Liberal Michigan Episcopalians To Spend $350,000 To Study Why They Are Shrinking

Diocese of Michigan in Steep Decline. Sunday Attendance Down by 22%.

Plate Revenues Down $2 Million

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/16/2008

The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is in free fall.

The liberal diocese is faced with declining church attendance, and dwindling income. The diocese is going to launch a plan aimed at revitalizing the "diocesan household."

A report at their website said the diocese must face stark realities. A task force says that "the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is in steep decline." Charts included in the document reveal that average Sunday attendance has declined by 22% since 2000. During the same time period, "pledge and plate revenues" for all congregations combined has decreased by approximately $2 million, when adjusted for inflation.

"We are experiencing decline in members, attendance and revenues," the proposal says. "We are drawing down our assets and depleting some of our assets. The only faith-filled response is to make bold decisions to invest in places and congregations where signs of vitality are strong. It will require courage, prayer and faith. It will require a more deliberate commitment than we, as a household, have ever dared to make. And most of all, it will require God's blessing and divine guidance as we seek to do his will," says Bishop Wendell Gibbs.

Delegates to Michigan's 174th annual convention, meeting October 24-25 in Dearborn, will entertain a proposal from the Diocesan Council and the Extended Ministries Fund Task Force II that calls for spending up to $325,000 from the principal of Ruth Harvey who endowed nearly $9 million to the diocese. She was a life-long member of Christ Church, Detroit.

The EMF fund will be used to do a top to bottom study of the diocese. The project is designed to promote ministry and growth. A series of open forums leading up to convention got underway on October 8.

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GJ - Some nice old lady left $9 million to the Episcopalians in Michigan. The apostates have done everything possible to drive away their members. Now they are going to shave that endowment to find out how they can rev things up again. They will try everything to get things going again - everything except the Word of God.

WELS spent far more money proportionately with all the Schwan funds and restricted funds - did not work. Synod officials Wayne Mueller and SP Gurgel decided not to be legalistic about the term restricted funds.

All the mainline groups have spent an ocean of money on methods, study at Fuller and Willow Creek, statistical analysis, computer networks. Not one is interested in being faithful to their own confessions, whatever they are.

ELCA had some fine theologians in the past. They could have a national study based on Lenski or Krauth, but they will not. The leaders have more in common with Bill Ayres and his lovely bomb-shell wife, Bernadette Dorn.

Missouri likes to use the name Concordia all the time. They should study the Formula of Concord. Some of the clergy would end up saying, "This sheds a lot of light of what we have been doing...or not doing." The LCMS leaders covet ELCA and the pastors covet Rome. They have a non-geographical Pentecostal wing (pun intended) that has more in common with the Assemblies of God than Martin Luther and Chemny or whatever-his-name-is.

The Wisconsin Synod has had such bad leadership that some have finally awakened before the hour of their doom. However, most clergy are almost numb to Luther and the Book of Concord. Besides, they cannot admit having false teachers. After finally ridding themselves of Wayne Mueller, who just about wrecked WELS, they invite him to be the main speaker in Glendale, Arizona. I was going to sit at his feet and drink in the wisdom of Fuller, Willow Creek, and ELCA, but I discovered something good on daytime TV for those days.

11:00 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller
12:00 Lunch: Prayer led by conference Vice-Chairman, Pastor Tim Westendorf.
1:00 Afternoon Devotion: San Diego Circuit pastor
1:15 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller
2:45 Afternoon Break
3:00 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller

The Little Sect on the Prairie has re-established the papacy.

The nano-sects cannot outrun the actuaries and morticians, who will put them out of business soon, but not soon enough.