Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Diocesan Central

At a recent Chapter meeting I wrote down a quote by a guest speaker from Head Office, as it were:

'Some people in the Diocese may feel that they are a bit far from Wells and might be overlooked.'

It was identified as something that might be a bad thing. It got me pondering that I could think of nothing better than being in a parish a Diocesan office might largely ignore. Here we are, the other side of the Mendips from Wells, a place the railways don't reach, and far nearer Bristol Cathedral (8 miles) than Wells (23). People identify with Bristol as a place to work, shop, eat and do leisure things.

It is lovely to be an outpost of Bath and Wells. I hope nobody wants to know too much about what we do. We are effective but of course that is because we are mainly illegal, in Anglican terms. Forms of service, robes, office-saying - all treated laxly. We pay our share, generously. The Diocese don't have to leave us alone, we like them to care, but we love the absence of meddling. Am I evil?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a let down! When you said "Head Office" I got all excited. Then I discovered you meant the Diocesan head office.

Obviously not evil. Probably more of an anarchic pragmatist.

I think it all depends on your point of view. If you work at DHQ you have a vested interest in believing that you are important. That what you do is important and that if you in a parish a long way away you will feel left out.

Just be glad you aren't part of Gloucester Diocese: Church, a group of Christians clustered round a Bishop.

Now, that might not be evil either, but I don't think it's particularly gospel either.