From a letter to the editor here:
The full-page ad in the March 2 Post and Courier by The Episcopal Forum of S.C. begs for a response.
Some may respond by becoming members, others by raised eyebrows. My response is bemused and unpersuaded.
As a life-long Episcopalian, former dean of one of the Episcopal Church’s 11 seminaries, ordained priest for 49 years and author of several books including “A Church To Believe In,” I am less enthusiastic about the current state of the Episcopal Church (TEC) than members of the forum appear to be.
And I say this as someone who has visited nearly every diocese in this church, including Alaska and Hawaii, and preached or spoken in most. Also, I am a convinced Anglican with a deep loyalty to our Anglican heritage.
In its description of “I am an Episcopalian” the forum touches on many issues with which I have great sympathy: the dignity of every person, our ancient liturgy, women’s ordination, lay involvement and the world-wide body of 70 million members of which we are a part.
What it does not say as clearly as it ought is that this worldwide body, the Anglican Communion, is profoundly upset with the current activities of the Episcopal Church, to the point that a majority of its Primates (chief bishops in each international province) consider themselves in broken communion with it, and increasingly are officially recognizing the newly-formed Anglican Church of North America as a more authentic representative of true Anglicanism in this continent.
Why?
— Leading bishops and theologians of the Episcopal Church, including the presiding bishop, will not affirm Jesus Christ as the unique Son of God and the only way to salvation.
— While the Bible is mined for interesting theological ideas, TEC is unwilling to submit to the clear teaching of Scripture on many issues, including those of marriage and sexuality.
— TEC has consistently sided in its affirmations with the pro-abortion forces within government and society.
— Far from honoring differences, as the forum says, TEC is involved in more than 60 lawsuits against its own churches and dioceses whom it considers unEpiscopalian because they cannot follow present leadership of TEC because of its lack of adherence to traditional Christian beliefs.
— TEC’s presiding bishop has consistently assumed powers that are uncanonical, and thereby unlawful under TEC’s own laws and constitution, and freely removes bishops and clergy who openly differ with her.
— In flagrant refusal to submit to worldwide Christian opinion, it has ordained a noncelibate homosexual as a bishop and is poised to ordain others as bishops who similarly live in relationships that disregard the biblical norm for sexuality.
— TEC’s House of Bishops will not discipline fellow members who widely disseminate outrageously unChristian views with impunity.
I believe that the vast majority of Episcopalians in the Diocese of South Carolina question the forum’s understanding of the Faith and Order to which we all have pledged allegiance.
Rather, we stand firmly and lovingly with our bishop and those clergy and laity who carry on effective ministries in Christ’s name throughout this Diocese.
THE VERY REV. PETER C. MOORE, D.D.
Ponsbury Road
Mount Pleasant
BRAVO, Dr. Moore!
This is a wonderful model for how to write a public, open letter to the editor of a paper. It’s concise, factual, calm, and reasonable, understating many points, which are nonetheless devastating to the false claims of the other side.
I must admit, he did a better job than I would’ve done, since I tend to be more inflammatory, as well as more verbose.
Thanks, Dr. Moore. It’s a splendid response to the absurd propaganda and spin games of our opponents. It’s important that major public ads like this be countered PUBLICLY, and in a way that the unchurched public can understand easily.
David Handy+
Now compare the clarity and understandability of this with the recent comments of the ABC.
Well done!!!
Way to go…there is really no arguing his statements. They are undeniable.
Rev. Moore was not the audience for the ad in question. So while in the amen corner of T19 he can expect praise, will his letter convince current Episcopalians that they’d better jump to ACNA?
Thank you Peter
#5 Some of us need encouragement just to hang in there and not jump. You might gather from TEC propaganda that we are ignorant and not is step with the Holy Spirit. It is good to be reminded what this is really about.
# 5, Who was the audience for the ad? The letters to the editor space in a newspaper is an open forum.
RE: “will his letter convince current Episcopalians that they’d better jump to ACNA?”
Indeed an important question.
Also, will his letter convince current Episcopalians that they’d better emigrate to Russia?
Or that they should all enter the US Open qualifying tournament?
Or perhaps enter Dr. Who’s time machine and get hurtled back to 14th century Ireland?
Who knows?
We all wait with bated breath for answers to these important and completely relevant questions.
#9, The audience was pewsitters who don’t obsessively check T19 or Integrity daily to keep score of lawsuits, depositions, and theological zingers.
But if those same pewsitters only trust the official Diocese of SC organs they’d rarely hear anything good about being an Episcopalian.
And, you know, it is okay to not obsess over the gays, or declare that Mary Glasspool represents the end of western civilization. One could, you know, be an Episcopalian and disagree on some issues.
Notice how Moore is okay with Women’s Ordination, that ahistorical, unBiblical and apostate innovation that flies in the face of centuries of settled theological opinion and the historic expression of the faith once delivered. How can that be?
But that would be an irrelevant question, right? 🙂
#10,
The pew sitters are not going to be convinced by an ad in a newspaper. They most likely don’t read a daily newspaper much less check T19 or any other website. Perhaps the Forum does not realize but most people don’t read newspapers any more. These pew sitters are most likely *congregational* in their thinking and could care less what happens outside their parish which in this diocese is probably doing well. These pew sitters have been around in TECUSA for a looooong time. I doubt a simple ad will convince them. I have noticed an increase in the recruiting activities by the Forum. Hopefully no one in this diocese will be fooled.
It is obvious from your comments, you don’t read our diocesan newspaper, the Jubilate Deo. If you did, you find there an amazing variety of articles about the diocese usually touching on some important ministry of some people or parish in the diocese. I never failed to be amazed by what is happening in this diocese. They rarely/never touch on church politics because this diocese has more important things to do than discuss politics. The only *political* (if you can call it that) parts are Bishop Lawrence’s letters to us. Even then, he discusses the current situation.. whatever it might be…. within the framework of our mission as a diocese and always with the Gospel in mind.
Perhaps you are the one who is out of touch with what is happening in this diocese???? IMHO, Dr.Moore’s last two sentences:
“I believe that the vast majority of Episcopalians in the Diocese of South Carolina question the forum’s understanding of the Faith and Order to which we all have pledged allegiance.
Rather, we stand firmly and lovingly with our bishop and those clergy and laity who carry on effective ministries in Christ’s name throughout this Diocese.”
are a much more accurate statements for the vast majority of Episcopalians in this diocese.
[Comment deleted by Elf]