“The whole community (of Ocean Beach) will be changed,” Bishop Jim Mathes told a recent gathering of the Episcopal faithful from across the country.
At a recent “community gathering” in San Diego of roughly 300 Asian, Black, Latino and Native American clergy and laity from across the Episcopal Church was held. Organized through the Ethnic Ministries offices of the church, the agenda for the “New Community Gathering” included community engagement and mission focus.
During the meeting, they were welcomed by Bishop Jim Mathes of San Diego. It was reported via the Church’s press that Mathes stated:
“the diocese is also in the process of relocating its headquarters to the Ocean Beach area, where it currently provides 3,000 service contacts monthly in the form of 12-step groups, meals, legal and medical assistance, even haircuts.”
And it was reported that he continued to state:
“We’ve established mission and ministry there. Now we’re going to gather those who are being served and find their congregation,” he said.
Contextually, the diocese identified its mission focus as advocacy and action in the areas of immigration and border issues, poverty and homelessness and veteran’s assistance.
Moving into the community in a new way is exciting, he said. “I’m going to be changed by this location … leadership will be changed in this missional approach. The whole community will be changed.”
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Mother Earth doesn’t need more religionists; she needs more rational thinkers.
You know we’re talking Episcopal here, not evangelical southern Baptist right wing nut cases. Bishop Jim Mathes is quite the liberal.
Regardless of the astrotheological ideology, Mother Earth needs more thinking people; she has a lot of problems that need attention.
“the diocese is also in the process of relocating its headquarters to the Ocean Beach area, where it currently provides 3,000 service contacts monthly in the form of 12-step groups, meals, legal and medical assistance, even haircuts.”
Looks like it’s doing some good work to me. They are not “religionists” and I guarantee you they’re not going to attempt to convert all the people they service into Christian cyborgs. Ideological differences DO matter. Most Episcopes are quite smart and educated. Many volunteer with environmental organizations such as Surfrider Foundation, The Sierra Club, Wild Coast and even Greenpeace (not joking). I even know one who works for NOAA and another who used to be an attorney with the EPA. They do not hold the belief that everyone who doesn’t convert to their ideology will be condemned to hell.
Strawman fallacy. The foundation of the religionists’ ideologies are based on astrotheology. Religionists have attempted to raise their concept of faith to a certain level of thinking when it is in actuality unthinking. Faith is a belief in that which cannot be proven. Mother Earth needs thinking people.
Isn’t’ the belief that the earth is “Mother Earth” a kind of religious belief in and of itself?
Absolutely. Many cults were matriarchal before the patriarchy of the early church took over, and then they blended the worship of sun gods like Horus, Mithra, & Zoaraster.
Don’t care about the religious aspect, and glad that some in need may get more help, especially if they are veterans.
But is this going to be a large-scale service provider in OB?
I hope they teach people how to get a job, enter the work place in order to stop being reliant upon others for their basic needs.
The only place you can go and get free food when you are flat broke in OB is the Fishes and Loaves program run by the Episcopal Church on Sunset Cliffs.
I’ve been there a few times, it is run by great people, and not only do I get the benefit of some food when I have no money, seeing others there who are much worse off than I is a reality check that things could always be worse.
Mother Earth and her thinkers are great for conversation but it’s nice to get a bite to eat sometimes.
There are many reasons religion needs to be kept in check. There are many in which we need to let it bloom.
If there is a God, and I don’t think we’ll ever really know, God Bless these people.
Religions: the bane of mankind.
Religions as human invented vehicles of oppression and corruption, yes- but atheists who profess there cannot be a “god ” are as foolish as theists who profess their path of redemption for eternal life is the shortest.
I would posit on religion though, if their followers are so hopelessly misguided, why would you want to destroy the one thing keeping them out of trouble or off the streets at night?
Religions: the bane of the Earth.
Maybe they (church members) are gonna go retro on OB and try to work with the homeless kids. You know, give them something to look forward to, so they won’t devolve into dope fiends or something. Some things,like dope,can become religions of their’ own. That’s probably what their’ angle is. These men of god can get a program going and live in OB for the next 25 years at the church’s expense.
“Some things,like dope,can become religions of their’ own.”
That’s why most people who go straight, especially through 12 step programs (which base their whole philosophy around it) end up with this “born again” thing.
As they say, “he used to be all ****ed up on drugs, now he’s all ****ed up on the Lord”.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing, everyone needs a cause, a raison d’etre, to motivate themselves to get out of bed every day.
When Christmas comes around in our youth we think about all the things we’ll receive, as you get older the concept of giving to others becomes its own reward. Religion becomes a vehicle for many to do just that, my 85 year old mother is an active volunteer at St. Vincent De Paul in the Tacoma WA area, much of her life revolves around it.