PolityWonk on ministerial formation

I agree with Elizabeth (of “Elizabeth’s Little Blog”) that you should read PolityWonk’s “How UU Ministry Got to Be So Expensive” — and especially the little-told parts of the story from point #7 onwards. In a related note, my own choice of seminary was conditioned on the full tuition I got from Brite Divinity School (M.Div.… Continue reading PolityWonk on ministerial formation

Making the church building pay its way, part 0

There’s a charming old picture of the hoary Universalist church in Oxford, Massachusetts with retail space on its ground floor and the meeting-space above. Wise, that. Empty churches — by which I mean the buildings — are bad stewards no matter where or when they are, and these days a bad steward might kill the… Continue reading Making the church building pay its way, part 0

When discounting memberships, internationally

Another church administration tidbit, in a roundabout way, though really more directed to membership organizations with any sort of international outreach — Membership organizations usually offer discounts for cause to members of certain classes of person — the young, the unemployed, students, the elderly, low earners, the retired, military service personnel, and so on —… Continue reading When discounting memberships, internationally

Future of theological education?

Several years ago, visiting a colleague-friend, I visited the Universalist-founded Tufts University, musing that this was as close as I was ever to get to a formal Universalist education. Crane, the Universalist seminary at Tufts, and St. Lawrence, the Universalist seminary in upstate New York were both closed in the late 1960s because the powers-that-were… Continue reading Future of theological education?

My apartment’s real cost

Hubby and I live in a mid-grade rental apartment in a newly-nice neighborhood very close to downtown D.C. We both walk to work. (Washington, D.C. has one of the highest rates of pedestrian commuters in the country.) We don’t own a car. Most people who don’t live in New York or Los Angeles think we… Continue reading My apartment’s real cost

Practice now to cope later

Whether you look to the emerging global environmental crisis, the emerging global financial crisis or the spiritual and cultural crisis that may come from the two, I think life is going to be harder for most people as time goes on. Of course, for millions, the hardship may be fatal or at the very least… Continue reading Practice now to cope later