Revolutionizing The Parish Meeting
Some of the most simple things are difficult to describe. Perhaps this is because we often assume we already know and understand the simple thing in front of us.
Take, for example, a Parish Meeting. We think we might know what this is, it’s a meeting where a parish (a somewhat antiquated and insider term for what is otherwise known as a congregation or church) gathers.
This summer I read Timothy Gorringe’s biography of Alan Ecclestone, a revolutionary priest who served as vicar of Holy Trinity in Sheffield from 1942-1969. You’d think the greatest revelation in the book would focus on how a parish priest could also be a Communist, and of course that was one interesting thing about Ecclestone.
But of far greater interest, something he did that I’m been inspired to retrieve, was the establishment at Holy Trinity of a weekly “Parish Meeting.” The shortest way to talk about the meeting is a pity, humorous definition offered by Ecclestone himself: “midway between a prayer- meeting and a parish whist-drive.” But more seriously: “A meeting where the whole congregation who habitually worshipped together would regularly meet to plan and carry out some common enterprise ... for the upbuilding of its community life.”
The Parish Meeting gathered each week in the kitchen of the vicarage. Anywhere from 20-90 people might show up each week. This meeting was like a lot of church gatherings with which we’re familiar, and yet different. For example, it replaced the regular church council meetings. It served as the church council.
But it was also like a bible study or other study group. They read things. But they didn’t just read the Bible. They also read public policy proposals, or the latest play. Then they discussed.
But they didn’t just discuss. They also acted, sometimes traveling to shows together, other times inviting outside guests, other times protesting.
This Sunday as we begin our fall programming at our congregation, I’ve decided to try my hand at retrieval, and we’re going to experiment with a version of the Parish Meeting. For those interested, it will gather at 9 a.m.
Times have changed, so it can’t be identical to the parish meetings in Sheffield. Our kitchen seats no more than about nine comfortably, and our house isn’t a vicarage, so that’s not possible. We’ll meet at the church. And although folks in the mid-20th century apparently could give three hours each week to a parish meeting, I think we’d be hard pressed to gather a group at that time for that purpose. We’ll meet for one.
Here’s how it works, as I understand it. Anyone and everyone comes to the meeting. If you’re there, you’re a part of the meeting. Then the group together works on an agenda. They make decisions about what they’ll discuss, how they’ll spend their time. Once the agenda is made, then they follow the agenda.
Timothy Gorringe in his biography of Ecclestone writes: “The Parish Meeting is simply the calling together of the worshippers, not to be addressed by a speaker, not to be a study group, not to be a working party ... but to be the Church facing its daily work and ready to find out just how it is to be tackled."
I offer here some examples of possible agenda items, because this is the part that is so radical and also so simple. The agenda can truly include anything, because isn’t the Christian life about everything and anything?
For example:
Maybe the group reviews the hymns of the church, reads some of them as poetry, and offers feedback to worship leaders on what kind of songs should be included in worship more regularly.
Or the group all decides to read articles about the regressive impact of sales taxes and alternatives to incarceration, then organizes a public advocacy campaign to ensure the local sales tax initiative funding a hundred million dollar jail expansion fails. Then later cover an international political topic.
The group discusses how they love and care for one another, and designs a system the congregation can use to ensure everyone is cared for by the community as a whole.
Everyone decides to watch the new episodes of She-Hulk coming out on Disney Plus and then discuss them.
They practice yoga together for an hour and make plans to incorporate more body movement into the congregations’ prayer life.
They read and discuss the church bassist’s mother’s new novel, Winter’s Reckoning.
They discuss pocket parks and how the church facilities could function as one.
They discuss how to follow through on the climate 2030 commitment of having our church be completely carbon neutral by 2030.
They read and discuss/compare the Apostles’ Creed alongside a social justice creed like Dorothee Sölle’s Credo.
They all spend the hour helping Sunday suppers prepare the meal we serve at a neighboring church while also discussing volunteerism and the struggle to effectively organize and maintain mutual aid.
The possibilities are endless. The point is to meet, gather the agenda of those who are present, then give attention to those agenda items, and keep meeting. And in the meetings, cultivate practices that facilitate deep sharing and mutual challenge and opportunities to truly debate, disagree, form new ideas, forgive, etc.
It’s a mostly an-archic approach that values the wisdom of the whole, while perhaps a facilitator sits to the side (as Alan Ecclestone used to near the fireplace) maintaining the agenda and periodically offering input. As Ecclestone said of the role of facilitator: “That person is there in the position of a learner like everyone else, and is just as likely to make mistakes.”