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January 22, 2008
How do you get your voice heard?
I live in north London - not in a posh bit, but in a street with a mix of people who are of Greek Cypriot, West Indian, Irish, Chinese, Polish, African, white Anglo-Saxon and other origin. I came here in 1980 to throw in my lot with a small inner city church where the congregation reflected this fantastic world mix. Sadly, since the 1990s, this little church has had a succession of leaders who have lost members rather than gaining them, including I have to confess, me, as I could not respect the new leader at the time who thought God only arrived when he did.
Recently the hierarchy has decided there will no longer be a leader, and Sunday morning services will cease. Now, while I have great reservations about organised religion and the institution of the church, I know from my own experience that it is possible to find a deep sense of community and mutual support within a church, which can help people cope with the vagaries of everyday life, and provide space for giving attention to God and the inner journey.
In the last couple of weeks I have received distressed phone calls about the situation from a dear elderly and feisty friend who attends the said church, and who I sometimes drink Jamaican rum with. She represents a small but strong core of people who feel their voices haven't been heard, and this to me is the nub of the problem. Ordinary people haven't been listened to and understood by a powerful institution. To my mind, this is a problem with all institutions, not just a problem with the church. But it grieves me deeply that the church, which preaches God's love and teaches the words of Jesus (similar to those of holy men from other religions) that we should treat other people as we ourselves would want to be treated, so often gets this wrong.
Posted by Angela at January 22, 2008 10:27 AM
Comments
Thanks for your response, Anne, and for adding a bit of your story. It is sad indeed that these days we have to find ways of surviving church.
The next bit of my own story is that I had a painful and forced leaving of the church I went to after the one I wrote about, which I was heavily involved in for about 14 years, and which was creative, reflective and community-minded until a new vicar came and dismantled much of what gave us life.
Like you, I now go to other churches occasionally, with no desire to become involved. But community, and pursuing the inner journey are important and I continue to look for new ways of doing that.
Posted by: Angela at January 27, 2008 09:21 PM
This is very sad news indeed and I can only sympathise. I'm afraid I don't have any wise advice to share. I do think it's true that the church as a whole doesn't listen and may even dehumanise things although, unlike yourself, I've never found a church where I've felt totally accepted or at peace. At least not for long.
And I must also admit to coming from the other side of the equation. My husband and I left our church last spring after about 18 months of difficulties and through a process of gradually moving away. So from our combined (though not all at the same time!) positions of Server, Sacristan, Deanery Synod rep, PCC member and prayer rota stalwarts, we went to ... um ... nothing. To be honest, I think it was some kind of burnout process. The relief when I finally walked away for the last time was astonishingly good.
Now, we only go to (another) church about once a month or so and don't wish to get involved in anything at all. These days it seems the only way to survive church at all.
A
xxx
Posted by: Anne Brooke at January 24, 2008 07:40 AM