MCC congregation splits
Sydney’s Metropolitan Community Church has splintered and is without a pastoral leader following former interim pastor Karl Hand’s last sermon on Sunday.
Rev Hand and some members of the congregation’s Crave contemporary service have separated to start a new church in the charismatic style some have labelled a mini-Hillsong.
We want to outreach to a different audience, people moving past fundamentalism but still want that Pentecostal experience, Rev Hand told Sydney Star Observer. I expect a large part will still be gay and lesbian.
MCC Sydney’s board of directors resumed the search for a permanent pastor on Tuesday night, a process that had been underway since Rev Greg Smith left for Cambodia in 2005.
Church co-director Alan Maurice told SSO there were seven or eight candidates being considered from the US, India, Caribbean and Australia, but he didn’t want to preempt the short-listing process.
How long it takes will depend on who the pastoral selection committee selects, Maurice said.
If we select someone from the US, given the process we had to go through last time, it could take anywhere up to a year.
Los Angeles-based Rev Pat Langlois had originally been selected to replace Rev Smith, but withdrew after she was unable to obtain confirmation from immigration officials one year after applying.
The board of directors asked Rev Hand to explain himself after he appeared in the national media supporting the NoToPope coalition protests in June.
One congregation member told SSO it was not the first confrontation between Hand and the board, and many of the congregation with a Catholic background were concerned Rev Hand’s support of the coalition was an attack on Catholic faith.
Couple that with dissatisfaction from members from church and from the board, Karl and others representing Crave -” the simplest analogy is a mini-Hillsong -” decided to form a new church.
Another member of the congregation told SSO the number of people attending Sunday evening services had dropped by more than half since Rev Hand took over at the Petersham church.
At least 48 people have left the Sunday night service in the last 18 months -” and they have gone nowhere or to MCC Good Shepherd at Granville, they said.
Last Sunday night there were only 24 people at the service when we used to be getting 70 or 80.
Rev Hand said, NoToPope was a factor in realising MCC Sydney wasn’t the place for me. I hadn’t intended that to cause a problem for members. But it wasn’t the reason for starting the new church.
Since Rev Hand’s resignation four weeks ago, the congregation formed two committees for congregational support and worship that will oversee the pastor functions until a permanent or interim replacement is appointed.
I’ve written to [Hand’s group] and asked that we meet and talk about how to move forward in a positive light. They haven’t got back to me as yet, Maurice said.
He added that the Crave service was working well and would continue.
Most of the Crave team have remained with MCC Sydney, and it’s very much the board’s intention that nothing change.
Established in 2005, Crave was run as an alternative to the traditional Catholic/Anglican services that MCC Sydney had been known for under Rev Smith.
The Crave MySpace page describes it as dynamic/contemporary music, multimedia, guest speakers and interactive discussion to engage people.
info: The new church will be hold its first service on Sunday 9 November, 3pm at the Eddie Dixon Hall in Paddington Uniting Church on Oxford St.
This story originally quoted Rev Karl Hand as saying he no longer felt MCC was for him. In fact Rev Hand said he no longer felt MCC Sydney was for him. The online version has been corrected.
Have your say: How do you feel about the splintering of Sydney’s MCC congregation?
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all part of the struggle within the wider [uf]mcc and queer theology itself… whereby glbt christians are faced with two stark choices – ape the mainstream with their whistles and bells and mosh pits to attract a fickle in-crowd [read youth] or pursue a liberational praxis that speaks to social injustice and economic inequalities [as a ‘real church’ should]
sadly it seems the in-crowd that have sided with Karl have decided to pursue the former style of christian worship, primarily I suspect to produce the greater economies of scale [wages] needed to satisfy the ever-expanding ego of Sydney’s aspiring [younger] member of the latest round of gay clergy to hit the streets of Sydney
From a professional standpoint, making a graceful exit is the last duty of an interim pastor. This bloke split the congregation and took half of it with him to form a new organization: VERY unprofessional. He had no professional distance and was caught up in some form of factionalism. Probably doing the church a great disservice.
The important reality of leaving is that you REALLY leave, and sever your ongoing, long-term relationships with people in the congregation.
Again and again I cannot understand why anyone, let alone Gays, NEED a religion. Religions despise us, have killed and villified us for Centuries and continue to do so today.
Regadless of their shrouded “compassion and forgiveness” the church, any church,if it claims the bible and its false teachings against certain sects and groups then it will never truly accept gay society in its entirity and complexion.
A “Mini-Hillsong” is all gay Sydney needs. Deluding the weak into believing their self-comforting lies, I can see a branch of Exodus opening up at Gilligan’s now.
Resist all religion at all costs.
The thing I find disheartening in all of this, is that a lot of these conversations could have happened outside of the arena of the media.
It is true that when change happens, people have varying reactions. This is the nature of the human, regardless of faith. HOW we react, as Christians, should be an example of grace and love and truth.
People on both sides of this story are experiencing ranges of emotion as new adventures are embarked upon. To be honest, I don’t care that the media got hold of the story before a planned media statement was released. That the media got hold of this story before there was chance for healing and restoration to happen is sad.
There is always more than one side to the story. If people were willing to sit down with each other and wanted to hear someone else and what they were thinking and feeling, a lot of these assumptions would be null and void. Listening to one side alone, does not a wise man make.
You know what, regardless of how and why this has happened, it HAS happened. And there are people on both sides who want the best possible outcome.
We are, and always will be, family. And we hurt each other, whether we mean to or not. But we also forgive each other. And we want the best for each other. And we hope the best for each other, even in our disappointment.
Some things may never resolve. The people leaving will never say “split”, or even consider the concept, just as the people at Petersham are more than reluctant to call it otherwise.
We don’t have to agree, but we should be honest.
The one thing that has been evidenced here is the fact that no matter what “side” of the story has been presented, the fact that MCC, regardless of its location, wants to be a place for people to come, as they are, to meet with God. Paddington, Petersham, Granville, Melbourne, Newcastle…whatever the location, people want to be a service to God and to the community. That has never, not from any perception, been challenged. That is a great testament.
I am going to miss how things were, but I am looking forward to a present and a future that is bright and is full of love and grace. I am looking forward to a church that will be softened in its disappointment and hurt, and will use this as another way to grow closer to God and to each other.
What is that saying? “To err is human, to forgive divine”.
Here are some current facts, some in response to what has been said here, some for the sake of clarity.
The Rev Karl Hand is under 30 & unemployed, he does not know how he will pay rent, or pay to eat & is running on pure faith that his calling is genuine despite those who say it is otherwise motivated. He has resigned from a job at the beginning of a Worldwide Financial Crisis because he has felt God’s urging & has a small group of people who have chosen to follow him & support him as best they can. These people are not all young, the new church is almost half people 45+, several in their 60’s. Experienced, wise, gracious people. Should the judgement of the Elders who have followed Karl be called into question, too? Where does the speculation about peoples integrity & intentions end?
If you can’t admire his/their courage, conviction & vision – perhaps at least those detractors here could have some compassion & lay off them. The pressure currently on them is surely enough. What Christian, or ordinary good person for that matter, would want to destroy a young man who is already the underdog? What would be the motivation?
With the above in mind, any suggestion that Karl would be first to contact SSO to do a “Hatchet job” on his own Church before it has even had a chance is ludicrous to the extreme & not properly thought out. As stated by the Ed here to one of the commenters, this was not the case, clearly indicating that Rev Hand was simply contacted for his “right of reply” (should he not have been?).
As to the issue of location. Yes it is true that at first Newtown was considered as a location for the new church, this was never confirmed & was mostly due to lack of available or suitable venues & the fact that one of the new churches members had a contact who controlled a venue there. Suffice to say, in the spirit of dipolmacy (& not duplicating similar services in the same area)Paddington was chosen as a more suitable area. This was further confirmed as a good choice because Paddington Uniting Church hosted MCC when it first came to Australia & before it began at Heffron Hall, Darlinghurst – the historical ties & Paddington UC’s shared status as an “open & affirming congregation” creating much warmth around the concept.
The Press Release planned for the new church launch early next year was a celebration of a joyous homecoming to the Golden Mile from which MCC Sydney originated, this was the focus & it contained no negative comment about the Petersham Church. I know, i wrote it & still have it. Now it will never see the light of day & its intention is lost amongst all the unecessary darkness swirling around here.
In fact, all members of the new church have been instructed by the leaders in no uncertain terms to be very cautious & loving in their description of the denominational sister in Petersham, so as to maintain the integrity of MCC as a whole. This has been maintained to this moment & will continue.
I wonder what it will take for the toxicity & lack of good will around this situation to die down?
Out of adversity many moments and great movements in history have been born and grown – and the church has been part of this growth. Schisms and controversy has reigned within the church since time immemorial and will continue to do so long after readers of this column have passed into eternity.
So on a positive note, let us wish Rev Karl Hand and the congregation of Crave Paddington blessings and success as they journey together on a new path rich in faith.
Rev Robert Clark
Pastor MCC Good Shepherd Granville
MCC is now 40 years old and has spread to at least 20 countries around the world. It is not hard to believe that from place to place its spiritual and religious expression varies greatly according to the needs and culture of the people. In the USA churches display a wide spectrum of styles, including, traditional, charismatic, gospel choir and even some with feminist overtones. In Nigeria, our congregations are made up of a majority of hetrosexual people, because for reasons of that society, they are the ones excluded from mainstream worship. The diversity is enormous. I don’t know why it has taken 40 years, but at last this diversity is coming to MCC in Australia. Hallelujah!
I was excited to read Pastor Greg Smith’s comments about the diversity which MCC Sydney has shown in the past and his wishes for its future. “It is my hope that this new outreach will grow and be strong and become another option for those in our communtiy who seek a spitirual home.” and Jemma’s reminder that “MCC offers people in the whole community a safe inclusive space to worship”.
I want to say that that nothing can stop the growth of Christ’s church. Jesus Himself said that “the gates of hell would not prevail against it”. I have no doubt that Jesus is planting a new expression of God’s church in Sydney and I want to help that. To resist Christ’s purpose would seem, at least, foolish.
As a member of the new mission, I have been watching and reading the comments that have been made about MCC Petersham and the new UFMCC Church mission Paddington and I find it sad that so many people who actually worked together at MCC Petersham argue about the growth of more MCC Churches in Australia.
The reality is that there is a new Church plant and some people have moved their membership and some people have chosen to stay at MCC Sydney, Petersham. The word split is used by some in the comments I read, but I only see opportunity, opportunity to reach out to people who are looking for a Spiritual home be it MCC at Paddington, Petersham, Newcoast, Granville or somewhere overseas where homosexuality itself is still viewed as a crime. MCC offers people in the whole community a safe inclusive space to worship, whether you are part of the GLBTIQ community or find that you are unable to worship in the Church of your parents.
It is about choice and I have never had a problem with people choosing. As an ex board member and ex Pastoral Search Chairperson (both positions I relinquished of my own accord), I am stunned by comments made about misinformation.
I think the only information that is important is that a group of people have decided to plant a new Church (mission), in consultation with the Regional Elder for the denomination(UFMCC). It aims to be an inclusive and progressive Church and my hope is that anyone can feel safe to worship here.