Rev Clay Nelson

Presenter/Workshop Leader

The Rev Clay Nelson is the Associate Priest at St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland.  Since being ordained an Episcopal priest in 1982 he has served in every size congregation from a new start to a 3000 member corporate size congregation and administered a diocese as Canon to the Ordinary. .

Presentation

Not being kind and considerate: St Matthew’s and its billboards

St Matthew’s is a downtown church in Auckland, New Zealand that has a history of not being kind and considerate of everyone.  Instead it provocatively takes sides and uses marketing tools to convey its progressive message.  Recently the church used sexual innuendo to poke fun at the notions of a male god and a virgin conceiving.   The response was huge.  The billboard featured in 177 countries, generated hundreds of emails, and stimulated many public debates.

This workshop will explore some of the issues around being contentious:

-                      tact, tacky, and troublesome

-                      freedom of speech and censorship

-                      What has been sacrificed on the altar of unity?

-                      Mistakes to avoid

-                      When the threats are real

-                      Not meeting everyone’s needs or expectations

-                      When your mentors don’t get it.

-                      Professional help

Although contentiousness is often culturally determined there is huge value in sharing our experiences, our strategies, and our learnings.

About Rev Clay Nelson

The Rev Clay Nelson is the Associate Priest at St Matthew-in-the-City, Auckland.  Since being ordained an Episcopal priest in 1982 he has served in every size congregation from a new start to a 3000 member corporate size congregation and administered a diocese as Canon to the Ordinary.  Few positions in the church are more suited to disillusionment than the latter.  He resigned his priesthood and administered large Unitarian congregations for eight years before coming to New Zealand in 2005 in response to the re-election of George Bush.  He went to St Matthew’s on his first Sunday in Auckland and it was love at first sight.  He was hired as the Manager of Communications and was shortly thereafter convinced to get back in collar.  Only St Matthew’s could have done that.  It has been an exhilarating ride ever since.