A posting at Not Too Much links to the story of a committed Christian, who happens to be gay, reluctantly choosing to pursue his calling to lay ministry elsewhere, apparently because of opposition by a vocal few in his otherwise-supportive parish.
For several years I’ve been wrestling with an analogous dilemma, altbough not in connection with the disputes about homosexuality. I’ve been reluctant to tell the story, but now seems like a good time to do so.
Three years ago, I taught a four-week adult-ed Sunday school class on the scientific case for theism. It was intended as the first installment of a hard-eyed look at "core Christianity," in the hope of showing that the religion of Jesus was intellectually defensible even from a skeptic’s perspective. The number of handouts I had left over each Sunday suggested that the attendance fluctuated between 60 and 80 each week. At the end of the four weeks, I handed out a written feedback survey and got back something like 25 responses, all but one or two of which were favorable.
The head of our adult education program, one of our associate rectors, told me I couldn’t continue with the second series of classes. He said my christological views were insufficiently orthodox. The rector and several of our other highly-orthodox priests invited me to lunch to talk about the issue. I explained that my christology was essentially agnostic; I wasn’t persuaded of the Nicene variety, but I had no particular agenda to attack it, and I couldn’t ignore the fact that millions of people did believe it to be true.
I pointed out that my classes could help get doubters in the door, and in the case of our young people, perhaps help slow their drift away from the church. I commented that a whole lot of the unchurched aren’t even sure about basic theism. The orthodox leadership had essentially zero chance of making "proper" Christians out of them without first laying a basic theistic foundation. Our efforts, their and mine, could be complementary.
My arguments made no discernible impression. Our clergy couldn’t have been nicer about it, but the decision was final. I’ve since been given to understand that the only role I’m ever likely to play in our adult-ed program is that of audience member.
That’s one of several factors that have caused me to think about switching parishes. My wife and I have visited some other local parishes, and been very favorably impressed with one in particular.
But our existing parish is home. And I was encouraged when the bishop said to me and a liberal friend in the parish that he was glad we were staying, because it’s not good for parishes to get too far out of balance in either direction. So for the time being, here we stay.
Still, I wish I were teaching Sunday school.
Technorati tag: Episcopal
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