Ross The Premise and the Promise

I don't know how to sum up this book in two hundred words.  I had to read this in the past for another class and I am still spellbound by the detail in this book that was painted in a broader brush by Wright in the back half his Congregational Polity book.

I'm still not sure I completely understand what was going on with the conflict of the BAC, or whether that was a reflection of larger tensions.  That, of course made worse the financial situation that was blamed on Greely with board collusion, but I think was inevitable, growth costs money and all the post-merger work that was going on it seems like everyone wanted it to happen and everyone was happy when it did happen and then aghast at how much it costs.  Wanted to eat their cake and have it too.

Then, the explanation of Shelter Rock is a tremendous help.  As is the walk through the growth and formalization of the religious education program (would we want a cheap religious education program, too?)

The book ends on a very interesting note regarding the equality question raised again.  The equality of LGBT people nearly ripped apart my local church in the 1970's.  I am not sure that the european unitarians are as closely related to us theologically as we would hope.

This is a tremendous book, but any short summary does it no justice.