Entertaining Three Angels at an Irish Bar in Akron, Ohio

During this imposed exile, which is now about to reach its thirteenth month, I have had the good fortune of meeting extraordinary people who have taught me much about life and the institutional church. Another such occasion occurred this past Sunday in, of all places, a hole-in-the-wall Irish Bar near Firestone Park in Akron, Ohio.

The Akron Symphony
@ Firestone Park

I had been invited by a good friend, who is president of an audio/video company, to assist on the line in a production of the Akron Symphony Orchestra. He knows of my love for classical music and growing interest in the audio/visual world. Our job Sunday evening was to make sure that the orchestra was properly miked and bring the glorious sound of music to five hundred or so people scattered around the park. We arrived hours before the performance was to begin and began our work unloading speakers, containers, scaffolding, and what seemed like yards and yards of cable. Since I was the rookie, and knew very little about what I was actually doing, the three young men assisting AJ were very kind and put me through the paces while teaching as well. After about ninety minutes everything was set. Then the rains came!

Once the thunder and lightening subsided and word came down from on high that the concert was a go. The tech crew was released to go and grab a bite to eat before the show began. I joined Tom, Chris, and Dan as they headed to a local watering hole just a few minutes from our location in the park.

Tom is a PhD professor of pharmacology at Akron University who moonlights in audio production - a very learned young man with a great sense of humor. Chris works in audio installation and was the brains of the operation. He has a brilliant mind and is a kind teacher. Dan, a student at Kent State, is in his third year of television production - passionate, humorous, and just a terrific individual.

We were seated at a table in the bar, when Tom leans over towards me and asks, "What do you do for a living?"

I share with him and the other two men that I am a priest in the Episcopal Church and about my current situation in the Diocese of Ohio. They listen carefully, respectfully, and appear very interested in my journey. What follows is an astonishing hour long conversation about spirituality and their perception about the institutional church. It never ceases to amaze me when offered an opportunity to speak about spiritual issues and concepts, the human being appears eager to engage the subject matter and such was the case on Sunday evening.

All three men shared that they were originally Roman Catholics but that they gave up the Church long ago. While their reasons varied, the common denominator was that the Church was out of touch with the mainstream, too many incidents of misconduct, no sense of forgiveness, failed leadership. But, it was clear from the dialogue that these three guys were spiritual people seeking understanding and enlightenment. As I listened, I grieved that these mystical, highly educated and alive individuals were not members of any Church, yet alone mine. What a blessing it would be to include these brilliant minds in a religious community.

The Learning: The Church is dying because we have lost too many young persons like Tom, Chris and Dan. The Church is dying because instead of engaging these persons and meeting them where they are, the Institution has tried to control and dictate what they must do and believe. If there is any chance in the future of bringing these "sheep into the fold", the Church must leave the safe and cosy confines of our congregations and enter into their world meeting them on their turf. If, for whatever reason, persons like Tom, Chris and Dan, will not come to us, the Church must go to them. The key will be to stop talking and simply listen and learn from them. The Church ought to have folks like these in our community of faith who are intelligent, appealing and eager to share their ideas and talents. Young people like Tom, Chris and Dan have much to offer the Institution if we would only have the humility to listen.


I met three angels last Sunday in of all places an Irish Bar near Akron, Ohio. The blessings I received were greater than I could imagine. 

Love One Another - Brian