Ship of Fools: MW2695 and the fear of being rumbled

Thread: MW2695 and the fear of being rumbled Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=027894

Posted by TheAlethiophile (# 16870) on :

I read with interest the recent Mystery Worshipper report from North Valley Free Will Baptist where the worshipper felt fearful that they would be discovered. It reminded my of the infamous report from The Metropolitan Tabernacle which I happen to pass most days, though on the back of that report I haven't dared enter.

On a few occasions I've thought I was going to be rumbled, but no one has yet rumbled me during a service; though if I've returned I've been met with a wry smile and a sideways remark.

I try to disguise the calling card by folding it into a note, slipped into the offering. Has anyone actually been rumbled and if so, what have you done? Or what other measures might one take to avoid detection?

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

I was rumbled in a small cathedral by its dean, who spotted me taking photos of stained glass. I was asked if I were a mystery worshipper and avoided the question by asking about the stained glass. I decided to withhold my review...

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

I've come close to being rumbled on one or two occasions, the most serious being at a Maronite Catholic church. After that I designed my own MW calling card, one that doesn't use the Lone Ranger image, and actually have four or five that I choose from depending on the church and the occasion.

I also recall seeing other reports where the MWer was accosted later with the MW card.

I think it's a natural tendency to submit oneself to interrogation when it occurs, whether or not there is any legal compulsion to do so. It takes a certain amount of gumption to say, "Excuse me, but I prefer not to answer your questions" and walk away.

[ 27. May 2014, 18:56: Message edited by: Amanda B. Reckondwythe ]

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

I have MW'd on three occasions, and have folded the card into a note.
We went back to one of the churches - a small one - a year later, to be greeted with "you're the Mystery Worshiper!" (I'm a bit distinctive as I use a mobility scooter). I had written a sympathetic, mainly positive report, and the vicar had actually printed it out and put it on the wall of the church. I was not evicted from the service, or tarred and feathered, I'm glad to say!

Posted by Adeodatus (# 4992) on :

I'm not a Mystery Worshipper, but I once happened to visit a church I'd never been to before, where the liturgy was chaotic, and the preaching dismal. After the service one of the wardens or sidespeople greeted me, chatted eagerly for a moment and then got round to asking what brought me there that morning. I said I'd never been before, had heard of the place, and happened to be in the area.

"Oh thank goodness!" said my greeter, "I thought you might be a Mystery Worshipper!"

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

It's hardly surprising that churchgoers are often nervously on the look-out for MWs assessing them and what they do. The widespread reality of church decline could hardly lead to any other reaction, could it? People know full well that their churches have a limited appeal, but they don't really want the world to hear that.

Anyway, it could be said that you can only really assess a church by engaging with it as community, rather than via a one-off experience of a church service. The Metropolitan Tabernacle is a clear example of a church that doesn't work as a friendly drop-in point for the odd spiritual boost; you're expected to take the complete life-dominating package or not bother at all. But even in the 'friendly' churches the reasons why people come back might be less than obvious if you're only judging on the basis of one church service or one person's behaviour.

Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on :

quote:
Originally posted by SvitlanaV2:

Anyway, it could be said that you can only really assess a church by engaging with it as community, rather than via a one-off experience of a church service. ... But even in the 'friendly' churches the reasons why people come back might be less than obvious if you're only judging on the basis of one church service or one person's behaviour.

Totally agree with this. We all have off days. I would hate to have my capability to be a good spouse, parent or worker measured by one bad day. The same should apply to worship as well.

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

While I understand Prester John & Svitlana's concern, it is useful to remember that many first-time worshippers are nervous and wary when they enter a church. If it doesn't ring well for them the first time, there will be no second visit. And quite possibly, no visit to anywhere else.

Europeans and Canadians, and to a lesser degree those in the US, live in unchurched societies. Going into a church is uncharacteristic behaviour for a newcomer and their first-visit experience is much of the time critical.

I MW as a traveller, not looking for a communal experience, but for a bit of support when on one's way. I won't be in your village again. This is the one time. Unless you wish to restrict attendance to those who are committing to a particular church community, the travellers and enquirers are a valid presence at that service. I agree that this is not the perspective of a participant for extended periods, but we one-visit folk can often see things which are helpful clues for those who are searching for a permanent home and, as always, an outside eye helps the members of that community to look at themselves.

Posted by Amos (# 44) on :

I'd echo what Augustine has said. There are churches--a few of them--where you need some kind of a letter of introduction or commendation to enter, but in most services are open to the public.
This means that someone who is trying to find a church can come in. They may be looking for a regular church, or be a traveller passing through town, or a person with a particular pastoral need. The church has to exist as much for them as for its most faithful member. I think of these people as the reason for the existence of the Mystery Worshipper project. I've been one of them in my time--most of us have.

[ 28. May 2014, 05:24: Message edited by: Amos ]

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

I was once supposedly rumbled as a Mystery Worshipper. Which was quite funny as I am not one! But it does show that the idea is quite well known.

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :

I think that the criteria the MW has to report on can give quite a good idea of what a churh is like - particularly if it's welcoming or not. There've been one or two churches we've visited on holidays where the service was good, but I wouldn't have returned - in fact, there was one church where I wrote to the vicar afterwards as I felt we were made to feel intruders by the congregation.
I sometimes look at my own church and wonder what a mystery worshipper would make of it, and wrote an article for our parish magazine to challenge our congregation.

Posted by Gwai (# 11076) on :

I was rumbled in one of the two MWs I did even though I forgot to give in the calling card. I'd meant to mail it in later because the service was very small where I was likely to be the only visitor, and I knew that I could be connected to another person who sometimes worshipped there.

I forgot to mail it in, but I liked the church so much that I kept coming--still attend there today many Sundays--so eventually I admitted it to the pastor. He said he'd figured. Apparently he figured out that there was such a report because he is also the church's webmaster and noticed the uptick in traffic. Then bizarrely I later found out that said pastor knew of the church through another shippie who posts here and had been a regular congregant until life took him elsewhere. Impressive for a church with a congregation of approximately ten per service!

[ 28. May 2014, 20:05: Message edited by: Gwai ]

Posted by SvitlanaV2 (# 16967) on :

quote:
Originally posted by St. Gwladys:

I sometimes look at my own church and wonder what a mystery worshipper would make of it, and wrote an article for our parish magazine to challenge our congregation.

If we accept that our own churches are inadequate in various ways then that might make us humble about the issues in other people's churches. The problem is perhaps that we become blind to our own failings, but are acutely aware of other people's. This is especially true if we're analysing a religious tradition that we don't naturally feel at home in.

The comments above about how unchurched people dropping in on churches need to have a great experience are a bit problematic. IMO almost all churches in British society are unsuccessful if by that we mean unchurched people should feel totally comfortable there. The cultural gap is too great; friends and family members have to pave the way first. Of course it's good to be friendly to visitors, but that doesn't seem to compensate for the challenging realities of the contemporary post-Christian environment.

It would be interesting to know what churches would say about themselves if they had to write their own fake MW reports!

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gwai:
I liked the church so much that I kept coming--still attend there today many Sundays--so eventually I admitted it to the pastor. He said he'd figured.

I had a similar experience once, where I returned after several weeks had passed to a church that I had favorably MWd.

On the second occasion, the rector began his sermon by saying: "Now let me tell you about Moses. Moses was a man to be reckoned with." I did a double-take but he did not meet my glance.

After the service, as I shook the rector's hand, I said, "I'd better tell you who I am." His reply was, "I know exactly who you are!" but the exchange was affable.

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :

quote:
Originally posted by SvitlanaV2:

It would be interesting to know what churches would say about themselves if they had to write their own fake MW reports!

Hmm ... I seem to recall a precedent for that but perhaps we shouldn't go there ...

[ 28. May 2014, 23:58: Message edited by: Zappa ]

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

SvitlanaV2 writes:

quote:
... people dropping in on churches need to have a great experience are a bit problematic. IMO almost all churches in British society are unsuccessful if by that we mean unchurched people should feel totally comfortable there. The cultural gap is too great; friends and family members have to pave the way first. Of course it's good to be friendly to visitors, but that doesn't seem to compensate for the challenging realities of the contemporary post-Christian environment.

I could not agree more. There is no way that they could feel comfortable, but we can be genuine. I have spoken at length with two friends who, raised without any background in Xty, went into churches at difficult periods in their lives. One told me that (with respect to an Orthodox church) it was much like a Hindu temple for her, but the smiles were real. Another thought it (an Anglican place) was the oddest thing imaginable, but nobody threw her out, and and older lady came to sit by her and told her to ask her anything she wanted.

In my own MW reports, I try to describe the atmosphere as well as my own state of mind, as I think that the MW needs to be honest about the subjectivity of the exercise and its limitations. This is one of the reasons why I do not review services which are far out of my own tradition, as I do not think that my discomfort with -- say-- praise band services should overtake my ability to try to provide fair description.

Posted by LQ (# 11596) on :

It happened to me on my maiden review. At lunch (it was a patronal festival so a step up from coffee hour) I was appalled to witness the sidespeople, money changers in the temple-style, tearing open the offering envelopes and tabulating the contents. I tried to cut my visit short but I was still caught up, amicably, on the way out by one of their number. Being the youngest person in (or at least voluntarily in) many churches I've visited probably doesn't help my conspicuousness. Even when not visiting in an MW capacity I've been asked bluntly (though not unkindly) who I am and how I happened in.

I've never feared recriminations from being "collared" though I do recall Max. warning me, when I was planning a trip to my local Lefebvrist chapel, to opt for the mail-in route with the calling card, lest I be ejected from the proceedings. (The visit never happened in the end, for some other reason).

And then, of course, there was the time I came back and "rumbled" myself retroactively - and joined the parish for the next five years.

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :

I dread us being MW'd. We seldom get visitors though, being not obviously a church and meeting at a not obvious time, so one might be a bit obvious.

[ 29. May 2014, 09:48: Message edited by: Karl: Liberal Backslider ]

Posted by TheAlethiophile (# 16870) on :

I started partly because I'd just moved home and there were scant all reports for non-conformist churches around my area. Since I was planning to visit a fair few over a few months, I thought I might as well add a report.

Of course, I ended at the one I gave the highest marks out 10 for, so I wasn't frowned upon - just the odd sly remark at the Christmas party.

It is interesting how different churches perceive the reports. When a part of my jumper was captured (yes, I know it's me!) at a church I was a part of for a few years, the first comment that most members made was "they thought we were evangelical?" as it simply wasn't a word the church ever used to describe itself. Given the worshipper had done a spate of reviews in the area, there was some friendly banter with the baptist church down the road regarding the comparative scores.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

quote:
Originally posted by TheAlethiophile:
When a part of my jumper was captured (yes, I know it's me!)

The photo at the bottom, I hope.

Posted by TheAlethiophile (# 16870) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:

quote:
Originally posted by TheAlethiophile:
When a part of my jumper was captured (yes, I know it's me!)
The photo at the bottom, I hope.

Nope, the middle one (i.e. the photo of the bottom). I recognise the double white stripe.

The hand on the cafetiere belongs to Chris, the church administrator.

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0