By Frank Lockwood
October 8, 2009
[. . .] This morning, she responded: “if so, not yet. nothing has been shared yet.”
That didn’t match what I’d been led to believe by a very reliable source. So I asked Anderson and the Presiding Bishop about the numbers during the press conference. Here’s what they said:
BIBLE BELT BLOGGER: The ASA and membership figures for 2008 have been compiled. I’m wondering if those were shared with the Executive Council this week and what the ASA and membership figures show for 2008 for the domestic dioceses.
PRESIDENT ANDERSON: Yes. (Clears throat). Excuse me, yes, they’ve been, um, circulated to the Executive Council via electronic means but we’re not going to be talking about those per se. Our agenda’s pretty full and we’ll probably be taking those up in the future at our next meeting.
BIBLE BELT BLOGGER: Can you share, though, what the results are?
PRESIDENT ANDERSON: We don’t know. I mean we have it written out but we’ll be posting it I’m sure as soon as we’re, they’re, approved and available. But yes, you’ll be able to get them.
LOCKWOOD: But presiding bishop, can you tell us what they show?
PRESIDING BISHOP JEFFERTS SCHORI: I, I’m sorry. I’m not able to comment on that at the moment. I don’t have it in my head. . .
Please read the entire article here.
2 comments:
The article isn't entirely correct. It supposes that the fall off is recent. There has been a steady decline for decades now amongst them mainline. See:
http://books.google.com/books?id=DJsA6SRr39sC&lpg=PA2&ots=RBYpEf_kiu&dq=episcopal%20church%20attendance%20figures%20graph&pg=PA4#v=onepage&q=&f=false
What has happened is the rate of fall has again picked up. Which isn't surprising. Why join an organization that doesn't have anything to say?
"No comment" looks really bad in black and white. That's PR 101.
If you behave as if you have bodies buried all over the place, don't blame people for assuming that you do.
Tom Brisson
Visalia
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