I have several impressions. I'll write more, if the Lord gives me the opportunity.
But, from a big picture perspective, I see nothing of what Jesus taught and did in any of it.
Someone in touch with me observed that this could be the plan of any secular organization.
Certainly, there is nothing unique to Jesus in any of it.
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The PDF acknowledges numerical decline near the beginning of the document and then suggests that the Conference has two alternatives:
1. To continue things as they are and risk further shrinkage,
2. Develop a new strategic plan...
That's it.
The only alternative to continued decline is to create a strategic plan?
How institutional.
How narrow minded.
Does anyone not know that there are options other than strategic plannning?
Do the hierarchs know that the Church of God had 800 churches after its first 60 years...
...all of that without a strategic plan?
There are alternatives other than more strategic planning.
I've also been reading the list of attendees to the Town Hall meetings and the list of questions and answers.
ReplyDeleteBased on my count, only 126 people attended the meetings, apart from members of ERC staff.
In a previous post, I called the attendance of the meetings moderate, based on the impression of the people who are in conversation with me.
Having seen the list of attendees, however, to say that participation was moderate overstates the case.
To call it meager may well be an exaggeration.
We have, according to the hierarchs, 145 churches.
Attendance at those meetings was less than one person per congregation. That's less than 1% of the average attendance at ERC churches.
The state of cynicism and apathy in the Conference is stifling.
But, according to the information contained in the comments by the hierarchs, they intend to begin to carry out the plan beginning on January 1...
...without the approval of the Eldership!
They have already formed Commissions the Body has not created and they are dissolving Commissions that the Body has created.
Is the any question why there is so much apathy and cynicism in the ERC?