These people need the saving grace of the gospel just as much as anyone else. And the woods aren't a bad place to live. There's fresh air, beautiful green mountain forests, pretty rivers, no traffic, front yard flower gardens, decent school systems, sports programs for the kids, well-plowed roads in winter, and cheap prices on everything from auto insurance to lunch at the coffee shop. I am very pleased with my new synod. My colleagues here are as fine a group of clergy as I have met anywhere in the United States.
Women are well-accepted and appreciated professionally.
My Bishop is someone I can respect, someone who makes himself very available to his clergy and parishes. Collegial cooperation through weekly pericope studies and monthly regional clergy meetings is stressed. Okay, there are a few things we don't have. An overnight package service delivers to the door. During the first few months of living here, if you're suffering urban withdrawal, try scheduling a overnight trip to a major urban shopping area and overdosing for a day or two on shopping malls, sushi bars, and Stravinsky.