Form Will Follow Function

The Episcopal Church has a problem, and so we have a taskforce. The problem is declining relevance and impact for God, and the proposed path to a solution is the Taskforce for Reimagining the Episcopal Church. You can find a recent letter from them here. The taskforce is focused on the structure of the church.

In the Diocese of Olympia we share this broader problem. Many people are searching for God-inspired solutions in Western Washington – individuals, congregations, governing bodies and commissions, diocesan leaders and staff. Outside Church Walls exists within this continuum to consider how the church can intersect with the culture and share the Good News in fresh and effective ways.

Unlike the larger church taskforce, we’re not focused on structure. Sure, we’ve talked about it at times, but it’s not really in our purview. We’re really approaching this issue from a different direction. Our questions are more about 1) how we understand our place in the world, and 2) what we should be doing, rather than about how we should be organizing ourselves. Form will follow function. Things may well need to be different at some point, but we ought to know to what end.

Within Outside Church Walls we’re clear that the only power we have is to change hearts and minds. We are not decision makers; we’re dreamers, thinkers, and models. We’re sharing with people across our church what we’re saying and seeing. We believe there is a vital future for the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, and we’re excited to be a part of listening for the Holy Spirit’s call to us.