Problems with Micromanagement in the Church
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 12:11 am
Over on the aptly named MADboard, an interesting thread was begun by the poster named "Connoly":
I think it's very interesting to read between the lines here. If this letter is/was legitimate, then we have to assume that some "rogue" bishops have really been treating their congregations in some disquieting ways. I.e., is it really necessary to dismiss adult members row by row? Further, it is intriguing that the Brethren would demand that Sacrament Meeting include material in addition to music. I mean, theoretically, shouldn't hymns contain (at minimum) all of the same basic messages about the Gospel as the typical hastily prepared talk?
I think what the letter suggests, above all, is a kind of back-and-forth, behind the scenes kind of battle, where the Brethren and other Church leaders are trying to determine just how much authoritarian control they will be able to get away with. In either case, I thought this was intriguing. Perhaps further intriguing were the TBMs' reaction to the posting. Most of them seemed to generally approve, and feel that things such as "sung testimonies" ought to be prohibited.
Connoly wrote:Some of my coworkers were talking about a letter that was apparently read in at least some Utah County wards yesterday regarding certain improper Sacrament Meeting practices that had crept into some areas and that the letter instructed the leaders to discontinue those practices.
Was a letter like that read in your ward? Either we didn't get one or the bishop elected not to read the letter or at least not read it at that time, or this was a case of a past letter being re-itterated in some places because If I recall correctly some of these things have been discouraged in the past.
From what I understand some of the depricated practices are:
* Organized dismissal from Sacrament meeting (eg row by row or by age, etc).
* Ward break-fasts on Fast Sunday
* Allowing singing [individual] in lieu of bearing a testimony during fast and testimony meeting
* Music only sacrament meetings where members pick their favorite hymn and the congregation sings for the remainder of the time (this is something that my ward has done twice this year).
Was there a new letter?
I think it's very interesting to read between the lines here. If this letter is/was legitimate, then we have to assume that some "rogue" bishops have really been treating their congregations in some disquieting ways. I.e., is it really necessary to dismiss adult members row by row? Further, it is intriguing that the Brethren would demand that Sacrament Meeting include material in addition to music. I mean, theoretically, shouldn't hymns contain (at minimum) all of the same basic messages about the Gospel as the typical hastily prepared talk?
I think what the letter suggests, above all, is a kind of back-and-forth, behind the scenes kind of battle, where the Brethren and other Church leaders are trying to determine just how much authoritarian control they will be able to get away with. In either case, I thought this was intriguing. Perhaps further intriguing were the TBMs' reaction to the posting. Most of them seemed to generally approve, and feel that things such as "sung testimonies" ought to be prohibited.