How are you going to fix the Catholic Church? Or any church for that matter?

[markpkessinger]

29. Be careful about assuming all churches are like the Roman Catholic Church

Christian churches vary widely in their polity and governance, and in their corresponding ability to effect change from the bottom up. Lydia Leftcoast, in message #22 above, mentions the Episcopal Church (of which I am a member). But not only the Episcopal Church has made tremendous strides. So also have the Lutherans (ELCA), Presbyterians, Methodists, United Churches of Christ/Congregationalists and the Disciples of Christ. What these denominations all have in common, apart from being among the churches that were once known as "mainline Protestants" and each of them having roots in one or more of the various 16th C. reform movements against the Roman Catholic Church, is that they all have, to varying degrees, a democratic structure that provides a process by which such change can be effected.

For example, the Episcopal Church is governed by a General Convention and a Presiding Bishop. General Convention consists of two legislative houses: the House of Bishops and the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies. (Hmmm...a presiding executive and a bicameral legislature -- sound familiar?) Each diocese is represented in the House of Deputies by four clergy and four lay deputies, who are elected at conventions of each respective diocesan convention (at which there are representatives of each local parish). Diocesan bishops, too, are elected by the dioceses they serve. All of this is very, very different from the structure of the Roman Catholic Church, even though, in many outward appearances, the two bodies appear to be similar in some respects.