I might be in the right place

[kayre]

A lot of churches are moving towards saying that members should not be employees, and I tend to agree when it comes to folk like maintenance or administrators. But I think those of us who work specifically within the community-- musicians and educators-- are in a different category. We are explicitly connected with the belief framework of the church, and also we work nearly every Sunday plus religious holidays; how are we supposed to maintain connection with some other community for our spiritual health?

I had this conversation recently with my new pastor, though I am not necessarily ready to move my membership (I have even pondered just withdrawing my membership entirely). He admitted to leaning towards the "no member/employees" side but listened well. To my surprise, yesterday he told me that he went to the regional denominational authority, and they told him "with a person for whom membership is meaningful, it can be fine" (with one suggestion for minimizing potential conflict of interest). Then he went to the church ruling body and discussed it-- and says their response was unanimously "of COURSE she can join!"

Comments

[sine_nomine]

I am so thrilled that you have ended up there. They seem like good people, and thoughtful.

[hitchhiker]

what's the rationale behind members not being employees?

[amaebi]

As you know, I fell in love with presbyterianism because of the ecclesiology. But it's a high-rent ecclesiology that requires a lot from the congregation. It is such a pleasure to see it operating at your new place, not only in this instance but in so many you've told me about recently!

[cellio]

Interesting; it wouldn't have occurred to me that employees couldn't be members. At my synagogue, not only can employees be members but (at least back when I was on the board) we comped them (at least some of them). As you said, how would you be able to become part of, or maintain a connection with, a different community if you could never be there on the main communal days? I don't know what's normal for synagogues (having only the one data point) and I do know people who work in one and belong to a different one -- people like bookkeepers and administrative assistants and the like who wouldn't need to be at work on Shabbat or holidays to begin with. But that's a different situation.