What is in Kelvin's Head?

Can you help me out here?

25/01/2013

I’ve been asked quite a few times this week for help. However I need you to help me out first before I can decide what to say or do.

The thing is, people keep saying to me that they want to learn how to do the online thing better in a church context. After I posted that piece about 8 Things the Churches Can Learn from the Collapse of HMV last week that really stepped up. Indeed nothing I’ve written has been retweeted, shared on Facebook or passed around more for months.

The thing is, I know that you can help a church congregation to grow by using the internet well. I know I’ve a lot to learn but I also know that I’m just ahead of the curve on this and able to see slightly further over the horizon than most people. It isn’t magic glasses that make me able to do this, it is because I’ve had an interest in communication techniques for a long time, a background in IT and I’ve done a wee bit of mission work with congregations. My recent sabbatical also gave me some time to think. I’m also aware that what I’m writing about has something to say to campaign groups, community organisers and other assorted politicos. I write in my context. You read in yours and I don’t forget it.

I’m happy to write more about all that and it seems to be something that quite a lot of people want to hear about. Indeed, I’ve almost begun to think that I should start up a different blog just devoted to that topic. Would that be a good idea?

If I’m going to write more though I need your help. What exactly do you want me to write about? Oh I know that you’d like me to offer you a free magic wand that would fill a church with nice unthreatening people who happened to glimpse on a website that there might be a church in the area. However, you know and I know that isn’t going to happen.

Help me out here. What aspects of this do you want me to address a bit more? Is there anything you are aware of me doing online well that you’d like to hear more about. Or even better, is there anything I’m not doing I could try or anything I could try to do better?

I’m aware of an outstanding comment from a few days ago asking for a bit more gen on posting sermons online.

What else would you like?

church, growth, mission, online

9 responses to “The Marriage Business”

Rhea

11/12/2012

I thought that what the government actually said was more of a “obviously with the current canon laws in place, the C of E and the Church in Wales won’t be able to opt in to marriage equality because their canon laws clearly state that marriage is between one man and one woman.”

To me the ultimate issue is with the churches and their canon laws that need to be changed, no?

Reply
1. Rhea
  
  11/12/2012
  
  I just saw this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20680924
  
  What in the world is the government thinking?!
  
  Reply
  1. kelvin
    
    11/12/2012
    
    Here’s the original announcement – quite clear that it isn’t just about Canon Law. They really are trying to make it illegal for the C of E and Church in Wales to opt in.
    
    http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/media_releases/9585.aspx
    
    Reply
  2. Beth
    
    11/12/2012
    
    The irony that that Department of Culture page is titled “Marriage For Everyone” absolutely knocks me down.
    
    I think that this more than anything else that has happened in equal marriage legislation this year has a real chance of being ruled illegal under Article 9 of the Human Rights Convention.
    
    Reply
Peter Higson

12/12/2012

Church of England clergy, and Church in Wales clergy, may take note of Giles Fraser’s suggestion: “So it will now be illegal for me to marry two people who live (with) each other. Now there is a cause worth going to prison for.” as report in the Independent.

Reply
1. kelvin
  
  12/12/2012
  
  Yes – I saw that tweet from Giles. Whilst supporting the sentiment, I suspect that he is going to have to work quite hard to find a judge willing to send him to prison for it.
  
  Reply
Martin Reynolds

12/12/2012

Yes, bizarre is the right word!

When the Church in Wales was disestablished back in 1920 it retained its priveledges and responsibilities with regard to marriage.

So, parishioners’ absolute legal right to be married in the parish church remains, as does the automatic right of Church in Wales clergy to be able to conduct marriages by virtue of their ordination alone.

We recently amended our requirements for residence to stay in line with the CofE, while they were able to do it through General Synod we had to resort to a Private Bill.

It now seems there are to be no EXTRA hurdles required by these two Churches, other than the separate Acts of Parliament they would need to change their current practice following agreement of General Synod or Governing Body.

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Ali

13/12/2012

“if your denomination cannot or will not opt in then the time has come for you to stand up for whatâ€™s right. If you support equality, do something about it and show us what you are made of.” you not doing any more weddings until the SEC opts in then. Kelvin?

Reply
1. kelvin
  
  13/12/2012
  
  I think it quite likely that should the Scottish Episcopal Church chose not to opt into the coming legislation then I would come to be view that the time had come to stop signing marriage papers. That is not the same thing, of course, as stopping doing weddings.
  
  Reply