[drt1]

Is it me or do these reports seem like something out of a Business management textbook as opposed to those appropriate for what is, after all, a place of Worship and Spiritual Development?

I mean, Jeeesh - Sounds like the annual per store statistics of Wal-Mart - Totally devoid of any intimation of the real objective of any church.

[wolfpat]

I guess it's a commentary on society that we need these statistics to show how the Episcopal Church has lost its way. Considering its origin, I wonder if this was inevitable.

[torqemada]

Good point, but you need to understand that it is just these sorts of "statistics" that matter most to the heirarchy of ECUSA. It's just a numbers game with them...How many people in the pews this week? How much money in pledges & offerings? Individual parishes "pad" their membership rolls in all cases EXCEPT when it comes time to report to the Diocese for calculating their assessment. Everything in ECUSA hangs on the numbers. You'll never see an ECUSA parish engaging in a Crusade, ala Billy Graham. They've absolutely no interest in saving souls or leading people to Christ UNLESS they can count on them in the pews & their offering in the plate next Sunday.