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dpb

On 5/31/2011 11:09 PM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:
....

Yes, the congregation had *no* choice. She, and many in the congregation
showed them that, yes, they did have a choice.
....

Well, I'll make one last comment.

Under the UM Book of Discipline there is a church council every member
of the church is automatically a member of this council. Decisions on
changing a local church mission direction such as this are made by a
vote in such a council. So, there is a mechanism to have a say/make a
choice.

Now, often only a very small minority of the congregation members will
bother to show up and make their opinions known and cast their vote, but
that's no the same thing as having no choice.

Whether that happened in this instance or not I have no way of knowing,
of course, but there is a process that gives local congregations quite a
lot of leeway; it isn't absolutely forced from the outside w/ no
recourse. OTOH, while I fail to understand why, it seems that many are
often more pleased to not participate but then complain when the
decision didn't go to their liking.

Pastor/Parish Committee can even recommend a replacement for a pastor
that is not in communion w/ the majority of the congregation or even
reject a new pastor appointment (albeit this is rare, it has and does
happen on occasion).

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