The blogger formerly known as the Salty Vicar and Padre Mambo has returned to the fray and now lives at The Divine Latitude whence comes this essay on what Barack Obama’s victory can teach the mainline churches:
Why did Obama campaign work? It had a clear mission. People met people: they knocked on doors; they invited; they began conversations. They told people about the Obama campaign and what it means for their communities. It is community organizing 101 – another name for evangelism, and it is what progressive churches should be doing.
It requires training. It’s hard for shy Episcopalians to meet people and get to know them. Being forward in a way that is ingratiating and commercial can seem false and deceptive. This may ruffle some feathers. Lots of people think that religion should be private, and that public religion borders on the religulous.
But in an organization that truly cares, these concerns can be directly confronted, challenged and mitigated.