We’ve talked about the “numbers game” in relation to notions of “success” in ministry (here). There is however, another branch of this “game” which we often bemoan, and joke about behind the closed doors in OC/IC circles; but rarely, constructively, in the open. For lack of a better term I’ll call this “High-speed Zapping”.

High-speed Zapping is giving offices and orders to incomers or participants who have literally just walked in the door. They have not been chrismated. They have had neither the time, nor the opportunity to discern whether this community is the one with which they will “throw in their lot” and live the spiritual life. They have not had the opportunity to invest in the community, neither has the community had time to invest in them. In short, their suitability for such offices, indeed for life in an indie community has not been intelligently assessed. The consequences of High-speed Zapping are known to all. We have, all of us, either seen it in our own communities, or have helped to pick up the pieces, and heal individuals and communities that have been caught up in it.

If we sit and honestly assess the situation I think we are all painfully aware of the root causes; in addition to the pull of the other branch of the numbers game (false sense of success), we face the challenges of ego, empire building, and a lack of authentic leadership. But what can serious OC/IC believers do to make a positive change in this situation?

To be sure I don’t have the answers. I can describe what my tiny community has formulated as its rule over the past 15 years of debate, experience, and observation of other communities. One is chrismated after a year as a participant (can.2.3a). You may not hold office, you may not vote, until you have converted and are chrismated. Members are not eligible for ordination before one full year after their chrismation (can. 8.3e); there must be a need within the community for a new ordinand (can. 8.b,c,m), and the community must approve the ordination (can. 8.3). Don’t even think about a mitre! You have to be a lay or ordained member for at least five years (can. 8.6c), the community elects new bishops (can. 7.8); and there must be a real need for a new bishop (can. 8.1n).*

This is but one model answering the problem in one community, how can we address it as a group of fellow indie believers seeking to improve our lot? A symptom (or consequence?) of High-speed Zapping is Synod Hopping (I really need to start an OC/IC dictionary!), where individuals, in order to acquire the orders and titles that they want for their own personal purposes, jump from one bishop to another, leaving a wake of hurt and destruction behind them.

Here again is where I think a working theory of friendship and collaboration comes into its own. If I enjoy a friendship with Bishop X and his/her community, and an individual from that community starts Synod Hopping and comes to me for say – a mitre because she is not going to get her way with Bishop X; out of respect for my friends, and in solidarity with another faithful OC/IC community that I trust, I’ll refuse and send her back to her community. It’s that simple. There is no formal organisation here, just a simple convention, and act of respect for my friends.

I suspect that if enough solid friendships are built, and acted upon, that the problem of high-speed zapping, and synod hopping would quickly wane.

*[For those interested you can acquire a complete copy of our canons here.]