Our fiend Dave Warnock is still trying to pull the threads together to organize a British Methodist bloggers gathering. I don’t envy him trying to sort that out. It’s guaranteed that whatever timing is chosen won’t suit everyone, but I do hope it happens. It would be good to get together.
As I anticipate the event, I’ve found myself wondering to myself what it means to be a Methodist blogger. If we bill ourselves explicitly as Methodists, do we have the right to blog in any way we choose, or does our choice of the label impose duties and responsibilities on us? I think it does.
First, I believe we have a special duty of care towards others in our little community. British Methodists are not a major part of the blogosphere, nor are we ever likely to be. We are a minority within a minority, and that’s OK. But blogging does occasionally get rough and in those circumstances its my view that family members should stick by one another.
Second, I reckon we have a responsibility towards the wider family in the Church, those outside the intimate circle of bloggers, who are often discouraged and dismayed about the way they hear the church presented in the media. We have to take the threats facing the church seriously of course, but does anyone really believe that constant talk of decline does the church any good? Methodist bloggers may not have much influence, but we do have a little. And whether we like it or not, attaching this strange label to ourselves does make us a public window on the church. I’m as aware as anyone that the Methodist Church in Britain is not perfect. It has me in it, for one thing! While I wouldn’t want Methodist blogs to be propaganda for the church, I do think we should try to keep our disputes and internal politics just that: internal.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Dave Warnock 09.26.07 at 2:13 am
Does that responsibility extend to calling each other fiends?
Richard 09.26.07 at 7:35 am
Yes - we’re all fiends together!
Paul Martin 09.26.07 at 8:30 am
“Fiends for Christ” - now that’s worth belonging to.
Methodist Preacher 09.26.07 at 12:30 pm
I gather that since the Labour bloggers met all has been sweetness and light. They turned out to all rather like one another. Perhaps that may happen when we meet in January
I think that there is always a fine line to be drawn - washing dirty linen in public is rarely a good option. However we need to be careful we don’t just back slap. I’ve posted two fairly controversial posts about how we should address Ministers (one this morning) but I’ve done my utmost to “innoculate” non Christians who may be confused by an internal Church controversy but is actually important about how we present ourselves to the world. Similar discussions do take place in the Methodist Recorder, though often at a less intense level and always ignored by non Methodists.
On one or two of my more controversial posts I have agonised for days before posting. On one occasion a post was pulled after protests from the kitchen table editorial board.
One area that we should also consider is how we address other parts of the Christian community and other faiths. There are some that I believe do great damage to the image of Christianity (an obvious example is some of the utter crap from the neocons in the US or the semi pagan practises of some denominations). How far should we engage with those issues? Its one of the reasons why I have asked at least one other Methodist blogger for care in referring to evangelicals, though on reflection I have to accept that my upfront approach - honed over many years in the rough world of politics, the shop floor and PR -may have been a bit brutal for some in the community of Methodist bloggers. (Early Methodism had similar problems with converted factory workers and miners - thats why Charles Wesley wrote “All praise to our redeeming Lord”, an ideal hymn for a church in conflict.)
And those issues ascribed to other faiths that repell us, honour killings for example, when should we discuss them, even if they happen in our own localities?
You mention church decline and discussion about it as a source of discouragement. If you are in a declining church and circuit you don’t need a blogger to draw your attention to what is happening, its so obvious, as are, very often, the causes. I get fed up reading Methodist worthies in the Recorder saying how there are signs of hope - I would lay odds (not literally) that there are no more than ten Churches in the whole Connexion who have seen a year on year growth over more than ten years. If we don’t talk about it, look at the causes, and discuss the possible solution, the decline will continue.
Finally may I suggest a simple ground rule for the blogger conference? That we assume the use of Christian names at all times. I’m not going to spend 24 hours calling people the Reverend Hall or the Reverend Warnock - that will get right up my non conformist protestant nostril.
Dave Warnock 09.26.07 at 1:58 pm
If anyone addresses me as Reverend Warnock I always look around to see who they are talking to
Reminds me of one of the first times in a dog collar. I was on placement and was wandering around the outside of an unfamiliar church trying to find out where I was supposed to be. In the end a couple of very friendly blokes on their way into an AA meeting guided me correctly. They addressed me as Father which rather cracked me up.
PamBG 09.26.07 at 3:36 pm
I’ve posted two fairly controversial posts about how we should address Ministers (one this morning) but I’ve done my utmost to “innoculate†non Christians who may be confused by an internal Church controversy but is actually important about how we present ourselves to the world.
I was really uncomfortable with this. Speaking personally, if I do something you don’t like, I hope that you will either email me or preferably ring me (obviously you know my address and phone number) before naming and shaming me on the internet.
I have to accept that my upfront approach - honed over many years in the rough world of politics, the shop floor and PR -may have been a bit brutal for some in the community of Methodist bloggers.
It feels brutal to me; when I watch prime minister’s question time, it feels like people are behaving like a bunch of public school boy bullies. I hold my opinions hopefully for considered reasons and yes, sometimes, because of the baggage that I carry. But I don’t hold my opinions for the purpose of throwing down the proverbial gauntlet to every person I meet.
PamBG 09.26.07 at 3:38 pm
They addressed me as Father which rather cracked me up.
I got called ‘Mother’ once. It was all I could do to stop myself from giggling. Everyone calls me ‘Pam’ except my mother when she’s upset with me when I’m ‘Pamelaaaaaa!’
Methodist Preacher 09.26.07 at 3:43 pm
When I went to Zimbabwe I was addressed as “Master”, I felt like throwing up.
Dave Warnock 09.26.07 at 4:23 pm
My experiences of working in Africa started as being the most junior person in meetings of the United Bible Societies. As such I certainly addressed my seniors (pretty much everyone there) at the African Regional Centre with much respect. I remember being touched by their humility and gentleness with such a junior member of the team. I needed to learn (and quickly too or my boss would have rightly had my hide) the need to put aside the informality of our London office and behave appropriately.
In the end I worked in over 30 countries and always for local people, showing respect for their culture and customs was important as was (in careful and appropriate ways) challenging some norms.
Richard 09.27.07 at 12:13 am
Interesting conversation. I’m not much into titles and stuff, but formality is important to people and I don’t begrudge them it. When I came to Swansea, the church here were insistent about putting my degrees after my name on the notice board. I didn’t want them to, but I gave in because it was important to them. Similarly, there are members of the congregation who insist on calling me “Mr Hall”. These things aren’t always simple.
Olive Morgan 09.27.07 at 8:55 am
Thank you, Pam. I, too, feel that the Internet is not the place to air such contraversial issues. That, and the’upfront approach’ made me fleetingly wonder whether I wanted to keep that link on my blog and even more whether i still wanted to make the journey to our proposed Methodist bloggers’ conference! I choose the links on my blog carefully.