RE: [HoB/D] This is very much a matter of stewardship

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

******** *******,

> Louie, when you pay the bills of someone who is not responsible or
> accountable, it is called enabling.

That's the reason that I propose a resolution to stop any diocese's voting
privileges until it pays its part of the canonical expenses of TEC.
Otherwise TEC enables the unscrupulous to sabatoge TEC with no
accountability to their colleagues.

We have seen that several who agree with you have no shame in voting on how
to spend the tithes and offerings of others without being willing to share a
portion of their own diocesan income.

We have seen that several who agree with you have no shame in accepting
appointments to commissions, committees, agencies, and boards while
expecting others fully to fund their pariticipation, even in some cases when
they have sworn to do all in their power to bring financial destruction to
TEC.

We have seen that some dioceses who hold your views do not extend voting
privileges to congregations who unless the congregations pay their part of
diocesan expenses, yet complain that they are under attack when we propose
holding all to that standard within TEC.

You write as if you have an exclusive franchise on God's truth.  You do not.
Nor do I.  That's why we need each other.

I have it on supreme authority that you won't get to heaven by how nice you
are to those who agree with you, but by how well you treat those whom you
consider to be the least among us.

The same goes for me.

It's a strange an wondrous religion:  we're stuck with ona another for all
of eternity:  it's best we get on with loving each other.  "Love without
justice is cheap sentimentality" (Carter Heyward).

Louie, L1 Newark

Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12D, E. Orange, NJ 07018 973-395-1068

 A vestry member had a modest income from raising and harvesting
 pecans, yet gave generously not only of her money but also her
 compassionate service to anyone in need. She was one of the first
 women to join the vestry. At one meeting, a general complained
 about giving to the church, especially any money going beyond the
 parish itself. "The problem is one of control," the general said.
 When we give money beyond our parish, we don't have any control
 over how that money is spent!"

 "No," the new vestry member replied, gently but firmly. "The
 problem is not one of control. When I give my money to the church,
 I give it to God. I don't need to control what the vestry or the
 diocese or the national church does with it. I trust that they will
 do what should be done with the Lord's money. The problem is not
 control, but faith. You need more faith that God will take our
 offerings and do with them far more than we could ever dream."

     --Reynolds Cheney, C1, Diocese of West Tennessee,  at
      http://www.andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/charlest.html