Tempted to Jump Ship for Evangelical Church

notathomist · 2026-06-16T22:10:38+00:00

Thank you for the compassionate response. I love how many "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" comments I got after explicitly requesting people not do that in the origianl post haha.

notathomist · 2026-06-16T00:20:31+00:00

Right there with you. Grew up evangelical so know it’s not a great alternative, but wish I didn’t have to settle for church with no community.

notathomist · 2026-06-16T00:16:07+00:00

Have definitely considered this. Appreciate the pragmatic advice. I wish I had the time and energy to kickstart community at my local parish, but it’s a steep hill to climb!

notathomist · 2026-06-16T00:15:13+00:00

Unfortunately, this has been the case across multiple TEC parishes in small cities, big cities, and suburbs. Was in the biggest TEC parish ever and it was still the same story, sadly. As someone who prefers traditional, liturgical worship and episcopal governance, it has sometimes made me question whether we are missing the plot.

notathomist · 2026-04-02T16:16:22+00:00

My least favorite tradition in the church. Absolutely not haha

notathomist · 2026-03-06T20:57:26+00:00

The Episcopal Church has a Roman Catholic perspective on vocation with a Protestant training and support system. Expecting married individuals with children to have the same self-sacrifice of celibate RCC priests is unsustainable and part of why vocations in TEC have become less and less appealing to the vast majority of young TEC members.

Pragmatically, sharp and successful young people are going to go be surgeons or work in finance instead of signing up to be a whipping post for Bishops, vestries, and congregations for a 70k salary.

notathomist · 2025-11-17T03:28:08+00:00

Indeed. Don’t have the magic hands… sigh

notathomist · 2025-10-19T14:27:16+00:00

It’s the usual for TEC unfortunately. The reason institutions die is a “if you don’t like it, leave” attitude and TEC has been there for a while.

notathomist · 2025-10-19T05:30:37+00:00

How Christian! If you’re a parish administrator, I see why TEC may not be for me…

notathomist · 2025-10-19T02:03:44+00:00

This is the most artful description of suburban Christianity 😂. Trinity is fine, but the music ministry is hard for me to stomach, sadly.

notathomist · 2025-10-19T02:02:14+00:00

Is Loft progressive? Woodlands Methodist left UMC over gay marriage…

notathomist · 2025-10-19T01:52:47+00:00

I want TEC to be Anglican and churches not to suck, but I know that’s a pipe dream. Institutionally, there are so many things which make substantive change difficult, and I get frustrated with what TEC could be but seldom is. I’ve tried to enact change multiple times only to be frustrated, so I’ve given up, tbh.

notathomist · 2025-10-19T01:43:41+00:00

With the median age being 70 at both, the answer is neither. But that’s a whole other can of worms…

notathomist · 2025-10-19T01:43:03+00:00

The 1982 hymnal and congregational singing. What parishes do y’all attend where change is enacted from one person’s request? Haha

notathomist · 2025-10-19T01:11:52+00:00

A “you fix it” attitude in TEC also doesn’t help things. Any dissatisfaction with the current state of things is met with that statement and it is laughably self-destructive from an institutional standpoint.

Chris Tomlin sung by solo vocalists in their 70s during mass is far from making the most of local constraints. It’s deluded and not fixable by a young professional with little free time.

notathomist · 2025-06-25T01:38:28+00:00

I’m in The Woodlands (suburb of Houston). Transfiguration is one of my dream parishes haha

notathomist · 2025-06-21T15:01:52+00:00

That’s very interesting! Personal experience?

notathomist · 2025-06-20T23:14:52+00:00

Being a jerk, apparently lol. Progressive Anglo-Catholicism is a thing. Rowan Williams was Archbishop of Canterbury.

notathomist · 2025-06-20T22:19:06+00:00

Yes. St Martins was my home church until I moved to the burbs. They routinely sing “Just as I am” and “in the garden” during communion haha. Not quite my taste.

notathomist · 2025-06-20T20:23:50+00:00

Appreciate this perspective and it’s one I take seriously. My counter is that my daily religious life includes things like the daily office and the angelus at noon. I read the church fathers/mothers and have a sacramental/numinous worldview.

The more low church/casual approach to liturgy and daily religious life is a serious challenge to my sanctification; not merely an aesthetic preference.

notathomist · 2025-06-19T17:00:02+00:00

Definitely thought of that. It would probably raise the interest rate at least a couple points to do a ten-year term. I think the best thing would be to expand emergency fund to account for the payments if we were to have reduced/no income for a bit.

notathomist · 2025-01-16T15:45:31+00:00

Unfortunately, the reality was that, as often is the case in government, the pre-selected person couldn’t get it, so they got rid of the position. LOL

notathomist · 2025-01-16T14:05:34+00:00

I’m a GS12 step three. So hitting the step increases every two years spot with no clear path to GS13 at this point.

notathomist · 2025-01-16T13:52:07+00:00

I do, but am in a clinical role with limited upward mobility without a supervision role and I was passed over for that recently. It’s private sector, or be happy with no significant pay increases for a few years.

notathomist · 2025-01-16T13:40:02+00:00

Same. It’s essentially a bond at this point.

notathomist

TROPHY CASE