I have a confession: I’m under thirty.
Which is wonderful but I’m also an Episcopal priest. So suddenly no-one* seems to know what to do with me. I should celebrate my youth; I should talk up my experience (and at 14 years of leadership in this here Church, I’ve got some). I should learn more; I should lead more.

In short, I tend to get celebrated by the same people who wonder why “all young people” leave the Church (which has been said in my actual physical presence). When I talk with my fellow young Episcopalians, I know that I am not alone. We belong in a Church which says we are wanted but does not know what to do with us.

So, I’m going to devote a little bit of time to talking about Millennials and The Episcopal Church. This is looking like three parts:
1) Starting Young: More of how and why I am (still) in TEC
2) Rumors Abound: What people say/write about Millennials and where I think they are right and wrong
3) The End Isn’t Coming: why Millennials aren’t the end of the Church (and why the Church isn’t going to end)

I usually manage about one post a week, but I think these will go up a bit faster because of the work I’ve already done.

For now let me say this: As a young, socially liberal, female priest, I have always felt that people have the greatest problem with my age.

*This is an occasion where I can easily offend everyone. I am not going to tell specific stories about ageism in the Church, but every thing I say has a real story I’ve experienced beneath it. If you are worried about being who I’m talking about, it is you and it is your pew-neighbor and it is no one you have ever met.