Accountability



I love Annual Meetings. These gatherings more than bring the congregation together to deliberate on the church’s business and elect new leadership; they provide the opportunity for those who have been entrusted with leadership to give an account of their stewardship.

Accountability during Annual Meetings reminds me of a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25, about a master who gave talents to three servants based on their individual ability. To one, he gave five, to another, he gave two, and to the last, he gave one. Jesus then tells us that after a period, the master returned and invited each of the servants to give an account of their stewardship.

One of the important lessons from that story is that the three servants didn’t receive an equal number of talents. That same principle exists within the sacred space of the church; we are not given an equal number of gifts because we do not have the same strength, capabilities, or even abilities. There is no doubt that we are one people, but we are also uniquely different from each other. St. Paul couldn’t make it any more straightforward when he makes the point that we have different gifts. And the fact that we all have different gifts is because we are different people with different abilities.

A remarkable thought about our gifts is that not only do we have different gifts, but that even if we have the same gifts or talents, they wouldn’t be of the same quantity. They still would be different because we have different abilities.

Another important lesson about the parable is that our ministry of service has never been about how many gifts or talents we each have; it has always been about what we do with the gifts or talents that we have been freely given. And so, if you have five talents, use them. If you have three talents, use them. And if you have one talent, use it. Using our gifts or talents is a testament of our faith in the God who provides and the ultimate means by which we honor our commitment to God’s service.

Growing up at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church, Sekondi, I remember Annual Meetings being very contentious. Looking back at those times, it feels a little odd that we were under a military dictatorship, but within the church was this gem of democratic principles: parishioners could run for the Parochial Church Council (PCC) and be elected to serve. The PCC is our version of Vestry. I am glad our annual meetings are not as contentious, probably because it has always been about what has happened in the past.

This year’s Annual Meeting might be a little different because, quite apart from calling us to account, it would invite us to reflect on the future and what the future holds for our beloved Christ Church. I once heard that the past is the rearview mirror, the present is your steering wheel, the future is the road ahead, so focus your eyes ahead, and drive with intention so you don’t crash while looking back.

I love history and the lessons of history. These lessons are to guide us as we look into the future. But they do not determine the future for us. As many of you have heard me say elsewhere, the present operating model, where about 80% of our income is based on pledges, is not sustainable in the long term. And so, as a community, we must honestly discern what God might be calling us to do as we look into the future.

Our experience building New Brick and the great effort we put into retiring our debt should guide us, but it shouldn’t predetermine the direction we choose. Again, we learn from the lessons of history, but we commit ourselves to due diligence as we focus on the steering wheel in our hands. This is all part of being accountable.

A few months ago, a number of Catholic Churches closed in Baltimore, which was the first Roman Catholic Diocese in Colonial America. I read an article on Axios.com: 15,000 churches could close this year amid religious shift in U.S. The reasons are many and varied, but the story is the same -churches are closing. Sometimes, it feels to me that many of these congregations saw the writing on the wall, but they behaved as if everything would be fine by doing nothing. We don't have to fall into that trap. There's nothing wrong with being proactive.

The truth is, the Episcopal Church isn’t immune to these challenges. As a matter of fact, one of the large congregations in the Diocese of Maryland had to let go of an Associate Rector due to financial constraints, and many congregations are opting for part-time Rectors rather than full-time Rectors. As a congregation, we recently couldn’t hire a full-time Associate because we didn’t have the resources to do so. We are blessed to have Mother Marcia, who has committed herself to this congregation and often works without compensation.

Quite apart from that, there are a few positions here that need to be full-time with benefits but that isn’t the case, and there are new ministries that we could develop and or build but we don’t have the capacity to resource them.

These are issues that weigh down on me and give me sleepless nights. This is because they cry out for a dispassionate assessment and conversation about our common life, and for new and strategic ways to ensure the long-term sustainability of this congregation. If we all agree that the status quo isn’t sustainable, then it is our duty to find new and sustainable ways in which we can support our common life into the future.

I take great pride in the fact that we are an attractive and growing congregation, that we have done extraordinary ministry, and that we continue to do so much within this community and beyond. But we are also an aging congregation, and this reality must guide some of the decisions we make as we hold the steer.

Pope John XXIII once said, “Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do.” The question is, what is still possible for us to do as a congregation? There's a lot we can do because there's a great need in our troubled and weary world.

Please join us this Sunday and participate in the conversation. Be a part of the process. "Render your heart," as Jesus once said. We therefore need a heart that is passionate, discerning, and open to welcoming the ideas and suggestions of others. We need a heart that seeks to support the well-being of the congregation. We need a heart that will commit to working as hard as possible to nurture a dream for our congregation. We need a heart committed to the future and the long-term sustainability of this congregation. We need a heart that believes itself accountable, not only to the present but also to the future.

Are you the one with that heart? Do you feel you can hold yourself and each other accountable? Let us all hear from you.

Manny+