Posts Tagged SC

Loren Mead, author, teacher, and priest, has died – Great Loss – Good Friend*

 by Episcopal Cafe

Born in Florence, South Carolina, on February 17, 1930, Loren B. Mead, graduated from the University of the South, and later earned an MA from the University of South Carolina.  After teaching in the Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School for Adults for two years, Loren attended Virginia Theological Seminary and received his Masters in Divinity in 1955 and was ordained an Episcopal priest.

He was an educator, consultant, and author who worked to strengthen religious institutions, especially of local congregations. Mr. Mead collaborated with lay people, clergy, executives and bishops, teachers, and others committed to ministry.  A pioneer in congregational studies, he brought together the methods of organization development consultation and applied research for working with congregations.

Born and raised in the segregated South, Loren worked for racial justice and reconciliation throughout his career. Besides marching with a delegation of white pastors in support of Martin Luther King after the death of Medgar Evers, he played a leading role in the desegregation of Chapel Hill.

As an author, he published four best-selling books on the future of the church; The Once and Future Church (1991), Transforming Congregations for the Future (1994), Five Challenges for the Once and Future Church (1996), and Financial Meltdown in the Mainline? (1998).  In addition to a number of articles and chapters in edited works, he is also the author of New Hope for Congregations (1972), Critical Moment of Ministry: The Change of Pastors (1987), The Whole Truth(1987), and More than Numbers (1994).  His most recent book, The Parish is the Issue refocused on his work with congregations as the future direction.

 

In his work with churches, Mead developed a number of resources on the role and work of the interim pastor, the use of conflict management, clergy stress and burnout, concepts of change and development in congregations and their judicatory systems, training methods for executives and bishops.  He was concerned for the personal, professional, and spiritual development of lay and clergy leaders, and especially for the creative possibilities for churches and leaders at moments of transition in role.

 

Mead’s work with the Alban Institute was informed by his career in the parish ministry. After serving in several parishes in North and South Carolina, as well as the UK, until the then Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, John Hines, asked him to direct that denomination’s experimental “Project Test Pattern” for a three-year period.  In 1974, Mead founded the Alban Institute, Inc., developing its national, multi-denominational network of research, publishing, education, and consulting.

 

Mead later received honorary degrees from the University of the South, Virginia Theological Seminary, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale,  and The Episcopal Divinity School.  In 1999, he was named the fifth recipient of the Henry Knox Sherrill Medal by the Episcopal Church Foundation.

Mead’s work lives on in the church. Alban at Duke Divinity, the successor to the Alban Institute, continues his agenda of research and consulting. Institutions like the interim pastorate and the Consortium of Endowed Parishes continue to express the concern for the life of local religious communities that was the heart of his professional vocation.

*Loren offered me great help when my own Church life was shaken.  I first met him at the Chautauqua Institution in New York State. He influenced me for the rest of my life.

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SCSLHA Adopts Say Something Nice Day

The South Carolina Speech Language and Hearing Association has adopted the celebration of Say Something Nice Day on June first as one of its special projects. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of the immediate past president, Dr. Jackie Jones-Brown, CCC-SLP. The association has more than 1,000 members and touches every corner of South Carolina. Their support will go a long way toward our goal of more respectful speech and of creating a healthier workplace.

I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting with old friends and making new ones at the Past President’s Luncheon last Thursday in North Charleston. These folks have dedicated their careers to helping everyone young and old develop more effective communication skills. It is an organization in which I am proud to claim membership. The growth and accomplishments of the association are simply phenomenal.

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Our Father; Discovering Family – Review by Dr. Robert M. Knight

DR.MONTY KnightIf you prefer feeling sorry for yourself, don’t read Dr. Carnell’s book. You won’t like it. Mitch’s T-shirt is meant to read: “Job was a wuss!” If you’re a privileged, totalitarian liberal, you won’t appreciate the book. Mitch’s open mind comes from growing up in the most humble and provincial of circumstances. Go figure. If you can’t find a fight you don’t want to go to, Dr. Carnell is no help in that regard either. He figured out long before most of the rest of us what a trap that is. If you prefer your side of whatever the truth wherever, Mitch Carnell’s book will provoke you by seeing another side of that same truth–there or somewhere else. It’s harder for Mitch, than for his friends, to not love his enemies, even when he doesn’t necessarily like ’em. If the guy just weren’t a Christian, his book might be more useful, at least in the real world. Dr. Carnell doesn’t even confuse institutional church life with the integrity of authentic Christian faith and service . So if you’re looking for an easy excuse to spend your Sundays at Starbucks or the beach, you won’t find “Our Father” particularly supportive.

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Say Something Nice Day/Sunday

The cities of Charleston, North Charleston and Cayce, South Carolina all proclaimed Say Something Nice Day.

Baptists, Catholics, Church of God, Disciples, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists and Presbyterians across the USA and the UK celebrated Say Something Nice Sunday.

Our words are powerful. With our words we can bring about great healing or inflict deep wounds. Think about the most uplifting words ever spoken to you and how they made you feel. The Bible tells us how powerful our words are. God spoke our world into being. With our words we can join the creative process when we use our words to build others up. Start every day by giving a cheerful greeting to everyone you meet.

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