Rather wonderfully the Catholic church came to the rescue offering the abandoned congregation a place in which to worship. That congregation has since doubled, a clear sign of God’s blessing, wheras the church that remained has dwindled and died. Now for the really revealing part of this very shoddy episode”¦.
”¦having claimed that those leaving were not able to uphold the desires of the church founders the Diocese of New York has spitefully sold the building, at a third of the cost the congregation were offering, to the Muslims! How truly shameful that the Episcopal authorities were so full of hatred and malice that they could stoop to such depths.
This episode is telling. It reveals how vindictive the leadership of the EC and the Diocese is and what they will do to make a congregation pay for its stand…and then take action that is contrary to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How is this different from Lenin using Russian Orthodox churches to stable horses and store grain after killing off the priests?
Weelll, the priest still lives.
[blockquote]How truly shameful that the Episcopal authorities were so full of hatred and malice that they could stoop to such depths.[/blockquote]
Apropos description of the value of practically all the statements and all the actions of the revisionist leadership of TE church.
The behavior of TEC and the Diocese of Central New York seems to shock some people. Where have they been hiding for the past nine years?
Sold for a 1/3 of the price that Good Sheperd offered? Clearly a breach of fiduciary duty by the directors of the diocese.
I have arrived!! My first full Kendall post!!
In seriousness as author of the blog I would respond to Dan Crawford in #4 by stating that I am neither shocked nor surprised….but I want the many good people who might not have followed the decline of Anglicanism closely to be shocked, wake up and smell the coffee…. it amazes me how some people here in England do not have a clue as to what the reality is on the ground anywhere outside their own parish!!
rugbyplayingpriest Amen! Being in California I can have no clue what has been happening in New Your on the other side of the country unless I get it in the news or search it out on the web…but instead I get too much “Praise be to Obama” and not enough of what is true and real in my own country.
#2 well for starters health regulations prevent putting the manure produced by TEO to good use.
Only 1/3 the value? TEC’s obvious answer is to sue the departed congregation for the lost 2/3 of the value on the basis that had they not departed no loss would have been incurred. It only makes sense.
For me the money is completely beside the point. The Diocese EASILY could and should have found a way to help this congregation keep their building and follow what they sincerely believe to be God’s call for them. After all did the Diocese pray here? Clean and maintain this building? Did the people who gave Sunday by Sunday do so from love of the parish or the Diocese? I think we ALL know the answers.
Revenge is a terrible motive and although revenge is honored by Muslims, Christians cherish the forgiveness that Christ shows for us and we know that we should not indulge sinful desires for revenge.
The sale of this Church at a time when Muslims are massacring Christian families in Nigeria and other parts of the world, proves to me that human nature still has not advanced and foolish men and women will still defy God just as they did in the Old Testament. The sad thing is that we expect more from leaders of our Christian church.
http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/25786
rugbyplayingpriest,
Thanks for posting this. You are quite right – every story like this needs to be publicised. Its too easy for christians to ignore it or put it out of their minds (until its too late, of course). Please keep the stories coming, so that evil deeds are fully exposed