We could not be Episcopalian without them. However, the Episcopal Church has gotten out of balance. Diocesan and national offices use too much of our resources and provide too little in return. We need to return to the pastoral model and abandon the corporate and governmental models now in vogue. We need shepherds, not CEOs, bureaucrats or policy wonks for Jesus.
People encounter the church at the parish level and participate at the parish level.
The parishes need more emphasis and resources. Kan. A while back I read with interest the news magazine reports on the growing mega-churches. It appeared that the formula for their success was based on aggressive marketing focused on what people perceived as their spiritual needs. The churches developed a missionary attitude, addressing the needs of the people in the local community. It was not abstract.