Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith

Barbara Taylor is an excellent writer and storyteller, and this autobiographical book is a compelling read. In this book, she writes about her own journey in faith and a life-changing decision: After twenty years of ordained ministry in a church position, Taylor resigned as rector of a relatively small Episcopal church in the North Georgia mountains to accept a position teaching religion at a small college nearby.The title "Leaving Church" is inaccurate, of course, because leaving ordained parish ministry is not the same as leaving church. Taylor is still an Episcopal priest, but even if she had resigned as a priest, she would still not necessarily have left church. The title stems from Taylor's resignation as a church rector, which surprised many people, and some apparently misunderstood her choice as really leaving church and/or losing her faith. In this book, Taylor explains the journey that led to her change in direction, providing an overview of her experience of ordained ministry and her transition out of church employment. Overall, she regards the decision to leave as spiritually liberating.Unfortunately, in my opinion, Taylor says too little about the actual decision to leave, other than emphasizing that she was tired and depressed. Although Taylor emphasized how hard she worked, so much so that it's almost exhausting to read about it, her decision to resign as rector of a church never seems adequately explained. From the viewpoint of many -- particularly those engaged in ordained ministry -- she has lived a charmed and even enviable life. First, after an apparently easy ordination process, she immediately received a position at a large and wealthy multi-staff church in central Atlanta, working with a popular rector. Then she was called as a rector of a charming church in exactly the area she and her husband wanted to live - the kind of location that people retire to because it's so beautiful. Taylor appears to have been financially comfortable throughout her ministry, and the couple were able to build a dream house on 100 beautiful acres in the mountains (with three streams on their property!) In the meantime, she was developing a widespread reputation as an outstanding preacher while authoring a number of popular books. What's not to like about this life? Sounds ideal, right?Apparently the author didn't like it, or at least the part about being rector of a parish, because she resigned. Exhaustion and symptoms of depression appear to have played a major role, as well as conflict in a church split over the issue of homosexuality. However, little time is spent discussing the decision to resign and even less on the reaction of the church members. Some of this may have been unavoidable, because of concerns about confidentiality and washing dirty linen in public. Taylor mentions that she had committed to stay 10 years when she accepted the position and left after 5 1/2, but other than that, says little about breaking that agreement. Additionally, she mentions only in passing that her recently hired assistant had to resign when she did (it's the rule). She hints that some in the church were unhappy with her (perhaps because she was spread too thin?) Certainly, one wonders about the wisdom of her initial commitment: 10 years is a long time to commit to. I wish she had felt free to tell more about that part of her story and spent less time describing finding God in the beauty of nature. I get it. Nature is lovely. The mountains are lovely - it's easier to find God there than in a church hall of angry people. Life in the church can be as messy as any barnyard, and that no doubt contributed to her decision, but she barely mentioned it. It was frustrating when she skipped quickly over her farewell party but spent pages on birds.It seems likely, also, that much of the author's exhaustion came from her own very high standards and successful outside endeavors. Taylor barely mentions her increasingly busy schedule filled with engagements outside her own church, as her reputation as preacher and author grew. She was no doubt traveling frequently while living in a remote area, accessible only by mountain roads. Additionally, Taylor's many publications during this period would by itself be sufficient work for most people! She says virtually nothing about these activities but instead describes the demands of providing pastoral care. It's amazing she managed to do all that she did for as long as she did without completely burning out.This book would be great for use by a book club, particularly those in a church setting, as it raises some provocative questions. I wonder if the author will find that even after "leaving church," she will continue to find herself over-scheduled, with more demands on her than most people could manage. I hope not, because she's definitely gifted as both an author and preacher.

Barbara Brown Taylor has beautifully written an autobiography of her walk into and out of the Episcopal priesthood. She writes of her eventual burn-out in the day-to-day needs of parish work, and her search for God in and out of the priesthood. She eventually leaves the active priestly role in favour of teaching in a nearby college. I admire her intense committment to her spiritual walk, but at the end, I felt that she had somehow missed Jesus in the depth of her life. She wonders if He is found in a spiritual experience in an Indian sweat lodge, or on a Lakota vision quest. "...Cleto took Ed to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, where a Lakota Sun Dance chief named Elmer Running took everything away from Ed but one wool blanket and sat him out on a hill to pray for two days without food or water. When I met Ed at the Atlanta airport, I had a hard time recognizing him. He had shaved his beard for one thing. His eyes were like small suns in the middle of his s un burned face... On the way home he said many things, but the one that stuck with me was, 'You make church too easy.'... Ed was deeply involved in Lakota ways. Since these are the ways of prayer, he was able to remain Episcopal as well, or perhaps I should say that he was only able to remain Episcopal because of these ways, which offered him concrete means of practising his faith that teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir did not." Well, I agree with Ed, that we certainly do make church too easy. But love of the liturgical experience does not remove the onus on each Christian to individually find Jesus within the parameters that Jesus Himself has set for us. Ms. Taylor's faith over time becomes polluted with New Age thinking, which she doesn't seem to recognise for what it is: a moving away from the absolutes of the Christian faith: Jesus said, "I am the way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."I loved the book for it's honesty, it's exploration of a committed Christian's walk, and the beautiful quality of the writing. I would recommend it without reservation.J. Durkin, Colorado Springs

When I saw the author, Barbara Brown Taylor, interviewed on TV, I was so impressed by her clarity, beauty, and honesty, and her essential love of Christ, that I had to buy the book and find out why she left the church. Turns out that she left only a part of the Episcopal Church, in which she had been ordained. After serving as associate pastor in a large Atlanta church, she and her husband decided to leave the city for a small rural church. Here she experienced, and describes with compassion and wit life in a small town and the rewards and tribulations of a small church parish priest. As a former resident for many years of a small town (under 700 population) I can attest that this part rings true. I also now know well two Episcopal parish priests, one in a small church and one in a large one, and they are now going through the same stress and dissention as well as rewards of being a parish priest. As Ms. Taylor says, and as I see in the priests I know, ministering to others bewcomes so all consuming that the priest has no time for him or her self or family. This fiinally led Ms. Taylor to resign as a parish priest, but luckily she was able to continue her service to the Lord as a teacher, as Jesus was. This book is very well worth a read by anyone interested in church or religion.

Great writer who tells wonderful true stories linked to her faith. It helped me with my views on Christianity and Church life. I will be buying her books.

With a profound yet fresh and dynamic prose, Episcopalian minister Barbara Brown Taylor gives an account of her personal trajectory from deciding to become a priest to "leaving church". Deeply poetic, cleverly written and very inspiring, she invites the reader to follow her throughout her personal and religious experiences in search for authenticity and faith.

Excellent book. I love her transparency as she recalls her joirney. The only thing I want to mention is that it isn’t quite as generic as the subtitle suggests. The faith joirney is all through the lense of her becoming a priest and then working for and leaving the episcopal church. There are certainly many points of connection for someone who has or is going through a wilderness experience in their faith, or for those in major unexpected life transitions. The one who will receive the most from this book, however, are those who are in vocational ministry.

Barbara Taylor describes her journey as an episcopal priest in moving, honest and encouraging words. Well worth a read, especially for all those who find themselves with more questions than answers, overworked, or alienated from church.

An interesting personal account of a minister's journey of faith. As she grows in her walk with God, she discovers that religious life is not to be confused with a walk of faith.