know this is true. It happens all the time in our churches. I couldn't talk about why we fired the secretary at my last church, even though she was spreading false statements, because I was honoring the confidentiality of SPRC. My silence about the reasons for her leaving was appropriate; all I shared was that she was leaving and that we wished her well. But the covenant among the clergy was violated by silence. Let me tell you why.
We don't need gory details, but if we don't have anything, then, not only do we get divisive and destructive rumors, but we also don't get: acknowledgment of sin, which means we don't have the chance for repentance of sin, which means we don't have a chance for forgiveness of sin. We don't get to say, “You were an idiot. QUIT BEING AN IDIOT! Now come here and let me give you a hug, because I love you anyway.” That is what fosters covenant and heals community.
Does our leadership not believe our clergy covenant is strong enough to hold through acknowledgement of sin? That we can't be more loving and gracious to one another than, say, the average Jr High schooler?
Maybe we can't, and if that is true then we need to do some serious work on our covenantal connection.
I just don't think that what we got in that report honors anybody.
*For the record, I am on leave because my husband died and I thought it would be best to take some time to grieve.
The Rev. Martha Myre is a clergy member of the North Texas Annual Conference. She blogs at Silent No More.