so i bought "the congregation" and watched it tonight. i am somewhat torn with what i saw. from the complaining of congregation members, to the coming out process of rev. stroud, the many many meetings, & my concern for pastor day. it was compelling documentary for me. however, a bit slow (especially the youth parts) if you are used to regular television.
as a church, one of the first methodist churches in america, they realized a boom post wwII and then members moved to the suburbs. the church redefined itself under a pastor leadership that had a focus on social justice issues and politics. the church became one of the first "reconciling" churches. this pastor leadership was in place for 37 years. pastor fred day was appointed to lead the congregation after the retirement of this leadership. i am sure most people saw this dynamic as a potentially volatile, i am sure rev. day knew this as well. still, i am struck that it took them two years to figure out that they are the congregation of the church and facilitators of it's ministry. a lady, at a meeting where the staff parish committee gave it's vote of confidence for rev. day, stood up and stated that they were under the leadership of a ceo minister who directed them what to do. now they were in the presence of a managing partner as minister. yeah! i am glad that someone figured it out, and then said it.
it's an unusual part of the methodist church, the changing of ministers. certainly congregations do not want to let a great minister go. the change though keeps ministries of the church with the people of the church, not the appointed minister. i feel that is important for the church to remember.
as for rev. stroud. it filmed her meeting with, i assume, staff parrish about her feeling a need to express her homosexuality and need to become completely honest with everyone. they filmed her sermon from the pulpit on Easter where she proclaimed her sexuality. it was a compelling moment for sure, i felt for her as i know that was tough. she made a great joke, proclaiming that her partner wasn't too thrilled about becoming a preachers wife. the congregation gave a standing ovation of her sermon as she proclaimed that, as i have hid behind the locked doors as the disciples Christ is alive with me now as he was alive with them. the documentary followed rev. stroud through her verdict of her trial, where she was stripped of her credentials.
in the closing dialogue it mentioned that pastor fred day left the church a year after rev. stroud gave her Easter sermon. those who kept complaining finally got to him. rev. stroud this past december was stripped of her creditials, but i understand she is still employed at "fumcog." at the end of her trial i read that one of the presiding officers in the trial said that, one day we will all owe her an apology.
“I feel there were some questions the church needs to wrestle with that we were not able to wrestle with at the trial,” she said about her decision. which i agree with. our church is wrestling with homosexuality and needs to be addressing it in other avenues than church trials. my take on this i highlighted earlier in "rev stroud."
pastor day has an interesting interview in which he says that the congregation is made up of "refuges." people who have been hurt by the church... funny, i wonder how this affects them and will effect the methodist church?
