While the canons are clear that the Episcopal Church keeps the properties (who could imagine canons that would not support the institution that created them?), I think we should listen to the clear message of Scripture and pass over the older brother’s outrage and prepare for the reconciliation that trumps all worldly concern.
Could the Episcopal Church allow a renegade diocese to gather all that it has and travel to a distant country? It would be risky and scary, like the gospel itself. In the parable, the younger son squanders all of the property.
We rightly are concerned about the saints entrusted to our burial grounds and the memorial silver in the safes. We have a responsibility to the legacies entrusted and the promises made.
Still, I remain surprised that the Episcopal Church’s dedication to the reconciliation model so abundant in the Gospel of Luke grows scarce when the fight is over property. In the blink of an eye, brothers and sisters morph into litigants, and the battle lands in the secular courts.
The idea that the hierarchy ‘owns’ all local church property, is a recent invention and not supported by the history of how the church does business.
TEC is more like the Baptists than the RC church in this respect.
http://www.churchoftheword.net
I don’t agree with all of his interpretations of church polity, but here’s a guy from the other camp really trying to find a Biblical way forward, and he’s advocating negotiated settlements with room for future reconciliation.
I think it is significant that this guy isn’t trying to hide what’s going on. He’s not in the state of denial that grips 815 and the Exec. Council, and he’s not ignoring the problem like many uninformed folks in the pews.
Why is it that everytime I hear the National Church and often a diocese, who have put no money into a parish, of if they have it has been paid, making claim to the parish property, I think of 30 peices of silver that was paid to some Biblical character. Not only do they not put any money into the plant or assume any legal liability they demand that the parish pay then a tax (assessment) for the use of the Episcopal name.
If the diocese and bishop were truly the center of Episcopal life I might think differently, but in most cases it is not.
It is also disinginuous for the Church to demand loyalty when it is changing the content of the faith.
[blockquote] I think the secessionist churches in the breakaway dioceses will come to themselves, like the younger son does in Luke’s parable, and return home. [/blockquote]
Do we compare our steadfast faith in Jesus as the “Way, Truth and Life” to wallowing in pig slop? Will we come to our senses when the new enlightened gospel of TEC replaces the one we have received?
The writer has no real understanding of what happened in Ft. Worth as we have not transferred our property to the Southern Cone.
Paul,
Presumably wish the same of the minority in your diocese, that they should come to their senses and “return home”? It’s simply the use of a biblical metaphor, which, I suspect, neither side has any expectation of coming to pass. As Fr. Timothy, notes above the author is trying to find a constructive way forward, which is to be applauded.
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Catholic and Reformed[/url]
And, as is immediately obvious, I dropped a “you” in the above comment.
Jeremy,
We in Fort Worth will let the minority go if they so desire. With two parishes fully released and two more to be released when debts involving the diocese are resolved, there is no desire to hold on to them. Fort Worth has tried to have a constructive way forward.
If anything, the majority of the Diocese of Fort Worth (SC) believe that TEC is more like the prodigal son and we pray for them to find the “right way” and return to orthodox Christianity.
Bill,
Forgive me, but you’ve just made my point. There are those on both sides who believe the other is the prodigal. Would it be uncharitable of me to wonder if, in adopting that attitude, they are unconsciously falling into the role of the older son of the same parable?
In the world I grew up in, if you wanted to give money to the diocese you did so. Most folks gave money to their parish. Now we learn that these same folks gave money to their parish to hold in trust for the diocese and the nation church. How did we miss knowing this?
Jeremy (#5),
The reality is that I have dear friends (in the minority as you say) that attend parishes that are staying in TEC. I meet with them often and I pray that their churches continue to be a witness to Jesus Christ in our community. We have been through a great and lengthy discernment. I am not expecting them to “come to their senses”. I will try to understand that we disagree, and pray for God’s grace in that understanding. In addition, I work with many people in the diocese of Dallas. We continue to work closely on many ministry projects. This is the constructive way forward.
I told a good friend of mine that attends Trinity Ft. Worth (remaining with TEC) that we have both been baptized with the same baptism. We are brothers, and we can’t change that fact.
Can we dismiss, marginalize, sue and vilify our own brother? This is not what the Gospel calls us to do. However, we can disagree with our brother while we do our best to remove the log from our own eye. Don’t we learn these things in our youth?
Paul,
Thanks for the clarification. No argument with your reasoning. I’m in much the same situation a little to the north of you.
#10-
Yes, Paul, this is a lesson we should have learned much earlier.
It is difficult in a culture which seems to thrive on contention and violence (violent acts, violent speech) to advocate for peaceful and peacable disengagement, but that is my fervent desire.
I pastor a congregation from which roughly 1/3 decided to leave in Nov. and form their own TEC-loyalist faith community. Composed of dear saints, as well as the expected % of exasperating, crustier saints, this departed group are still beloved members and deserve every bit of pastoral love I can muster. Alas, the likelihood is that, under the spur of the PB and her staff, they will be put in the position of plantiffs in a law suit against their former fellow parishioners. What a sad parody of “behold, how these Christians love one another”! The present hour demands two often seemingly contradictory tasks: 1. continue to pursue the mission of “knowing Christ and making Him known to others”, through a loving parish life, and 2. patiently refraining from disputing with those who so adamantly disagree with our bishop and the diocese’s decision.
Well, since TEc says that all parishes belong to it, and can never be taken out of TEc, and that the parish has no say in ownership, and are only the caretakers, the answer is simple:
Send every bill, utility, repair, upkeep, copier paper purchase, salaries, etc. to 815 for payment or reimbursement. They own it, they can pay for it.
13, but alas they will not. They will in fact say that all expenses belong to hte parish. It is, in fact, a one way street with these people.
libraryjim – my sentiments exactly! Frances Scott