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SALT ALKE CITY: COO Says TEC's Survival is not a value of the Gospel. TEC exists to serve
Spiritual issue is avoiding the gospel Bishop Sauls tells Executive Council
Opening Remarks
Executive Council
April 18, 2012
Salt Lake City, UT
The Rt. Rev. Stacy F. Sauls
Chief Operating Officer
The Episcopal Church
When I was a new rector 22 years ago at St. Thomas Church in Savannah, I noticed a something about my vestry that led me to wonder. What I noticed was that the agenda pattern I inherited, and to which the vestry was quite committed, began (after a perfunctory prayer) with the treasurer's report. I also noticed that the treasurer's report took up a huge amount of time, an hour or often more. And it took a lot of energy, often because of very strongly held opinions that resulted in frequent arguments. After all, money matters.
It is serious business. One of the things that meant was that we often did not get to anything else. At all. When we did, we were too worn out from the arguing about money to give it the attention it deserved. I came home after every vestry meeting frustrated and, often, angry, occasionally pledging to have my bags packed the next morning. I can't understand why serving on a vestry, like working for the church, is often a spiritually damaging experience.
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