A few minutes ago, I received a letter from Saddleback’s Rick Warren, who many conservative Anglicans realize has been extremely supportive of their cause.
A few minutes ago, I received a letter from Saddleback’s Rick Warren, who many conservative Anglicans realize has been extremely supportive of their cause.
What a delightful offer, and very kind. Even if TEC should win every single case without exception, they’ve probably already spent more money than the cost of the empty buildings they’d inherit, be unable to fill or maintain in a semi-empty condition and in the end have to sell. AND, their ‘victories’ are already Pyrrhic, anyway, since the conflict they started and self-destructively keep fanning is a positive disincentive for anyone to attend a TEC church. The TEC leadership and Katherine Schori’s mortal fear of change (the symptom of which is these lawsuits) is only accelerating the death-spiral into which TEC has entered. At this point, even high-ranking people connected to her have admitted to me that the death-spiral is a reality for which they are planning, even now. She and her friends sure know this as well. If she had pursued a policy of real -as distinct from faux- reconciliation by gracefully letting the orthodox go, her denomination’s problems would have been lessened, though its eventual demise as a broadly-based institution was inevitable.
Very generous, and very Christian. God bless you, Pastor Warren.
This verse comes to mind when thinking of his generous offer – “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1
Was this article posted on T19 a few months back?
Heh, heh.
$4 Marion.
I don’t know if that is the case or not.
Today, on 1-9 (an interesting date), Catholic online, USA Today and NY Times are all carrying the same story from Pastor Rick.
Blessings
Wow. My hero. This is a guy (Warren) who is not afraid to say, on national TV, that Jesus is the Way. So, he’s a grown up man with real convictions. But, to take this to another level, why haven’t more (emphasis on MORE here folks, I know there are a few) Christians of like mind and belief been supporting one another openly and in substantive ways like this? This is exactly what’s needed. Amen, brother Warren. I wish there were more (I know there are a few) Episcopal bishops and rectors making the same offer.
oh my what’s harder to swallow for ECUSA – that Warren is helping the “fundies” or that Warren appears to have the President elect’s ear?
Two of the Anglican churches here in San Diego who left their property when they left the diocese also had immediate help from others in the religious community. One had an offer to share space with a community church and the other had an offer to share space with a Jewish synagogue!
In Northern Virginia, several churches have offered refuge to Episcopalians who did not leave the Church but who can no longer conduct Episcopal services in the churches they did not leave. It is indeed a wondrous example of Christian solidarity in times of great trouble.
Here in Northern Virginia, the CANA congregations which left TEC have offered those brothers and sisters who want to remain with TEC the use of their buildings (without charge) for alternate services and special services, such as weddings and funerals. However, DioVA Bishop Peter Lee has forbid TEC ministers from participating in CANA services under pain of deposition.
I’d take the pastor up on it. He’s a good man of God.
This is indeed a wonderful offer!
No. 12: It seems a small boon for a departing congregation to allow those who did not vote to depart the use of the building to observe funeral rites for their dead or to marry their children who grew up and were spiritually trained within the precincts of those buildings. The “without charge” is a particularly nice touch.
RE: “It seems a small boon for a departing congregation to allow those who did not vote to depart the use of the building . . . ”
Oh yes, indeed — especially when but 12 hours earlier “Episcopalians who did not leave the Church” could “no longer conduct Episcopal services in the churches they did not leave.”