Monday, October 6, 2025

Charge Conference

 

Last night's almost-Super Moon

I attended charge conference last night

even though my feet dragged

thought I was done with these things

but

I'm a member of this one

curious about the church

there is new DS to meet

young Korean shook my hand

is this him? this fellow looks too young

I gave my name but he did not give his

I asked him you are...? yes the DS

I can’t believe we’ve never met (actually I can)

it’s nice to meet you so that much is done.

No opportunity to sneak out

I stayed the duration

worship DS sermon

horrible discernment at church tables

never seen this done

felt sorry for small churches

embarrassed shamed

by having to answer questions.

Two churches doing well

growing excited about everything

Pittsboro and The Local Church

(relatively) new church merged with Evergreen

others not so much.

I feel impotently angry for little churches

who cannot understand

why outsiders do not find them attractive

last year’s charge profile allowed churches

to name villains:

Covid shrinking population 

disaffiliations

terrible pastoral leadership

hard to blame shrinking population

in this corner of the state.

 

Here’s what I know

only one of declining churches

present last night

has functioning web site

where someone might discover

what time the church worships

that is the tip of the iceberg I’m sure

I don’t know the answer

nor why my heart hurts for them.

As we’re leaving

here came a woman from Evergreen

who remembered me

(I was there briefly with Aldersgate)

we’re doing so well she told me

I’m happy for you! happy also

it appears Local Church and you all

get to keep your (valuable) property I said

after lunching last year

with Evergreen’s former interim pastor

who told she didn’t think it would happen

make it happen I urged her

it was good to see something

that might have ended badly

end very well

praise God.

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