From Kalamazoo-
Founded in 1837 in downtown Kalamazoo, St. Luke’s is one of the area’s oldest and most prominent congregations, and now its very survival is in question.
“It feels like having my home burn down with all my memories in it,” Fritz said.
Depending on who’s talking, there are two conflicting narratives on how the situation at St. Luke’s reached this point.
Although Lawlor and Episcopal Bishop Robert Gepert declined to be interviewed for this report, church documents detailing their perspectives describe an arrogant congregation set in its ways, living beyond its means and resistant to new leadership.
Some local church members, including Fritz, offer a different story: that of a close-knit church community that struggled with a pastor who lacked interpersonal skills and was indifferent to the needs of his congregation. They say the situation has been exacerbated by a bishop who wields church authority with an iron hand.
More here-
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2011/03/post_125.html
No comments:
Post a Comment