Last week, the Anglican congregation at St. Paul’s handed over the keys to its $2.3 million facility to Episcopal Bishop Jerry Lamb. The congregation became one of the first in the nation to voluntarily give its property to the Episcopal Church before a lawsuit was filed.
It’s a miniature portrait of a conflict going on across the country over the interpretation of Scripture, such as whether Jesus is the only way to salvation, as Anglicans believe, and if same-sex marriages should be allowed, as Episcopalians favor.
But Sunday, both sides seemed content.
So the Episcopals imported worshipers from all over the diocese to fill the church for their first service in St Paul’s. Let’s see how full the pews are next month when the imports have gone back to their own pews.
And let’s see how the budget comes out at the end of the year. It takes a Whole Lot of Money to run a church the size of St Paul’s.
Would I be correct in my recollection that this is the congregation that joined AMiA rather than remaining with the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin? (which I assume would explain why they would make a separate deal with Bp. Lamb)
May God bless them. Sounds like they are shaking the dust from their sandals, and getting on with the work God has given them to do.
One error in the article, as most of us recognize, is that this is hardly the first congregation to give up the property without a lawsuit being filed against them. Given the dozens of little Anglican churches springing up around the country, worshiping in middle schools, township halls, storefronts and in church buildings loaned by Catholic or other congregations, it should be obvious that there are actually a great number of people leaving TEC without making it public, much less getting involved in lawsuits.
The Modesto Bee reporter writes: Jesus is the only way to salvation, as Anglicans believe, and if same-sex marriages should be allowed, as Episcopalians favor.
It’s easy to see that the Modesto Bee is inclined to be Fair and Balanced in its reporting.
Reading about this particular disagreement lets me know that the Bee is obviously NOT a good source for news. On the other hand … it is definitely a source for Conservative “Anglican” Op Ed.
Of course, were I to believe everything I read … I’m an Episcopal priest. I’m not only not ordained … I am uncomfortable serving as a LEM … as I don’t feel the call to the other side of the altar rail. Im also a long distance trail runner according to another publication. Perhaps that publication considers a quick sprint across a busy street to be both long distance and a trail of some sort.
We may see in the next week and a half if ECUSA’s General Convention will call for same-sex marriage. Certainly Integrity and allied forces will be pushing hard for it, and for something to make last Convention’s B033 obsolete. So it’s a bit much to say “Episcopalians favor gay marriage,” since obviously many, like Canon Harmon, do not; but in California at least, a fair number of Episcopalians do.