I usually try to keep the blog focused on matters North of the border, however I thought this one deserved an honourary mention:
FRESNO, California (Reuters) – An entire California diocese of the U.S. Episcopal Church voted to secede on Saturday in a historic split following years of disagreement over the church’s expanding support for gay and women’s rights.
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno in central California, voted to leave the church, which has been in significant upheaval since 2003 when U.S. Episcopals consecrated the first openly gay bishop in the church’s more than four centuries of history.
The vote was 173 lay and clergy convention delegates in favor, with 22 against.
Amid the dissent of recent years, the Episcopal Church said 32 of its 7,600 congregations had left, with another 23 voting to leave but not taking the final step. San Joaquin is the first of the church’s 110 dioceses to complete the split.
Last year, clergy and lay representatives of the 8,800- member Diocese of San Joaquin — with 47 churches in 14 counties — overwhelmingly voted at their annual convention to split with the U.S. church, but held off on a final decision until Saturday’s meeting.
…May He lead them on safely……..
I have been reading your blog since the synod meeting in July and am very interested in the split within the Anglican church over the many issue that the church is facing. I prefer an orthodox interpretation of the bible and believe that when you change or ignore the word of God to such an extent you can no longer claim to be Christian if you do not believe what the bible teaches. Having said that, I think it is amazing that a whole diocese has separated from the Episcopal Church over this issue. I do not think that there is even a handfull of people in my church that have any knowledge or concern over any theological issue within the Anglican Church. It seems that they do not want ot discuss the issues and are comfortable with whatever the Church says and does. It is disheartening that more Christians will not stand up for what they believe and just swallow whatever the Church decrees even if it is directly opposed to what the Bible teaches. How do you get a concenses of opinion when you are dealing with ostriches?
hi Steve,
Your observations are correct, and what you observe in your parish is very typical across North America. I see two explanations:
1) Most bible-believers have left the Anglican Church because they need a place where they and their children can be fed and grow in faith. The liberals are like the guy who sits on a crowded park bench and starts farting loudly. Soon he notices that he is alone. “Hmm,” he says, “I guess I’m the only one who wants to sit here.”
2) Those who have stayed have been largely under the leadership of liberals, who have not taught them to stand up for what they believe.
Hi Steve – I would say that the majority of Anglicans in the Church of Canada are Christians by convention rather by conviction. That is they have been brought up with church going as part of their pattern of living. Their faith is real and they are good people. I doubt if they ever been asked to make a commitment to the Lord Jesus although many may have in their hearts. There is no urgency that they must make disciples of all nations, as the nation before this generation was Christian. It is difficult to change patterns of behaviour especially when society has pretty much been on your side with its values. It is easier just to go along to get along. I am in a Diocese with an orthodox Bishop, in an orthodox congregation with an orthodox Priest, but I could count on my left hand the number of people who know what is going on in the ACC and the wider Communion. I not sure if they would want to know.
…sorry Christians by convention rather than by conviction…
Thanks for elevating the conversation, Michael D.
And people wonder why we sometimes get a bad reputation for our blog comments.
Yeesh.