Comment 11 by katy Cordeth :

I suspect that Stafford is correct - that when all the brouhaha has died down and these former pastors no longer find themselves at the centre of attention: courted by a world-famous atheist and his and other political organisations; but are forced to return to ordinary humdrum lives and get jobs, perhaps still in the communities which witnessed their 'betrayal'; jobs which don't accord them the respect they used to receive as a matter of course....

But this has been ongoing for awhile before all the "brouhaha" so I don't see that there is necessarily going to be a let down effect. The Clergy Project says:

The purpose of The Clergy Project is to provide a safe haven for active and former clergy who do not hold supernatural beliefs.

The purpose of this “Public Page” is to announce our existence and to reach out to current and former clergy who want to be a part of the group.

The Clergy Project launched a private, invitation only, website on March 21, 2011 with 52 members. Currently it has nearly 200 members.

It originated from a growing awareness of the presence of these clergy and a concern about their dilemma as they moved beyond faith. There were three sources of this awareness and concern:

Stories of the life experiences of former clergy that Dan Barker of the Freedom from Religion Foundation has been collecting over the years;

A preliminary study of “Preachers Who Are Not Believers,” by philosopher Daniel Dennett and researcher Linda LaScola, published in March, 2010 in Evolutionary Psychology and The Washington Post;

Ongoing discussions between Dan Barker and Richard Dawkins, author of “The God Delusion” about the need to help clergy who want to leave the ministry.

The Clergy Project is an on-line meeting place where former and active clergy can talk freely among themselves. “Adam” and “Chris,” still in the ministry, are the moderators; Dan Barker, former evangelical preacher, is the facilitator.

The Clergy Project was made possible through a donation from The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.

Michael

PS: Coffee not tea. Blegh!