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The WPSL captured the attention of fastpitch softball fans worldwide when it exploded onto America's sports scene in 1997. The WPSL regularly showcased an unparalleled brand of fastpitch softball played by the world's best female athletes.
The WPSL can trace its origins back to the first professional softball league. Former LPGA Tour member Janie Blaylock, softball legend Joan Joyce and tennis icon Billie Jean King, founded the International Women's Professional Softball Association (IWPSA) in 1976. The league featured 10 teams in cities across the nation, including Meriden, Conn., Chicago, Ill., Prescott, Ariz. and San Jose, Calif. In the WPSA's first season, each team played a 120-game schedule that featured 60 doubleheaders.
The fledgling association survived four seasons before lack of funds, high travel costs and inadequate facilities ultimately led to its demise. Despite the absence of a professional league, the following decade proved to be extremely prosperous for the sport of fastpitch softball in the United States.
In 1982, the NCAA began to sanction the Women's College World Series, a move that led to increased participation and exposure for the sport.
Internationally, the USA Softball Women's National Team won back-to-back gold medals at the 1986 ISF World Championship and the 1987 Pan American Games. The college game also benefited from rule changes enacted in 1987 that increased the game's offensive output and ultimately its popularity. Some felt it was the perfect time to reintroduce the world to professional softball, but few acted upon their beliefs. Former Utah State University softball player Jane Cowles was in the minority.
Along with her collegiate head coach John Horan, Cowles developed a plan for a women's professional fastpitch softball league. In February 1989, she introduced a blueprint for the league to her parents John and Sage Cowles, owners of the Cowles Media Company, who agreed to provide financial backing for the endeavor.
Field research and market studies began later that fall and continued to take place through 1993. In January 1994, plans for a barnstorming tour were announced, and 18 months later two teams composed of former collegiate all-stars played exhibition games in cities throughout the Midwest. The tour was an overwhelming success and provided the framework for a true professional league.
Eight years of successful research and planning finally culminated in May 1997, with the Cowles family and title sponsor AT&T Wireless Services launching Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF). After completing two seasons as WPF, officials changed the name to WPSL in 1998.
The WPSL consisted of four teams located in the Eastern United States in 2000. The world's most talented fastpitch softball players, including former Olympians, collegiate All-Americans and all-conference selections, highlighted the 15-player rosters of the league's four squads. The Akron Racers, Florida Wahoos, Ohio Pride and Tampa Bay FireStix each participated in the WPSL regular season. The Florida Wahoos defeated the Ohio Pride in the championship series held in Springfield, Mo.
The 2001 "Tour of Fastpitch Champions" allowed the WPSL to focus on expansion. The WPSL expansion plan took into consideration the need to re-shape the current structure of the league to accommodate the addition of important strategic partners vital to future growth and success of the League.
The 2001 tour traveled to 11 cities that were targeted as WPSL expansion candidates. Competition featured games between the WPSL Gold and All-Star teams as well as Canada, the USA National Teams and local all-star teams. Nine of these games were televised, seven on ESPN2 and two "live" on ESPN, a first for the WPSL. The season was deemed a success with more than three million households witnessing a WPSL game.
The "Deuce" televised over 30 games from 1999 to 2001. The broadcasts consistently out-rated those of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the National Hockey League (NHL).
Play was suspended during the 2002 season to restructure the organization and allow the league additional time to develop and explore new expansion markets. However, a WPSL All-Star team competed in two exhibition games against the Tennessee All-Stars as part of the National Softball Association's A division Eastern World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The WPSL All-Stars also conducted two clinics as part of the weekend activities.
On Nov. 21, 2002, WPSL announced a rebranding strategy and official name change to National Pro Fastpitch. Major League Baseball partnered with NPF as its Official Development partner as a continuation of MLB's efforts to connect with female athletes and women.
As part of its long-term sales, marketing and promotional campaign, NPF featured an All-Star Tour in 2003. The tour provided each of the league's expansion team owners with tools to lay the groundwork in their marketplace for the official launch of league play in 2004.
In 2004, all the hard work and planning paid-off for fans, athletes, coaches and league officials with the relaunch of the league in six markets: Stockton, California; Tucson, Arizona; Houston, Texas; Akron, Ohio; Lowell, Massachusetts; Montclair, New Jersey.
The 2004 season was distinguished by 178 league-wide games, 96 of the best female softball players in the country, the continued support of Major League Baseball as the Official Development Partner of NPF in the category of women's fastpitch softball, NPF playoffs (both best of three series went three games) and the inaugural NPF Championship with the NY/NJ Juggernaut capturing the Championship Cowles Cup with a victory over the New England Riptide, fourth place finisher in the regular season.
In December, 2004, owners of the individual National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) teams announced a plan intended to transition operations of National Pro Fastpitch from the founding Cowles family to an operating group consisting of team owners.
The efforts of the new ownership group in 2005 focused on solidifying broadcast agreements locally and nationally, soliciting sponsorship support, and aligning with national softball associations to bring meaningful competition to each team market and various grassroots events across the country.
The 2005 regular season included a total of 144 games and 23 opponents including six NPF teams, plus women's ASA major teams and international teams such as Canada, Mexico, Russia, Venezuela, China and Australia. The season concluded the last weekend in August when the Akron Racers beat the Chicago Bandits 5-4 in extra innings to claim the NPF Championship Title.
The Juggernaut joined forces with Telecare to broadcast six games in 2005. Telecare reaches almost a million homes in the Long Island area. Comcast SportsNet Chicago aired seven original broadcasts of Chicago Bandits games in 2005. ESPN2 aired two games during the NPF Championship series. The final game was broadcast on ESPN2 with a very impressive .48 rating.
In 2006, the Philadelphia Force and the Connecticut Brakettes joined the 2005 Defending Champions, the Akron Racers, the 2005 Regular Season Champions, the Chicago Bandits, the New England Riptide, the Arizona Heat and the Texas Thunder for league play. The schedule included a 48-game regular season schedule for each of the seven NPF teams including seven, 4-game home series and five, 4-game road series. The New England Riptide beat the Connecticut Brakettes to win the NPF Championship title at the end of August with a score of 2-0. The Chicago Bandits were once again, the regular season champions.
The Philadelphia Force partnered with TV2 sports which is broadcast by Service Electric to air 14 games during the 2006 season. Five New England Riptide games were broadcast on Fox Sports Net New England and Comcast SportsNet Chicago once again broadcast select Bandit games. Additionally, five games were nationally televised on ESPN/ESPN 2 during the 2006 season.
In 2009, the League's five affiliate teams (Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Florida Pride, Philadelphia Force, Washington Glory) played a 50-game regular season schedule with all teams playing each other a minimum of 10 games (5 home and 5 away). Unlike the 2008 season, Olympic teams and foreign national teams will not be a part of the competitive schedule. The 2009 Season began on Wednesday, June 3 and finished the last regular season game on August 16th. The 2009 schedule will include all NPF teams competing against each other a total of 10 games (5 home and 5 away match-ups) for a 40 game total that will determine regular season standings. The NPF streamed 60 regular season games free to fans across the country on MLB.com. The Philadelphia Force once again partnered with TV2 for six games televised throughout the 2009 Season.
After winning a silver medal with the USA Softball Team, several Olympians returned to NPF action in 2009, including Monica Abbott (Washington), Jennie Finch (Chicago), and Cat Osterman (Rockford), three of the best softball pitchers in the world.
The Chicago Bandits once again captured the Regular Season Champion title for the second season in a row. The 2009 Championship Series was held in Akron, OH with the Rockford Thunder capturing the coveted Cowles Cup as they defeated the USSSA Florida Pride. Cat Osterman was named the Series MVP.
In 2010, Each team in the League played a 50-game regular season schedule with all four teams (Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Florida Pride, and Tennessee Diamonds) playing each other a minimum of 15 games. There was a total of 100 regular season games played. The 2010 season began on Wednesday, June 9th with the Akron Racers traveling to NPF's newest expansion Team, the Tennessee Diamonds in Nashville,TN. The Chicago Bandits, 2009 regular season Champion, traveled to Lubbock, TX to play the Florida Pride during opening week. ESPN2 aired the Duel on the Diamond in Lubbock, TX featuring the matchup of Cat Osterman (Pride) and Jennie Finch (Bandits). All NPF's 100 games were streamed live on MLB.com including live stats on Pointstreak.
The 2010 Regular Season finished on August 22nd crowning the Chicago Bandits as a 3-time Ringor Cup Regular Season Champion. The Championships were held in Sulphur, LA on August 26th-29th. All nine games of the Championship Series were streamed live on MLB.com with live stats being available through Pointstreak. The Cowles Cup Champion, USSSA Florida Pride defeated the Chicago Bandits in a best-of-three series. Natasha Watley was named the Series MVP.
January 1989
Former Utah State University softball player Jane Cowles and her collegiate coach, John Horan, develop plan for a women's professional softball league.
February 1989
Cowles introduces plan to her parents, John and Sage, owners of the Cowles Media Company in Minneapolis, Minn. Family agrees to fund research on league's potential.
September 1989
John Horan begins field research and tests game-modifying proposals.
January 1991
National Fastpitch Association (NFA) established in Boulder, Colo. National marketing strategy and business plan devised.
June 1993
NFA assembles two teams of former collegiate softball players to participate in Midwest exhibition series.
July 1993
John (Jay) Cowles III named NFA CEO.
January 19, 1994
Jay Cowles announces plan for 1995 Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) Tour. NFA receives formal endorsements from MLB National League President Len Coleman and former MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn.
August 11, 1994
Decatur Pride and California Commotion make NFA debut in Decatur, Ill.
June 15-July 13, 1995
Blaze and Storm visit 16 Midwest cities on 1995 WPF Tour. ESPN2 televises four games on tour.
July 7, 1995
4,307 attend 1995 WPF Tour Game in St. Paul, Minn.
July 21, 1995
1995 WPF Tour featured on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
October 31, 1995
1996 WPF Amateur Draft held in Minneapolis, Minn. October 8, 1996 WPF announces that it will begin play in May 1997. AT&T Wireless Services Inc. named title sponsor.
March 20, 1997
1997 WPF Senior Draft held in Denver, Colo.
May 30, 1997
Virginia Roadsters defeat Durham Dragons 2-1 to record first win in WPF history.
July 1, 1997
Orlando Wahoos clinch WPF first-half title with 10-0 win over Tampa Bay FireStix.
July 22, 1997
2,517 watch Tampa Bay FireStix defeat Orlando Wahoos 4-1 in Winter Haven, Fla., for a WPF record 13 consecutive victories.
July 31, 1997
Gabby Guerrero throws first no-hitter in WPF history as Virginia Roadsters defeat Durham Dragons 2-0.
August 21, 1997
Virginia Roadsters clinch spot in inaugural WPF Championship Series after finishing second overall.
August 26-31, 1997
Orlando Wahoos defeat Virginia Roadsters three games to one in inaugural WPF Championship Series.
December 6, 1997
1998 WPF Senior Draft held in Palm Springs, Calif.
December 17, 1997
Carolina Diamonds relocate to Sims Legion Park in Gastonia, N.C. Georgia Pride relocates to South Commons Softball Stadium in Columbus, Ga.
April 15, 1998
1996 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Dot Richardson named WPF Spokesperson.
May 29, 1998
Durham Dragons defeat Virginia Roadsters 7-0 in Hampton, Va. to begin 1998 WPF season.
July 12, 1998
Carolina Diamonds capture WPF's first-half title and a berth in the championship series with record of 21-12.
July 14, 1998
3,873 pack Akron, Ohio's Firestone Stadium to watch Stars defeat Stripes 8-1 in inaugural WPF All-Star Game.
July 27, 1998
5,136 attend regular-season game between Georgia Pride and Orlando Wahoos in Jupiter, Fla.
August 1, 1998
DeeDee Weiman records first perfect game in WPF history as Tampa Bay FireStix defeat Carolina Diamonds 2-0.
August 25, 1998
Orlando Wahoos win WPF's second-half title and earns a berth in the championship series with 25-8 record.
September 4-5, 1998
Orlando Wahoos sweep Carolina Diamonds two games to none to win second WPF Championship Series.
November 6, 1998
WPF suspends operations of Wahoos in Orlando, Fla. Contracted players assigned to Racers of Akron, Ohio.
November 10, 1998
WPF announces hiring of full-time head coaches.
November 16, 1998
WPF announces addition of third team to 1999 postseason. Inaugural WPSL Championship Semifinal scheduled to be played Aug. 24-Aug. 25.
December 5, 1998
WPF changes name to Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). 1999 WPSL Senior Draft held in St. Petersburg, Fla.
December 15, 1998
AT&T Wireless Services Inc. renews title sponsorship. January 1999 International Softball Federation (ISF) rules that national team members can compete professionally and maintain international eligibility.
January 25, 1999
WPSL and Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announce signing of joint-marketing agreement that allows the two entities to seek sponsorship opportunities together.
May 13, 1999
Tampa Bay FireStix edge Georgia Pride 2-1 in Ft. Myers, Fla. to begin 1999 WPSL season.
May 14, 1999
Akron Racers christen newly renovated Firestone Stadium with an 8-5 victory over Virginia Roadsters.
June 14, 1999
Akron Racers slugger Crystl Bustos becomes first WPSL player to make USA Softball Women's National Team.
July 13, 1999
4,223 watch Virginia Roadsters catcher Scia Maumausolo hit an eighth-inning home run to give Stars a 5-4 win over Stripes in WPSL All-Star game.
July 16, 1999
Desarie Knipfer throws second perfect game in WPSL history as Georgia Pride banks Durham Dragons 6-0.
August 19, 1999
Tampa Bay FireStix clinch WPSL Championship Series berth after finishing first overall in regular-season.
August 20, 1999
Virginia Roadsters clinch WPSL Championship Semifinal berth after finishing second overall. Carolina Diamonds slugger Monica Armendarez sets WPSL single-season home run record (12) with a grand slam in a 7-2 win over Durham Dragons.
August 22, 1999
Akron Racers clinch berth in WPSL Championship Semifinal after finishing third overall in regular-season.
August 24-25, 1999
Akron Racers earn WPSL Championship Series berth after sweeping Virginia Roadsters two games to none in WPSL Championship Semifinal.
August 27-28, 1999
Tampa Bay FireStix sweep Akron Racers two games to none to capture team's first WPSL Championship Series.
September 6, 1999
Akron Racers shortstop Crystl Bustos and Durham Dragons catcher Michelle Venturella named to 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.
October 14, 1999
WPSL suspends operations of Pride in Columbus, Ga.; Dragons in Durham, N.C.; Diamonds in Gastonia, N.C.; and Roadsters in Hampton, Va. Contracted Roadsters players assigned to Pride of Akron, Ohio. Contracted Pride players assigned to Wahoos of Plant City, Fla. Tampa Bay FireStix relocate to Plant City Stadium in Plant City, Fla.
December 4, 1999
2000 WPSL Elite/Supplemental Draft, 2000 WPSL Senior Draft and 2001 WPSL National Team Draft held in St. Petersburg, Fla.
February 2, 2000
WPSL and USA Softball announce "Central Park to Sydney," a nationwide pre-Olympic tour featuring 11 games between pro teams and the women's national team
June 1, 2000
Tampa Bay FireStix and Akron Racers begin 2000 WPSL season.
June 2, 2000
USA Softball Women's National Team edges the Florida Wahoos 1-0 in the first "Central Park to Sydney" game. Desarie Knipfer limits the women's national team to one earned run on two hits.
July 7, 2000
Ohio Pride starter Heather Compton sets the WPSL single-game strike-out record with 17 in a 2-1 victory over the Akron Racers.
August 25, 2000
Steph Klaviter throws the first perfect game in Championship Series history as the Florida Wahoos blank the Pride in game one of the championship in Springfield, Mo.
August 26, 2000
The Florida Wahoos capture the WPSL Championship Series with a 1-0 victory over the Pride. Steph Klaviter earns Most Valuable Player honors.
September 3, 2000
The "Central Park to Sydney" tour concludes as the USA National Team sweep the All-Star Series played in Honolulu, Hawaii.
February 27, 2001
WPSL announces suspension of the 2001 season to concentrate on expansion for the 2002 season. The league will sponsor the Tour of Fastpitch Champions during the summer of 2001 featuring a team of WPSL All-Stars against USA and international Olympians.
August, 2001
The 2001 Tour of Fastpitch Champions concludes with a stop in Omaha, Nebraska on August 31st. The 2001 tour traveled to 11 cities that were targeted as WPSL expansion candidates. Competition featured games between the WPSL Gold and All-Star teams as well as Canada, the USA National Teams and local all-star teams. Nine of these games were televised, seven on ESPN2 and two "live" on ESPN, a first for the WPSL. The season was deemed a success with more than three million households witnessing a WPSL game. Numerous cities are also being developed for future ownership in the league.
September, 2001
Candidate Team Owners and League Officials agree to develop all necessary marketing, operations and facilities throughout 2002 to allow for a full schedule of league play, nationwide, in 6-10 markets, in 2003.
December 10, 2001
John D. Carroll steps down as CEO/Commissioner and is succeeded by Richard A. Levine as President and CEO.
April, 2002
WPSL contracts with GBSM (a Denver-based marketing firm) to develop a comprehensive advertising and promotional campaign for the re-launch of the league.
July 20-21, 2002
The WPSL All-Stars compete against the Tennessee All-Stars at the National Softball Association's A division Eastern World Series in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The WPSL All-Stars win game one with a score of 13-1 and game two with a score of 7-1.
August 19, 2002
WPSL announces the 2003 Fastpitch Festival Tour. The tour is the centerpiece of a long-term sales, marketing and promotional campaign and will take place in lieu of league play in 2003. It will enable local markets to generate exposure and develop important relationships within their community.
November 21, 2002
On Nov. 21, 2002, WPSL announced a rebranding strategy and official name change to National Pro Fastpitch. Major League Baseball partnered with NPF as its Official Development partner as a continuation of MLB's efforts to connect with female athletes and women.
May 5, 2003
NPF, the nation's only women's professional fastpitch softball league announces its 2003 All-Star Tour which will travel to 17 cities and partner with a dozen Major League Baseball Clubs to present fastpitch games, clinics and promotions during the 2003 NPF All-Star Tour.
July 14, 2003
Members of the 2003 NPF All-Star team participate in appearances and clinics as part of Major League Baseball's John Hancock All-Star Fanfest at McCormick Place in Chicago.
September 7, 2003
NPF All-Stars Venus Taylor and Danielle Cox participate in the final game of the 2003 White House Tee Ball Initiative. The players traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent the nation's only professional women's fastpitch league at the event, which celebrated the participation of women and girls in sports.
March 20, 2004
NPF signs multiyear sponsorship and licensing agreements with Majestic Athletic, a leading provider of authentic team uniforms, athletic apparel and sports licensed apparel and softball equipment producer, Rawlings.
March 21, 2004
NPF introduces the six teams participating in the 2004 season. The six NPF Ball Clubs include the Akron Racers (Akron, Ohio), Arizona Heat (Tucson, Ariz.), Texas Thunder (Houston, Tex.), New England Riptide (Boston/Lowell, Mass.), New York/New Jersey Juggernaut (Upper Montclair, NJ), and California Sunbirds (Stockton, Calif.).
May 6, 2004
Schutt® Sports, one of the last family-owned sporting goods companies in the United States, agrees to enter its seventh year of partnership with NPF in the category of protective equipment.
May 17, 2004
Adams USA, Inc., an original sponsor when the league launched as Women's Professional Fastpitch, agrees to enter its seventh year of partnership with NPF as the official supplier of performance gear.
June 1, 2004
NPF launches its inaugural season with three season openers in Upper Montclair, NJ, Stockton, CA and Houston, TX.
June 11, 2004
The YES Network agrees to broadcast four Juggernaut Games in 2004
July 13, 2004
NPF East and West All-Stars each give Team USA a run for their money in a doubleheader in Oklahoma City.
July 14, 2004
The West National Pro Fastpitch team earns a 1-0 victory over the East National Pro Fastpitch team at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
August 29, 2004
The NY/NJ Juggernaut defeat the New England Riptide in the league's inaugural championship game on Sunday afternoon at Firestone Stadium.
October 14, 2004
National Pro Fastpitch's new expansion team, the Chicago Bandits, announce the signing of three 2004 Olympic players. Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Leah O'Brien-Amico and 2004 Team USA Olympic Alternate Jaime Clark will play for the team in the 2005 season, as well as decorated Canadian Olympic pitcher Lauren Bay.
December 3, 2004
Owners of the individual NPF teams announce a plan intended to transition operations of the women's professional fastpitch league from the founding Cowles family to an operating group consisting of team owners.
December 23, 2004
The Chicago Bandits announce the signing of Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch. Finch helped lead USA Softball's Dream Team to a 9-0 record at the 2004 Athens Olympic. The former University of Arizona All-American pitcher, who holds the NCAA record of 60 straight wins, has captured national headlines both on and off the field for her athleticism, beauty and marketability.
February 16, 2005
The New York/New Jersey Juggernaut announce the signing of 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, Natasha Watley.
March 10, 2005
The Akron Racers of NPF announce the signing of three members from the 2004 Gold Medal winning USA Olympic team. Infielder Crystl Bustos, outfielder Kelly Kretschman, and catcher Jenny Topping will all be members of the 2005 Racers Team.
March 23, 2005
NPF announces the 2005 schedule that will include a 48-game regular season schedule for each of the six NPF teams. The six NPF teams include the Akron Racers, Arizona Heat, Chicago Bandits, New England Riptide, NY/NJ Juggernaut, and Texas Thunder. The California Sunbirds will also play a limited schedule in 2005.
May 24, 2005
The Arizona Heat of NPF announce the signing of two-time Gold Medalist Stacey Nuveman, the fourth member from the 2004 USA Olympic Team to join the Heat for 2005. Nuveman will join Lovie Jung, Tairia Mims-Flowers and Jessica Mendoza as Gold Medal winners on the Heat roster, along with 15 other NCAA All-Americans.
June 8, 2005
NPF announces the 2005 broadcast schedule which will include an umbrella of TV coverage by ESPN2, Comcast Sports Net Chicago and Telecare.
July 12, 2005
NPF announces plans to host the 2012 NPF International Championship. Bill Conroy, President and CEO of NPF and the owner of the Chicago Bandits will spearhead this event which will coincide with the Gold Medal phase of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.
August 30, 2005
After trailing by four runs early in the game, the Akron Racers take the 2005 NPF Championship in a 5-4, eight-inning championship game over the Chicago Bandits, regular season champions.
December 22, 2005
NPF announces that the league will open the 2006 season with seven teams including, the Akron Racers, Arizona Heat, Chicago Bandits, Connecticut Brakettes, Philadelphia Force, New England Riptide and the Texas Thunder. The 2006 schedule will kick-off on Wednesday, May 31st with the first of 12 series for each team. The 48-game schedule will include seven (7) four-game home series and five (5) four-game series on the road.
January 13, 2006
NPF announces the appointment of Patrick J. Linden as its new president. Linden, a Denver-based attorney with the commercial law firm of Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert, LLP, succeeds Bill Conroy, owner of the Chicago Bandits.
August 28, 2006
The New England Riptide defeat the Connecticut Brakettes by a 2-0 margin, to win their first ever NPF Championship. Jocelyn Forest receives the NPF Championship Series Most Valuable Player award following her impressive performance which includes striking out seven and stranding seven Brakettes on base.
January 25, 2007
Cardinal Youth Softball, Inc. in Kimberly, Wisconsin is awarded the bid to host the 2007 NPF Championship Series, August 24-26 where four teams will compete in a double elimination format.
February 9, 2007
Six teams and 96 players join forces for the 2007 season to bring another exciting year of professional fastpitch to fans across the country. The six NPF teams include the 2006 Defending Champions, the New England Riptide, the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Rockford Thunder, the Washington Glory, the league's newest team and the Philadelphia Force operating under new ownership.
February 12, 2007
Cheri Kempf joins the league as its new commissioner and manager of game-day operations.
February 28, 2007
Tom Kleinman announced as the new owner of the Philadelphia Force.
August 8, 2007
Washington Glory clinch 1st place in the league and advance to NPF Championship Series.
August 26, 2007
Washington Glory win the NPF Championship Series in a 3-1 victory over the Rockford Thunder. Monica Abbott is names series MVP.
December 13, 2007
Chicago Bandits announce their move to Judson Field in Elgin, Illinois for the 2008 season.
June 3, 2008
NPF Announces Game of the Week on Fox Sports Net
May, 2008
The 2008 season kicks off with six NPF teams including the 2007 Defending Champions, the Washington Glory, the Akron Racers, Chicago Bandits, Rockford Thunder, the New England Riptide and the Philadelphia Force.
June 5, 2008
NPF kicks of the Battle of the Bats Competition (manufacturer's homerun challenge)
June 7 & June 14, 2008
Team NPF competes against the USA Olympic Softball Team. Both games are televised on ESPN
August 11, 2008
Lindsay Gardner subs for Tonya Callahan and wins the inaugural Battle of the Bats finals. Demarini leads all manufacturers with the most home runs for the season.
August 20, 2008
NPF is the first professional league to take the "I Play Clean" Pledge against steroids.
August 24, 2008
Chicago Bandits win 2008 NPF Championship; Nicole Trimboli names MVP
August 24, 2008
The Final game of the NPF Championship Series is produced by The Softball Channel.com and streamed live at MLB.com. Games #1-#6 were also broadcast via internet radio and Gametracker with video streaming available on a tape-delayed basis at The Softball Channel.com.
August, 2009 – Chicago Bandits are back-to-back NPF Regular Season Champions.
August, 2009 – DeDe Justice of the Philadelphia Force wins the 2nd Annual NPF Battle of the Bats. Worth led all manufacturers with the most home runs for the season.
August, 2009 – Cat Osterman named MVP of the Championship Series as she led the #3 Rockford Thunder for their first Cowles Cup beating the #4 USSSA Pride.
October 5, 2009 – NPF Offices relocate to Nashville, TN and adding more staff.
November 16, 2009 – USSSA purchases a NPF franchise after managing the 2009 USSSA Pride.
December 1, 2009 – NPF and Poinstreak reach a multiyear deal to be the Official Stats program of the NPF.
January 5, 2010 – Tennessee Diamonds purchases an NPF franchise relocating the Rockford Thunder roster to Tennessee.
February 10, 2010 – NPF holds the College Senior Draft presented by Miken live on MLB.com for the second consecutive year. Charlotte Morgan was drafted #1 to the USSSA Florida Pride
May, 2010 – NPF relocates Tennessee Diamonds to Nashville, TN to play at Lipscomb University.
June, 2010 – Announcement with MLB.com that all 2010 games will be streamed live on MLB.com.
June, 12 2010 – Chicago Bandits and the USSSA Florida Pride play in Lubbock Texas for the "Duel on the Diamond" with a game on ESPN2.
August 15, 2010 – Chicago Bandits win third consecutive Ringor Cup for Regular Season Champions.
August, 2010 – Jennie Finch, Stacy May, and Chelsea Spencer retire from the NPF at the Championship Series.
August 29, 2010 – USSSA wins first NPF Cowles Cup Championship by beating the Chicago Bandits in a best of three series. Natasha Watley, USSSA Florida Pride, named MVP of the Championship Series.
September, 2010 – NPF began "Back to School Tour presented by USSSA" with over 20 stops across the US to different colleges and universities.
2011 Season
February 17, 2011 – NPF announces the establishment of the NPF Board of Advisors. A who's who in sports and softball dotted the 10 positions. The Board ranges from tennis legend and women's sports advocate, Billie Jean King to former Chicago Bandit and Olympic Gold Medalist, Jennie Finch. John Kruk, Sue Enquist, Mike Candrea, Jane Sage Cowles, Denise Michaels, Beth Mowins and Cindy Bristow all accepted positions along with the NPF active player representative, Jessica Mendoza.
March 18, 2011 – NPF hosts the College Senior Draft at the Amway Center in Orlando, FL. Kelsi Dunne was the #1 Overall Draft Pick making this the second consecutive year a University of Alabama Player is the first pick.
April 20, 2011 – NPF launches a grass roots fund raising campaign – Twenty for 20. The idea of the campaign was to ask regular everyday people, who had perhaps had their lives touched in some way by the sport of softball, to donate $20 to the cause of securing the sport at the professional level. The goal for security was 2020.
June, 2011 – NPF offers free streaming for all 87 games. Streaming is also available through Smartphone apps. Along with 2 games streamed on ESPN 3.
June 9, 2011 – NPF opens up the 2011 Season with the NPF Diamonds taking on the Akron Racers at Firestone Stadium in Akron, OH.
June 11, 2011 – ESPN2 airs the Chicago Bandits vs USSSA Florida Pride at ESPN's World Wide of Sports in Orlando, FL in front of 4000+ fans.
August, 2011 – The USSSA Florida Pride captured the Regular Season Ringer Cup Title by dominating league play with an impressive 30-9 record.
August, 2011 – The 2011 Championship Series takes place in Sulphur, LA for the second year in a row – The Chicago Bandits win the 2011 Cowles Cup Championship for the first time in 2 games and Chicago's Monica Abbott is named the MVP. The Championship game aired live on ESPN2 on Sunday August 21 at 2:00 EST and re-aired on Monday August 22nd at 10:00 pm EST. Over 500,000 households tuned in for the televised 2011 NPF Championship Series final game.
September 30, 2011 – NPF launches the 2011 Back to School Tour for its second year. The NPF All-Stars played against 19 college teams ranging from Memphis TN to Oxford MS, Conway AR, Daytona FL, Columbia SC, Tuscaloosa AL, Hattiesburg MS, Baton Rouge LA, Athens GA, Raleigh NC, Seattle WA, Corvallis OR, Portland OR, Eugene OR, Norman OK, and finally wrapping up in San Diego, CA.
October 22, 2011 – Team NPF made history by squaring off against the 2009 NCAA Women's College World Series Champion Washington Huskies at the home of the Seattle Mariners, Safeco Field with over 3000 fans ending in a 1-0 ballgame. The game at Safeco was the first women's professional softball game to ever be played in a Major League Baseball venue. Following the game, the NPF and Washington Huskie's players hosted a clinic that was attended by 236 young girls.
2011 – Marked the 10th Anniversary of the Akron Racers.
2011 – In another NPF market, Mayor Bradley Stephens made history in Rosemont, IL as he cut the ribbon, (along with Chicago Bandits owner, Bill Sokolis, GM Aaron Moore, Jennie Finch, and Rachel Folden), on a brand new $7 million stadium located just a few miles from O'Hare airport in Rosemont, IL. The stadium is a first – being built solely for a women's professional sports team – and is appropriately addressed at 27 Jennie Finch Way.
August 4, 2011 – Monica Abbott throws her first perfect game in the NPF against the Akron Racers with a 5-0 win.


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Thank you Sherwin-Williams for sponsoring and for making me redo my Whoops! Room, it was the push I needed to get rid of the much too bright colors!
I'll call this bedroom my Whoops! room.
When we moved into the house, Henry was about 18 months old, and I wanted a fun, bright room for him. And, that's what I gave him. A very, very bright room! The green was a little electric, I'd say. (The boy illustration is done by my husband's aunt! I absolutely love that!)
My husband has been after me to redo this room pretty much since day one. But since we live in an old Victorian home that needs a lot of redoing, I wasn't about to redo a room that I already redid. That seemed like a step backwards to me.
But, all my kids have now moved through this room. Its our 'nursery,' I guess. Each boy has started in this room and, when ready for a big bed, has moved into his own new room to make room for the coming baby. (Ha. That sounds like we're manufacturing babies… we only have three… and this is it.) So Louis gets this room. And, it was time to make it nice for him, and make my husband happy in the process.
I started browsing for colors of rooms I'd like. I found a few that struck a chord with me and I thought would be perfect for a boy to grow up with.
- Bright colors in orange and blue but toned down with some lighter shades of blue. From RoomZaar on HGTV.
- Same colors I currently have but as subtle accents. From Today's Creative Blog.
- Subdued colors in green and brown and clean with lots of white. From Decor Demon.
- More bright colors, but just one wall with white as well. Calmed down with brown on other walls. From RoomZaar on HGTV.
With a couple of photos chosen, I used Sherwin-Williams' color selection tool Chip It!™ This is so slick. You just give it a photo, and it pulls up to 10 paint colors out of that photo! Excellent!
After the colors have been chosen by Chip It!, I entered them into the ColorSnap Studio™ for iPad app and took them to my Whoops! room to see what I'd like to do with them. (I even snapped a photo of the room and did a little painting within the app to see firsthand what those colors would look like.) That made it so easy to decide what colors would look best, firsthand!
Stay tuned to see what colors I chose. I'm curious if you would choose what I chose for colors…
What colors would you choose for a boy can grow up in? How do you find color inspiration for your home projects?
Tell us in the comments below, and you just might win a $100 Sherwin-Williams gift card from BlogHer!
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
As many women can relate, being dumped is a horrible feeling filled with sorrow and pints of ice cream.
But in Samantha La Rocco's case, her pity party was brought to an abrupt halt Sunday when she received an uplifting message on her to-go container from Truly Vegan, a restaurant in Los Angeles.
"I had just been dumped and was in full-blown break up mode," La Rocco, 23, told GoodMorningAmerica.com. "I was ordering food in, and my hair was mess and I had my break up pants on."
In the midst of her sorrow, she decided to include a note in the special instructions section online while placing her order that read, "I've just been dumped. Please draw something inspiring on the container."
Not expecting the restaurant to even really read the note, let alone follow through, she was more than pleasantly surprised when she received her salad.
"It was the happiest salad I've ever had in my life," she said. "I kept the container. It's still in the refrigerator."
Included on the Styrofoam box was a stick figure holding a sign surrounded by hearts that said, "You're worth it," followed by "You don't need him to be happy," with a sunshine above it.
The message on the box was exactly what La Rocco needed to pick herself up and dust herself off.
"This is the best break up I've had," she said. "The food container thing has totally helped."
And as for the man who dumped her after a year and a half of dating, she says, "It was so dumb. He's a very young 25. Let's put it that way."


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Fish sauce may not be a standard in your pantry alongside the rice or soy sauce, yet. But once you use some of the amber, aromatic elixir it will be. The heady aroma, and salty, fishy taste is irreplaceable in many Asian dishes, and frankly, well beyond. We splash it in salad dressings, hamburgers, and marinades of all kinds.
In Asian cultures, fish sauce enhances most every dish. Made from salt, water and anchovies, which have been pressed slowly until their essence has been extracted, fish sauce contributes the elusive fifth flavor of savory umami. This is the same flavor that Japanese cuisine finds in soy sauce, Italian chefs contribute through Parmegiano-Reggiano and that Auguste Escoffier added to his prototypical French dishes in the form of concentrated veal stock.
So don't feel limited to just Asian dishes. A teaspoon added to homemade Caesar dressing or a couple tablespoons mixed in with your ground beef before hitting the grill will add a bold flavor that will make your recipes sing.
Which brand? A small bottle might be best to start with, as it's dispensed mostly in teaspoons and tablespoons. For that reason we like the familiar brand, Taste of Thai, that comes in an 8 ounce bottle. There are of course, many Asian brands of fish sauce, commonly found in ethnic markets. The chef's choice for fish sauce comes from Vietnam and is made with nothing but the freshest anchovies and native sea salt. Red Boat Fish Sauce sells only the first press of their product, not unlike the finest olive oils from Italy. The sauce is aged slowly in large native wood barrels to develop the nuanced sweet characteristics that separate Red Boat from other choices. Pick up a bottle at your favorite high-end supermarket or online and enjoy experimenting with this sharp new arrow in your culinary quiver.
By Chris Chamberlain


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HISD teachers walk out of contracts in high numbers, union says
Fed up with a stressful work environment, teachers are leaving the Houston Independent School District this year in what could be record numbers, according to the Houston Federation of Teachers.
"I think by the end of January, we're looking at 700 or more who have walked out of HISD," said Joanna Pasternak, the union's grievance director.
"It's extremely surprising," said Pasternak, who has worked 10 years for the union, following 11 years as a teacher. "We have never seen anything like this."
In response to a public information request, the district gave the union a report that shows 134 teachers had quit by the first week of November, Pasternak said.
That number included some terminations for cause but was mostly voluntary resignations, she said.
By the first week in December, the number had jumped to 366, she said.
Based upon the volume and tenor of phone calls to the union office, many more teachers have followed suit, Pasternak said.
The district, however, said that 300 of HISD's 11,000 teachers, or 2.7 percent, had resigned as of Jan. 8. At the same point last year, 234 teachers had resigned, spokesman Jason Spencer said in an email Thursday.
School Board President Mike Lunceford said he wanted to know more about those who have quit.
"Everything I've heard to date is anecdotal," Lunceford said. "I want to know, Did we do exit interviews? If people are leaving, find out why. With almost 12,000 teachers, you're going to have some turnover every year."
Gayle Fallon, Houston Federation of Teachers president, said one reason so many teachers are breaking their contracts this year is that they have been mistreated by principals.
"A lot of our campus administrators are absolutely abusive," she said. "They scream at people. No one wants to be told to sit down and shut up in a faculty meeting, or be yelled at in front of students, parents or their peers."
Other problems, Pasternak said, include a subjective evaluation system and principals' reluctance to discipline students.
As phone calls have come in to the union office from teachers planning to quit without approval, Fallon said union representatives have counseled them that breaking a contract will be considered a termination, which will stay on the teacher's record.
"We warn them the sanction will be there forever," Fallon said. "What we're getting back is, 'I don't care. I can't do this any more.'"
Lunceford said the district is about to undertake a professional, third-party survey to give teachers, principals and parents a chance to tell the district how it's doing.
At next week's school board meeting, the president said, the board is scheduled to take action on a provision to give teachers a bonus if they let the district know early that they plan to resign at the end of the year.
"We're trying to work with those who want to resign so we can plan accordingly," he said.


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Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster
Vintage Books, 1999 - Nature - 484 pages
"Graced with a bold political and environmental vision, much splendid phrasemaking and a multitude of facts. . . . A truly eccentric contribution."--The New York Times Book ReviewĀĀ
Earthquakes. Wildfires. Floods. Drought. Tornadoes. Snakes in the sea, mountain lions, and a plague of bees. In this controversial tour de force of scholarship, unsparing vision, and inspired writing, Mike Davis, the author of City of Quartz, revisits Los Angeles as a Book of the Apocalypse theme park. By brilliantly juxtaposing L.A.'s fragile natural ecology with its disastrous environmental and social history, he compellingly shows a city deliberately put in harm's way by land developers, builders, and politicians, even as the incalculable toll of inevitable future catas-trophe continues to accumulate.
Counterpointing L.A.'s central role in America's fantasy life--the city has been destroyed no less than 138 times in novels and films since 1909--with its wanton denial of its own real history, Davis creates a revelatory kaleidoscope of American fact, imagery, and sensibility.ĀĀDrawing upon a vast array of sources, Ecology of Fear meticulously captures the nation's violent malaise and desperate social unease at the millennial end of "the American century."ĀĀWith savagely entertaining wit and compassionate rage, this book conducts a devastating reconnaissance of our all-too-likely urban future.
"Dizzying. . . . In Mr. Davis's account, the world ends in fire, and the next time is now."--The New York Times
What people are saying - Write a review
ECOLOGY OF FEAR: Los Angeles and the Imagination of DisasterUser Review - Kirkus
A formidable intellectual history of how Los Angeles, the locus of postwar American dreams, became the avatar of national nightmares of physical and social destruction. In this decade, L.A. has ... Read full review
Ecology of fear: Los Angeles and the imagination of disasterUser Review - Not Available - Book Verdict
Davis's quirky social history of Los Angeles, City of Quartz (LJ 1/91), has become a regional best seller and gained legions of fans across the country. His new work shares many of that book's best ... Read full review
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Kebabs, Kids, Cops and Crime: Youth, Ethnicity and Crime
Greg Noble,Scott Poynting,Paul Tabar
No preview available - 2000
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Public Places, Urban Spaces: The Dimensions of Urban Design
Matthew Carmona,Tim Heath,Taner Oc,Steven Tiesdell
No preview available - 2003


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by Marty Koch
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Our weekender tote bags are chic and perfect for a day out on the town, a staycation, or a weekend getaway. The tote is crafted with soft, spun poly-poplin fabric and features double-stitched seams for added durability. The 1" thick cotton handles are perfect for carrying the bag by hand or over your shoulder. This is a must-have for the summer.
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Marty is a retired park ranger from St. Louis, Missouri. He has traveled extensively to the wild areas of America photographing nature's beauty. He is a photography instructor and freelance writer with may published articles and photographs. He has authored two books of his photography and is working on a third. He enjoys hiking, camping, canoeing and of course, nature photography. One of his specialties is office decor. His fine art photo prints adorn the walls of hundreds of offices throughout the Midwest. Click on one of the galleries below to view the available images. Once you select an image you can order just a print or a framed and matted print ready to hang. Your choices of size, mats and frames appear on the left...
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Pixels sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Pixels to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
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text:
Because of Obamacare, Your Physician May Not Protect You in the Hospital
In years past, you could count on your independent physician to look out for you both inside and outside the hospital. Times change, and today, things are quite different.
Thanks to ObamaCare, and the accompanying expansion of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), independent physicians are being squeezed out, and in some cases, deliberately driven out of business nationwide.
Hospitals and large physician groups are combining to form Accountable Care Organizations, designed to cut health care spending. In some cases, hospitals are combining with insurance companies to form Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs) that limit choice to a small panel of physicians. Hospitals are also employing more physicians as hospitalists in an effort to maximize profits by controlling the care hospitalists provide.
Some physicians, beleaguered with increasing and costly administrative burdens imposed by government and insurers, have sought refuge in these new care models, perhaps not fully realizing what loss of autonomy means for their patients. The developing culture in these ACO, EPO, and employed physician models is that physicians quickly learn to do as they are told and not criticize or speak out when the system is not working for their patients.
Physicians, for example, who previously referred patients to specific specialists based on years of trust and experience in the specialist's skills and abilities, are increasingly being told to stop referring to those doctors and to refer patients only to physicians employed by the hospital or who are in the ACO or EPO organization.
Physicians who disregard such warnings and who choose to act in the best interest of their patients are at risk for being terminated from hospital employment or deselected from the ACO or EPO. If the hospital, ACO, or EPO has monopolized the market, the physician may be unable to sustain an independent practice. Physicians soon learn to "cooperate."
Physicians who refuse to become employed and controlled by a hospital, or who refuse to refer patients requiring hospitalization to hospital-employed hospitalists, may lose their hospital privileges because of a hospital's abuse of the credentialing or peer review process, known as sham peer review. Trumped-up and/or false charges are frequently used in a kangaroo court peer review process in the hospital. If the attack is successful, it not only eliminates the physician victim from the hospital, but often ends his career as well.
In some cases, physicians who oppose a hospital's agenda are labeled "disruptive physicians" and are sent to distant re-training centers that specialize in treating "disruptive physicians"-at enormous cost, all paid out of pocket by the physician.
As part of the "treatment," physicians are frequently coerced to take psychoactive medications under threat of loss of their livelihood.
Some treatment centers also use lie detectors if they think the subject physician is not being forthright in his responses. One physician, who was interviewed under condition of anonymity, described the process as "brain scrubbing," similar to "Soviet-style punitive psychiatry."
Another physician, a whistleblower who was a strong advocate for patients, learned the hard way what can happen to a physician who criticizes the way a hospital is being run. According to sworn testimony, a hospital chief executive officer hired an operative who was allegedly connected with the Mafia to set up the physician by planting a gun in the physician's car. Based on an untraceable "911" call about a fabricated incident of road rage, the whistleblower physician was arrested in the hospital parking lot and taken to the police station, where he was strip-searched, booked, and thrown into a cell for five hours. Tires on two of the physician's cars were also mysteriously slashed, an action that placed his daughter's life at risk when one of the tires blew and the car flipped on the freeway.
If hospitals, ACOs, and EPOs succeed in eliminating independent physicians from the hospital, who will be left to protect the interests of patients? And what kind of treatment can patients expect from organizations that abuse physicians in these ways?


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When it comes to determining a woman's innate charm, nothing is more telling that the handbag she carries. This is what Elena Ghisellini believes and, in a way, it is true. You can definitely tell a lot about someone by the accessories they choose. So what does this tell us about this designer? Just looking at the handbags she creates, I would guess that she isn't shy at all when it comes to her style. Just take a look at this very bright and very bold handbag. Take a moment and discover the unique and bold Elena Ghisellini Felina Rainbow Clutch.
Now I am someone who likes bright, bold colors, but this handbag is the really out there! When I first laid eyes on the Elena Ghisellini Felina Rainbow Clutch, I think my jaw dropped a little. This handbag features an incomplete rainbow, incorporating warm and cool colors from opposite sides of the spectrum. I love the yellows, oranges, and reds on the flap. They almost have a molten or flame look to them. At the same time, the blues on the body are quite soothing. More interesting, however, is the layering effect created by the stacked pieces of leather. The depth it creates only increases the beauty.
I think the Elena Ghisellini Felina Rainbow Clutch is a a gorgeous bag, but it needs to be wore with care. I envision it being paired with something simple, like a black dress or black pants and a white top or any other neutral background that would showcase the bright colors nicely.
If the rainbow bright colors aren't your style, but you like the pattern, there are other color variations available as well, from the sites listed below.


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One of my coworkers was married to a woman "Jane" who was mentally ill and had serious physical problems as well. Jane called her husband at work so often that he stopped answering his personal phone line. She then started calling the group phone number and talking at length to whomever answered. Her favorite topics were the details of her unending medical problems, what a genius her husband was, and that she knew he was cheating on her (he was not).
When Jane died somewhat unexpectedly, my work group attended her funeral. We sat with other mourners in the sanctuary. The family was sequestered in a room off to the side.
Jane belonged to a hardcore fundamentalist sect. The remarks made by her preacher during the service left those of us in the sanctuary with our mouths hanging open in shock. We were unable to see the reaction of the family.
Reverend Nutjob stated that Jane had had her share of trouble, but had been the source of much trouble for others. He described in detail how Jane had phoned him frequently, day and night. He said that he often cried to the Lord, "Why have you inflicted this woman upon me?" Smiling blissfully, he informed us that now that Jane was dead, he understood God's message: if you truly believe, God will eventually remove even your worst troubles.
He also spoke at length about religious matters unrelated to Jane's life or death. He proclaimed that we should get ourselves straight because he knew for a fact that Jesus was coming back within the next two years. (I hope he didn't sell all his possessions, because it's been four years now.) He informed us that according to the Bible, Heaven is a cube one mile wide, one mile deep, and one mile high. (That sounds barely big enough to hold Reverend Nutjob's ego. I guess the rest of the universe is needed to hold all the sinners – like those who know better than to express delight over a person's death at the funeral.) 0318-09
November 2, 2017, 5:25 am
No wonder a lot of people are turning away from some organised religions with ministers like that!!
November 2, 2017, 12:16 pm
The reason a story like this gets attention is that it is so unusual. I was raised as a Catholic in an area that had a lot of fundamentalist Protestants. In more than sixty years I've never heard of a minister behaving this badly. I've never in my life heard the "cube" thing.
I think this minister's problem had more to do with really bad judgement and a serious lack of sensitivity than with religious issues. There are some people with mental health issues who, if they aren't properly treated, can be terribly difficult to deal with. Combining mental health issues with other medical problems is even worse. However, most health professionals, and clergy know better than to make comments like this in public.
November 2, 2017, 2:38 pm
I think the "cube" thing is somewhere in "Revelations". A friend of mine who studies such things suggested that, at the time, the person writing the chapter (John of Padmos?) would assume that that was a pretty big space based upon his actual knowledge of the size of the world (small) and how many people were in it (not that many).
As for the ministers who say stuff like this: I once attended a funeral for a man who was beloved, not just by the community, but by half the state. His wake was standing room only and the line to get in to pay respects to his family was longer than lines at Disney World.
This man was a good friend to so many people, not a mean or selfish bone in his body. And at his funeral, the priest (who barely knew him and was only there because the regular celebrant was sick) announced to a packed house that "Yes, you are all here saying you loved and miss Brother John, but for all you knew of him, he could have been the wickedest among you. You THINK he is going to Heaven, but he could well know be burning in Hell."
It felt like all the air was sucked out of that room when people gasped in horror. The family was furious (I don't know if the creep got his honorarium for heading up the mass) and won't go to any services where he presides. The man in question had suffered a horrible, painful death from bone cancer and deserved a better send off from the self important reverend. His daughter did get up and give a beautiful tribute that mostly wiped out the bad taste of the eulogy…but we still talk about it twenty years later.
In the parish I attend, we had a priest who really thought himself above all creatures great and small–and possibly above God. If Father X was hearing confessions, no one wanted to go because he was so judgmental. And if he was giving the homily, Heaven help you! He was as pompous and obnoxious as the day was long. Recently (and I admit this is mean, but it made me smile) he tried to become part of a local men's chorale group. The person who was part of the audition process told us "Gee, Father X fancies himself quite a singer. Too bad he can't sing to save his life."
Happily he has left us for, I imagine, much ritzier accommodations….but what a jerk! No wonder we have trouble building up our membership with that kind of leadership!
November 3, 2017, 4:28 am
Ah, you just made me think of Father Walters.
He was a very elderly priest in our parish when I was growing up.
My sister and I would be so happy when we saw he was the one presiding over the Mass.
When the altar boys would bring the cruets over with the water and wine, he would always put just a splash of water and ALL of the wine in the chalice.
Once at a funeral Mass, Father Walters was the back up priest to another one who saying the Mass.
When the other priest got up to give the homily and say a few nice words about "Bob Johnson" Father Walters was seated next to the altar boys, but had a wireless microphone on.
About halfway through the homily, Father Walters, still seated, said loudly, "BOB JOHNSON DIED?!? Oh, NO!!! Bob was a HELL of a bowler!!!"
My whole family got the "church giggles", as well as many other parishioners.
He would also end every homily with "You pray for me, I'll pray for you, now lets get on with the Holy Mass!"
God Bless him, he always made me smile.
November 6, 2017, 3:30 pm
Who doesn't stand up and tell the "priest" to leave immediately? If someone said this about someone I knew at their funeral service, I'd sure say something right away!
November 2, 2017, 3:37 pm
Unfortunately I have both observed, and heard accounts from close friends and family about ministers from all denominations behaving in an equally apalling manner. In some churches very little can be done about it because the way they are set up makes it almost impossible to discipline or dismiss them.
November 3, 2017, 11:45 am
I agree. It is unusual for someone to be that dense. I have run into clerics who did not have the talent for public speaking therefore did not do the deceased justice. However, none of them were cruel.
November 2, 2017, 7:51 am
Not sure whose mental illness was worse, Jane's or Reverend Nutjob's…what a traumatic and frightening experience of a funeral service!
November 2, 2017, 11:20 am
Agreed – the reverend's behaviour strongly suggests mental health issues, too. I can see Jane being a real pain to deal with, but there didn't seem to be a real focus on how much her husband tried to get her into care before her death. So I do feel rather sorry for Jane, too, since she was clearly ill but left to her own devices.
I attended a wedding once that reminds me of this funeral story. Christian Reformed Church, which is rather gloom and doom anyway, but the wedding ceremony was so depressing my mom and I wondered if we were supposed to leave the church and run straight into heavy traffic, if that was the minister's intent. They were a lovely bridal couple and didn't deserve that, but it was what they chose, so I guess it worked for them. But it just seems some people shouldn't be in the business of "people", especially people who are trying to celebrate a wonderful day or are grieving.
November 2, 2017, 8:05 am
Wow, that is appalling rude. How unkind of this preacher to insinuate that God removed this woman from Earth because she was annoying/aggravating to him. I understand his frustration, and the frustration of the husband's coworkers, however, that is a really awful thing to say at a funeral.
The preacher who spoke at my grandmother's funeral briefly went way off topic and started talking about "loose women, promiscuous people and heathens". The family all just started looking at each other and my uncle made a really loud throat clearing noise that snapped the preacher back to the moment.
November 3, 2017, 4:36 am
A friend of mine who was Catholic got married many moons ago, after living wither fiancé for two years or so.
She got married in the church to appease her parents, she really didn't care if she had a Mass or not, but it meant alot to her folks.
The priest knew they had been living together, and it didn't seem to bother him until the wedding Mass when he stated to the packed church "Well, It seems that Sue and Jim have been living in SIN for MANY YEARS (Two actually), so I don't know how much of a SACRAMENT this actually IS, but I'm doing this out of respect for Sue's parents…..who ARE GOOD CATHOLICS!!!"
Oh, my God.
Sue and Jim were horrified, and Sue's poor mom looked like she wanted to crawl under the pew.
November 6, 2017, 9:36 am
I was at a wedding a few years ago ( my sweet young daughter was actually in the wedding party) where the minister began pontificating about how good it was to see young people getting married in a church, as that was the only true wedding and one that was blessed by God. I was sitting in the pew, with my husband of more than a decade and our three beautiful children. We were married by a JP in my parents back yard in a lovely New Years Eve ceremony. Sitting there with my family, being told that my marriage was not real was insulting in the extreme.
Bride and groom divorced a year later.
November 7, 2017, 4:24 am
Someone in my family said something like that to me as well.
I'm born and raised Catholic and would've loved to get married in the church, but my
husband was divorced and we couldn't unless we got an annulment.
Too much hassle and red tape.
We got married in a gazebo in a local park at sunset, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
This crabby old uncle was on his fourth wife, and my husband and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary.
November 7, 2017, 2:02 pm
I was right there with you until the last part….
Sounds like (at least) the couple getting divorced made you feel better about your 'extreme insult'!
November 2, 2017, 8:41 am
This is heartbreaking–Jane sounds like a very difficult person to have around, but she also sounds like she was absolutely miserable in her life. How infuriating that her minister was unable to summon any compassion for her.
November 2, 2017, 8:51 am
I've also been to a Catholic wedding where the Priest went off about how gay marriage is ruining everything for about 20 minutes. In the middle of the ceremony. Not sure why he thought that was appropriate for a regular wedding.
Me too! It was ridiculous. He started his… homily, I guess, with something to the effect of how sad it was that it even needs to be said that marriage should be between a man and a woman and so on and so forth, and all I could think was "So don't say it. You have in front of you a man and a woman and they're getting married, so what anyone else is doing is entirely irrelevant."
It was perhaps not quite as horrifying as a priest expressing gratitude that a person has died and thus gotten out of his life, but it was still pretty freaking awkward and offensive.
November 4, 2017, 1:05 pm
I think you and I share the same sentiments – that was completely inappropriate and off topic, regardless of the denomination's beliefs! But I think one should be careful in calling a straight marriage a "regular" wedding.
When I get married to my wife in my church, I very much think it will be a regular wedding! 🙂
November 2, 2017, 9:17 am
well, that was certainly not what one expects at a funeral!
November 2, 2017, 9:25 am
Woah. Why stop there? Why not lead the congregation in a rousing chorus of "Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead"?
November 2, 2017, 9:34 am
What in the world?!!
No matter WHAT religion she was a part of – how could someone say those things about a mentally and physically ill woman who turned to them for comfort and help? He could have ignored her phone calls if it was so bad, and I wouldn't have blamed him for that, but really – no matter how annoying she may have been, HE was traumatizing, which is FAR worse.
November 2, 2017, 9:39 am
I'm sure a lot of people were annoyed at Jane's behavior. But I would say you do not complain about them unless they are very close family.
There's a difference between a child of the deceased going up and telling people how awful that person was to them (physical abuse, etc.) vs. a reverend or any other not-close relative.
November 2, 2017, 9:44 am
My father is a minister. He's often had to stand at the funeral and find something nice to say about the deceased who was a wife beater, cheated every chance he got, was an alcoholic and druggie, and who died in a car accident where the deceased was the drunk driver. Still my father managed to say something good…I don't know how, but he did! Funerals are not the place to condemn the dead or to inject your personal religious beliefs on others. It should be a time for friends and family to mourn and to get get closure – no matter what the deceased was like in life.
November 2, 2017, 4:03 pm
"He… he was a human being." Steps away from the microphone.
November 2, 2017, 4:31 pm
Your father must of thought long and hard on that one. Finding anything nice to say about a person like that wouldn't have been easy.
November 2, 2017, 5:13 pm
In those cases, most ministers manage to say something about the person made mistakes with their life but they're at peace now and god loves them anyway.
November 3, 2017, 11:55 am
When I had to plan my brother's funeral, I asked the priest not to mention his alcohol or drug abuse nor his other shortcomings. The priest quietly answered, "Don't worry, I'm not that sort of person." He was a dear friend of my mother's and I didn't think he would say anything but I felt I needed to cover all the bases.
November 9, 2017, 1:16 am
I've had to do a few doozies and yes, my BUSINESS/office/secretarial training has helped with parsing out a 'proper cover letter' couched in terms that say the truth without dragging anyone down. Being a minister means you better be or become a good public speaker… as that is a major part of it. Talking to the family for anything good they can remember can help. After that it takes skill.
November 2, 2017, 10:04 am
Words fail me. It's worse than an officiant who didn't actually know the deceased going on about what a great person he or she was, even though everyone else knew he or she was an embezzler and a mass murderer. Sheesh.
November 2, 2017, 10:29 am
He expressed joy at the death of a woman at her funeral. In front of her family. This woman who'd suffered most of her life. He expressed joy. That's something the church's higher ups should hear about.
November 2, 2017, 2:25 pm
Lots of churches, cults and sects don't have any higher ups. That's why some very wired and/Or charismatic ministers get away with this kind of thing.
November 3, 2017, 1:43 pm
Often the higher ups either lack the will or the ability to do anything about it. For example in the Church of England clergy can only be removed from their parish by taking them to a special type of court.
November 2, 2017, 11:11 am
I don't know why funerals seem to bring out the crazy in people. My own father's funeral was marred by the pastor making some ill considered remarks, although nothing so severe as this. Families in mourning are vulnerable to being hurt through unscrupulous persons and inconsiderate persons. Unscrupulous persons are the robbers who prey on the homes of those absent to attend a funeral and those vendors who use guilt and other shameful tactics to oversell on the casket and related services. I've never thought to put a pastor in this category, but this one surely seems to belong there. It almost makes me think that a helpful primer should be handed out to those who propose to speak at a funeral, whether its a few remarks or an entire eulogy… (it should also be given to those who forget to censor some of their less charitable thoughts about the deceased and their family in the receiving line, at the grave site or or during the meal afterward).
Maybe something like this-
A Few Reminders:
1. The deceased is the honoree for this event. It is not about anyone else. It is not a comedy roast or an opportunity to get your personal or business story "out there" to those attending.
2. This is not a general call to repentance. Please keep your remarks about the hope of salvation or your other spiritual and theological observations brief, relevant and in line with the beliefs of the deceased (or at least of his family).
3. Please do not make any "helpful observations" to the family and close friends of those mourning. (They know that they look tired, that they should rest, eat, drink, call back those who have offered help or condolences, write thank you cards or delegate that task, get ready to go through things, have a will to deal with etc…)
4. Please do not make any requests for the cash, property, memorabilia or other belongings of the deceased or their family. Nobody cares that you are ready to receive what you believe is your due. Some people are actually here to mourn.
5. Please do not invite other people to any event pertaining to the wake, mourning, funeral, graveside or other service. The family, funeral director, spiritual adviser or other delegated person will "handle" any concerns about who should attend.
6. Please do not set up a "GoFundMe" or other charitable collection for the family without having cleared it with the primary survivors of the dearly departed. You may think that they need cash (you may know that they do) or you may sincerely believe that you are helping whereas you might inadvertently embarrass them.
7. Please do not do anything to configure the seating, food, order of service, choice of music, decor or other details to reflect your personal preferences or sensibilities. (You can ask, gently, once, if it's important. Otherwise, nobody cares whether you think the buffet should start with nibbles or the cold salads…)
There are probably a lot more that could be added, many doubtless learned the hard way by those who have lost loved ones and experienced the impact of carelessness, thoughtlessness and even cruelty. How sad.
November 3, 2017, 11:22 pm
8 (though it tracks back to your first point). If you tell a story about the deceased at the funeral (as is common in my family), it should be about the deceased, not a story about you where the deceased has a minor supporting role.
When my great-aunt died, her ex-son-in-law (honestly…I don't even know why he was there) got up and told a super long-winded story that contained a funny anecdote about the deceased. It would've fit right in, except that in his long-windedness, he spent way more time talking about himself than her.
November 2, 2017, 11:56 am
what a horrible thing to say about her…sad really
November 2, 2017, 12:02 pm
I have never heard anyone say they were glad the deceased was gone at a funeral and I hope I never do! What a terrible man! At the funerals I have attended the preachers have always been so kind. This guy was a so-called minister in my opinion.
November 2, 2017, 12:17 pm
My mom's best friend had a grown son in his 50's who sadly took his own life six months ago.
They were very close and to this day no one has any clue why he ended his life.
My mom and I went to the funeral and as you can imagine, it was very sad.
"Aunt B" was devastated, and my mom and I were very worried about her, we still are she is not handling his death well at all.
He had a lot of friends and family who came, the place was packed.
The minister was very nice and said some very comforting things and then invited anyone who wanted to come up and share memories.
His brother gave a very tearful goodbye, and expressed his grief that he didn't know his brother was suffering.
Others came up and shared really beautiful and some funny moments they shared.
Then….one of his friends who seemed drunk and under the influence of something, literally staggered up to the podium and gave a rambling and inappropriate speech.
"I'm gonna him so much!!! We used to go fishing but never caught any fish cause we were SO DRUNK on the boat by EIGHT AM!!! HAHA!!! Those were GREAT times!!!" ect….
We all were just squirming uncomfortably the whole time and Aunt B just sobbed hysterically.
The minister finally decided to end this speech and went up and basically moved him away from the podium and gave a final prayer.
I'm sure this guy was as upset as the rest of us, but kind of (in the moment) just seemed to make it worse, especially on my Aunt.
November 2, 2017, 4:28 pm
I'm so sorry for your loss and the loss to your mom's best friend. I've never understood opening up the microphone to impromptu speeches at funerals (or weddings, for that matter). Grief isn't an excuse to inflict harm on other survivors in the community and the minister or an able bodied designee should have taken over the microphone sooner rather than later. I hope your aunt finds some solace in her own memories and is able to have some healing of her distress through time and through her other loved ones.
November 2, 2017, 9:16 pm
Sometimes having people stand up and say something about the deceased can be a good thing.
At Grandpa V's funeral the minister asked someone to speak. There was a long silence, then my 6 year old grandson walked up and said,"I will miss walking in the park with Great Grandfather. He and I would play Nintendo together. I will miss him a lot." Then he sat down.
Everyone started remembering good stories and many cried. It can be very hard for one to deal with the loss of a loved one, but talking about the good times makes it much easier. Too often talking about the deceased is seen as not good, but talking means that the departed is remembered, not forgotten.
November 3, 2017, 3:37 am
Thank you for the nice comments.
Aunt B is a wonderful woman, loves my kids and has never once forgotten any of their birthdays, I also pray she finds some peace.
In response to Lady Catford, I think its nice also when people get up and share stories at funerals. There were several folks who got up and told funny stories and we all shared some laughter through our tears.
The friend I was complaining about was obnoxious, drunk and high, and in my opinion (also my Aunt's) way out of line.
As soon as he staggered up to the podium, very unsteady on his feet, I heard my mom say under her breath "Oh no…this isn't going to be good".
My mom, months later asked Aunt B who that guy was, and she said it was a friend of her son for many years.
She said she never liked him, and his behavior at her sons funeral did nothing to change her opinion.
November 3, 2017, 7:57 am
We did a variant on this for my best friend's memorial service (which I organized because her widower wasn't capable of it). A very competent mutual friend offered to help with organization andact as MC, including asking anyone who wanted to speak to talk to her, and we put together a list of who would speak when: that meant I was prepared to start rather than leaving a long silence. There were one or two people we were afraid would go on at length or make it all about themselves, but either they thought better of it on their own, or seeing Jeanne there kept them in check.
November 2, 2017, 12:28 pm
I had a similar experience when my cousin passed away. The "friends" of the family whom his mother (my late uncle's ex-wife) had chosen to speak said a lot of things about him that were not very nice. After the service in the car I said to my mom, "how could they do that to the family?" I'd never been to a funeral before where they said bad things about the deceased. Just appalling.
November 6, 2017, 9:27 am
I'm very sorry about your cousin and appalled anyone would say nasty things at a funeral.
My husbands oldest brother committed suicide about 15 years ago after his wife asked him for a divorce on Christmas Day.
He fell into a deep depression, he didn't see the divorce coming and we found out his wife was leaving him for another man.
My MIL called my husband late one night to say she hadn't heard from "Bob" in a few days and she was very worried.
My husband and his other brother hightailed it over to Bob's home and found him in the car in the garage, deceased.
Bob, we don't know why, had booby trapped all the windows and doors with broken glass and jagged shale above every door and window.
Fast forward to Bob's service and everyone was in shock and devastated.
My in-laws were a mess and my husband was trying to hold it together for his parents and Bobs kids sake.
One person after another approached my husband and myself to "get the goods " on the booby trapping the house.
"What's this I hear about broken glass above the doors?!? What the hell is up with that?!?"
At least three people used me and my husband said quite a few people asked him as well.
I was seated next to my MIL (Our differences put aside) holding her hand when a family friend came over kissed us both, said "I am so sorry for your loss! But, uhhh, what's this I hear about booby traps before he killed himself?!?"
My MIL' s mouth dropped and she let out a shocked scream.
I jumped up and pushed this guy, not too gently towards the back of the room and got right in his face and said "What the hell is wrong with you?!? Get AWAY from us!!! This is NOT the time or place and its NONE of your @!$#&! business!!!"
November 6, 2017, 9:29 am
***three people ASKED me….not used
November 2, 2017, 12:36 pm
If I'd been at that funeral, I probably would have left as soon as Reverend Nutjob started showing his true colours.
November 2, 2017, 12:39 pm
I also don't care for the message that Jane was a horrible infliction and the pastor was happy by her death.
I don't think it is OK to go into a house of worship of a belief that is not your own, then cast your complaint as an issue of etiquette. While I also disagree with this reverend's beliefs, he was the leader in this place of worship and acting as such. This post sounds like it is basically a complaint about someone accepting and practicing different beliefs than yours.
I'd chalk it up to "lesson learned" and don't attend a religious ritual if you're not willing to tolerate it.
November 2, 2017, 1:59 pm
I have to respectfully disagree! There isn't a faith or a worldview that has a corner on the market either for kindness or for incivility! There's just no way to excuse this category of remarks as being a way in which faith is practiced. This episode as related by the OP falls decidedly under the category of "things not to say if you are simply a decent human being" and it brings neither comfort nor enlightenment to anyone. There are far worse terms that could be legitimately applied to this pastor but since this is Ehell, I won't belabor the point.
November 6, 2017, 11:26 am
OK, after reading repsonses to my initial thoughts…
I should have emphasized more strongly how awful I thought this pastor's 'eulogy' was. If I were in attendance, I'd be sure to never step foot in his house of worship again, *maybe* giving it another chance if I had new of things changing there, as I am a big believer in second chances. I really didn't mean to imply that the cruel comments about Jane were part of the practice of this faith as a whole, or that there was anything acceptable about them.
I focused on the second half of the OP's story, which left a bad impression with me as it was along the lines of "now, let's look at Rev Nutjob's crazy beliefs, and how he proselytizes from his pulpit" I was definitely bristling against the thought of religious intolerance. In my focus, I surely lost sight of the true breach of etiquette that happened in the first half OP's story. Part 2 was probably just more irksome to the OP once the ceremony got off on such a bad foot. Without the hurtful comments about Jane in Part 1, the whole issue in Part 2 may have merely been dismissed with an eyeroll. I do understand how that goes!
staceyizme (and others who respectfully responded to my initial thoughts): thank you for the feedback and making me reconsider!
November 2, 2017, 4:42 pm
I don't think OP was complaining about the religious aspect as a whole. Just that what the Reverend was saying didn't have anything to do with Jane and that telling everyone to straighten out their lives and that Heaven was a cube during the funeral was not the right time for that kind of talk.
November 2, 2017, 6:20 pm
Where in any of his remarks was religion though? It just seemed like a long complaint about the deceased woman. I could kind of see not going to a service of a religion if you aren't religious at all but the mourners largely wouldn't have known what the minister was like, he was off the wall for any religion.
November 3, 2017, 10:12 am
If the OP's submission was only about the religious aspect, then I'd agree with you. If I went to a funeral honoring someone of a different religion, I'm sure there would be some parts I don't agree with or believe, but that wouldn't be worthy of an ehell submission regardless of how weird I might think their beliefs are. I'm sure that my religion seems weird to those who don't believe as well.
However, the etiquette issue is CLEARLY the fact that the officiant not only spoke ill of the dead, but rejoiced in the fact that she had died! Even if she had been a mean horrible person, that would be awful, but she was really only annoying, and that was due to mental health issues, so it's a gross violation of etiquette and human decency! I feel pretty confident in saying that it's not a part of their religion's ritual to disrespect the deceased and their loved ones. Perhaps the OP should not have even included the religious portion of the story so people like you wouldn't cherry pick that out of the submission and ignore the main issue.
November 4, 2017, 1:56 am
Who says the OP is of a different faith?
I had a bible teacher in school for 2 years who believed that 9-11 was god's punishment on us all for the USA not being isolationist and having a foreign policy besides 'shun all non Christian nations'. Every grade at some point got into an argument with him about this stupidity, but he was one of those who had his head stuffed so far up his rear there was just no way for sense to reach his head. The only reason he lasted for 2 years is because he was contracted the 1st year so the principal couldn't fire him part way through, and the 2nd year for whatever reason they couldn't get anyone else to do it, so the option was between him or not having the class. They did actually wind up breaking contract to fire him, as he was a terrible teacher and any teen who was in the least bit religious was outright insulted by his various weird assertions (along with the implication that we weren't true Christians if we didn't believe what he said). Seriously, some classmates actually started writing down what he said so they could hand it to the principal as grounds for firing him.
Some people are just weird outliers no matter what scale you're judging them on.
November 2, 2017, 12:47 pm
My first thought is this cannot be real, followed closely by my second thought; this cannot be real…
November 2, 2017, 1:09 pm
While I agree that the minister was unconventional and inappropriate, I kind of look askance at the OP's tone, particularly the last paragraph. Imho, the OP was every bit as rude posting such snark on a public forum as the minister was in airing the deceased's troubles. (For that matter, what did the deceased's mental health problems have to do with the minister's remarks?)
May the departed rest in peace and her loved ones be comforted.
November 2, 2017, 4:46 pm
Well if Jane called the Reverend a lot like she did with her husband and his coworkers because of her mental illness then that connects to what the Reverend said during the funeral.
November 3, 2017, 8:44 am
One difference here is that this post is anonymized: it's not "Reverend John Doe, of the Middletown True Church of God, 123 Main Street said these things." But Rev. Self-Centered stood up and say this about a specific woman, in front of people who knew her, knew and cared about her and knew exactly who she was, and probably felt that they shouldn't interrupt him because he was a minister, and because it's generally inappropriate to interrupt the speaker at a funeral or other religious service.
From that angle, this is another case of someone using expectations–that it's rude to interrupt a speaker, and that we should defer to people in positions of authority, especially when they are theoretically doing their jobs–to be rude, by saying things that he probably wouldn't get away with saying if he ran into one of Jane's relatives at the supermarket or a party, where it would be much easier to them to walk away if not call him out.
November 3, 2017, 5:17 pm
It seems needlessly hostile and even inappropriate to complain about the fact that an etiquette complaint was posted on Etiquette Hell. The fact that the offending party was a pastor might be a source of astonishment and deep chagrin, but is certainly no reflection on the OP. Nor, from my reading of the narrative, was there any snark. Sincere shock and perhaps even outrage, but I can find no fault with that- this conduct seemed to merit just such a reaction.
November 2, 2017, 1:17 pm
My father is a pastor and has had numerous crazy parishioners, and he has never been anything but kind. He sits for hours at besides, comforts the grieving and ACTS LIKE A MAN OF GOD. The fact she was mentally ill was sad, and it happens. For all they know she could have been fighting some form of cancer. The reverend had no excuse for being so terrible. He should have at least respected the husband and left him some dignity in a tragic situation.
November 2, 2017, 1:23 pm
My friend used to belong to a small evangelical, non denominational, storefront church.
A single mom with two little boys started attending.
Once they'd been part of the church for a few months the older of the two little boys was hit by a car and killed on his way to school.
At the funeral the Preacher, in front of everyone while giving the eulogy, turned to the mom and said "We need to get your other son baptized as soon as possible so he won't spend eternity roasting in Hell next to his brother."
My friend left that church because she was so horrified the preacher would say that to the grieving mother.
Simply because someone has decided they have a religious calling, doesn't mean they are a decent human being nor that they are sane.
November 2, 2017, 4:30 pm
Your last line sums up everything perfectly.
November 2, 2017, 4:49 pm
Oh lord that was an awful thing to say to the mother. I can't imagine how much pain that would have added to her grief and I really hope she was okay after sometime.
And you're right in that some people are just terrible and stay terrible even after a religious calling.
November 2, 2017, 4:27 pm
Can a Reverend be fired? Because if so then that Reverend definitely needs to be fired. The Reverend should never have talked about how Jane drove him crazy during her funeral and he should never have alluded to being glad that she died so that Jane wouldn't bother him anymore. That is just outright terrible to say during the funeral and that is something you don't admit out loud like that to the deceased's family. And then going on about how everyone needed to find Jesus and describing heaven like a cube is just weird. Where did the Reverend get an idea like that from? I know that not everyone's interpretation of Heaven will be the same but describing it like a cube is just odd.
November 3, 2017, 10:11 am
Yes, reverends can be fired but if he is the pastor of an independent church that he himself started up, it's unlikely to happen. They don't have any governing body, and they usually set the rules themselves. The only way would be for the entire congregation to leave the church, but since he managed to start one church chances are he'd just start over somewhere else.
November 3, 2017, 5:35 pm
Ah I see. I didn't take into account that he might be in an independent church and hence have no higher up that could fire him. I don't really go to church myself so I never really thought about whether a Reverend, Priest and so on would have a boss or not. But thank you for telling me.
November 9, 2017, 1:24 am
To legally incorporate a church as far as the US government is concerned you need: an ordained minister (and that ordination can be iffy), a secretary, and a member of the congregation. File some papers for nonprofit. Voila, a church.
November 3, 2017, 3:13 pm
This reminds me of my uncle's funeral.
My aunt and uncle were together for over 40 years but never married due to a complete lack of communication on the subject. My aunt was waiting for my uncle to propose and when he never did, assumed that he already had a wife stashed away somewhere. (He didn't.) He finally proposed on his deathbed but she said she didn't want to get married under those circumstances.
My aunt was too upset to have anything to do with arranging his funeral so all of the plans were made by his elder brother. It turned out that while my uncle had no particular religion, the rest of his family were Seventh Day Adventists. My Asian family are either Baptist after my grandfather or Catholic after my grandmother, and my black family are Evangelical. None of us are Seventh Day Adventists and we had no idea what to expect.
Mainstream Christianity generally says that a person dies and either goes to Heaven, or into Purgatory to be cleansed of their sins before entering Heaven. Seventh Day Adventists believe that when a person dies, they are dead, and lie in the ground dead until such time as Jesus returns to Earth to resurrect everyone. None of my family knew this, or had had any warning of these beliefs prior to the funeral. There was little more upsetting than being told by the minister that the man you loved wasn't going to Heaven, but would instead lie in the ground dead. I think this contributed to my aunt's early death, only a year later.
The other thing that was very upsetting was that they used my uncle's legal name throughout the ceremony. I looked at the order of service and for a moment, had no idea who this "Ewart" was. He was always called Hughie. I think many of my cousins had no idea that wasn't his name.
November 3, 2017, 11:06 pm
Let clergy be judgmental jerks on Earth. They have to face God at the end like everyone else and I'm certain He will have a few things to say to them.
So for me, I see it as "just wait till Daddy finds out what you did."
November 4, 2017, 5:40 am
De mórtuis nil nisi bene
That's latin for "Say nothing but good of the dead"
It might be a challenge to say anything good about some people, but I agree with Anon, November 2, 2017, 4.02 pm, "He… he was a human being." Steps away from microphone.
There is an old story, maybe not true, but anyway, about a priest who succeded in saying good things of people at their funerals. I will try to translate to English, but the original is rhyming.
"The deceased was an industrious man,
when others slept, he was awake.
When the others woke up,
He owned what they were missing."
(The deceased man was a burglar)
November 6, 2017, 11:25 am
When my father died I helped my mom arrange it. My dad and her went to different churches. Mom 7th Day Adventist and Dad Church of God but he had not really attended a church in years. Mom got her preacher, who did a good job, and the COG minister whom she said they had gone to see preach many times. This man got up could not remember my dad's daughters names, he maybe maybe mentioned my dad's name once and proceeded to talk about working in the cotton mill and that it would not matter if "he" drove a Cadillac in heaven. The preacher talked about himself and then at the end of his hour long talk in 107 degree weather said that if Hitler got saved before he killed himself we would see even Hitler in glory. I could have choked him!!!
November 9, 2017, 1:28 am
If I conduct a service, I ask the family what they want. I take notes. I ask questions and try for some stories of things they remember about them that are GOOD. I stick to my notecards. I will preach fire and brimstone at you later or elsewhere or both. Not the time or place for it.
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