Somewhat Expected, I Guess

Today I saw the former Christian Ed director from the church - the one who was pushed out in the spring. She passed along some interesting news.

Another family has left as a direct result of the actions of the new rector. This family leaving is a real blow, I think. The wife grew up in town and in the church. She was baptized in the church, they were married in the church, and all four of their kids were baptized in the church. The youngest just a couple of weeks ago. They made their decision to leave the day after the youngest's baptism.

The family has been very active in the church. He as a choir member and active in outreach. She as a Sunday school teacher, former vestry member - and member of the search committee that chose the new rector. Until very recently she was very active in her support for the new rector during his transition.

Here's the situation...

The family, the Ss, were very close personally to the interim rector. But they also were committed to their support of the new ministry and have been very careful and clear about that. They have been nothing but positive toward the new guy; they have kept their personal relationship with the interim very separate. When it came time for their youngest (born in July) to be baptized, they dutifully scheduled it with the church. But because of their personal connection to the interim, they asked him to come to a family gathering the night before and offer a blessing for the baby. Not a baptism, just a blessing. In no way usurping the role of the new rector.

The new rector heard about this. He was not pleased. As the former Christian Ed put it, "The water in the baptismal font might have well have been ice for the way he was behaving toward the S family."

This guy is such an self-absorbed, arrogant man that he could not see through his own shit to offer that baby the love and warmth he deserved on the day of his one and only baptism.

Apparently, there were little things going on in the background, too, but the S family worked hard to put on a good face. The baptism was the final straw. While one could argue that the interim should have bowed out, no wonder they wanted some warmth and love from the interim!

I've been to church, I think, three or four times this fall. The kids are still in choir and like it, but we only go when they are singing. S has actually liked it more - but that is because her best bud is there in Sunday school with her. The last time I was there....um...mid-November, I think, the rector said something in his (rambling, unconnected) sermon about he and most of the rectors in the diocese think attendance is on the upswing and that pledge drives are going well. Several of us in the back pews rolled our eyes at this as we counted the empty pews up front. And I happen to know they aren't meeting pledge targets.

So, as ever, news but no progress in any positive direction. It's still very sad for me.