The Episcopal Church isn’t the only denomination facing a split between liberal and conservative interpretations of Scripture. The Presbyterian Church USA also has seen individual churches leave the national church.
First Presbyterian Church in Fresno and Trinity Presbyterian Church in Clovis are two. The congregational votes in November were overwhelming: 543-10 at First Presbyterian; 264-7 at Trinity.
There are similarities between the denominations: Both have had more than 100 churches leave the national churches, mainly over differences about the authority of Scripture and the ordination of gay clergy. Both national churches claim more than 2 million members.
But there are differences: The Fresno and Clovis churches have asked to be reassigned to the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church, based in Livonia, Mich. The Episcopal Church, so far, is the only approved Anglican body with oversight in the United States.
And many of the Presbyterian churches have been allowed to leave “with grace” and their property, as opposed to the…[Episcopal] parishes and dioceses that have been sued across the country.
Nothing clarifies the question of whether or not those on both sides of a theological dispute are actually Christians like the decisions made by the stronger party when faced with a property dispute. Denominations need to consider that fact as they make their decisions. In my own case, I made my decision to leave the Episcopal Church long before I concluded that the reasserters were right on sexuality questions. I was, in fact, inclined to be sympathetic to TEC’s position on those questions at the time that I decided to leave TEC. I made my decision to leave TEC based first on what I heard the leadership saying about the Atonement and the Resurrection, and second on the way I saw the leadership behaving in response to priests who dissented and parishes that tried to leave. I went from being a passionate Communion Conservative (and not even, frankly, that conservative a Com-Con) to being a sad, reluctant, but convinced Federation Conservative in the course of 18 months as a result of reading statements made by the Presiding Bishop and other senior bishops on core doctrines, and watching the actions taken by those same bishops on property issues.
Tell that to Kirk of the Hills, Tulsa, OK.