Yesterday I went to a meeting of the Resolution Task Force at St. Andrew's, Tacoma. I attended as the representative of the Personnel Committee of the Diocese. The purpose of the meeting was to help shape the resolution on clergy compensation that was tabled at last year's Convention.
At issue is the difference between traditional seminary-trained clergy who serve congregations for a salary, and Total Common Ministry clergy who serve as part of a ministry team for a congregation, and who are not paid. Currently our canons and Clergy Manual do not recognize TCM clergy, and we need to clean up the language.
The bigger issue, however, is our theology of ordination. I think it's important to remember that all clergy are equal in terms of their ordination, whether or not they're seminary-trained, and whether or not they're paid a salary or not. Once the bishop has laid hands on you, you're fully a priest or deacon.
To redeem the time, I made a quick watercolor of the lovely garden at St. Andrew's with its statue of St. Francis (above).
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