Do Archbishops Matter?

At a clergy meeting at some point in the winter, the assembled clergy were asked to submit some questions for discussion. Among the questions was one, likely sparked by some recent books and articles was: do priests matter? A funny thing for a priest to ask, of course. And an important thing. Something which, when you think about it, you hope that they have an answer for.

Of course how do you answer the question do priests matter?

Here is how I would answer it this very lovely last day of April. They can matter.

I think a lot of this conversation is about how the role of the priest in society has shifted in recent years (or more ecumenically the role of the minister or religious leader). And it has. But the prominence of the religious leader in years past might have been given to them simply as a part of their ordination vows, we religious leaders now must work very hard to show our value, relevance.

And how might we do that? Well, I think one important way is by talking about things that matter.

An article in the New York Times today made me think of this whole conversation. It is about the new Archbishop of Canterbury criticizing the British banking establishment (find it here).

I don't want to talk about British banks, or the details of what the Archbishop is talking about, but I do want to say that he is talking about a relevant issue from a unique point of view (both as a former executive, and now as the leader of the Anglican Church) that informs his statement. The church, the priest is made relevant not by people miraculously finding the way in our doors, but by us, the Church, the priests talking about relevant topics from our perspective as people of faith, and by our actions as the Body of Christ in the world.