All Saints Episcopal Church is a congregation of about 200 members; it’s a welcoming, diverse congregation. When the Rev. Tanya R. Wallace arrived to serve as rector in September, she decided it was “the perfect place” for her.
“They are such devoted, faithful people. It’s a joy to be working with them,” she said.
Wallace wanted “to be very intentional” about moving forward with the congregation in ways members wanted to function as a parish.
So she began the process of developing a five-year plan, convening a long-range planning committee and hosting a series of listening sessions to which all members of the 50-year-old church were invited to express their thoughts on “who we are as a congregation and where we’re going.”
There’s a mix of people in the parish, from the young families who are joining to the founding members who remain part of the church.
The new normal isn’t new, or normal.
With a lede like this:
[blockquote]All Saints Episcopal Church is a congregation of about 200 members; it’s a [b]welcoming, diverse congregation[/b]. When the Rev. Tanya R. Wallace arrived to serve as rector in September, she decided it was [b]“the perfect place†for her[/b]. [/blockquote] (emphasis mine)
I assumed there would be something in the article about Wallace being partnered, or about the church offering SSBs or something, so I was surprised when it was “just” a fluff piece with nothing controversial. It did seem odd to me that there was no mention of her “marital status” single or otherwise, and I did wonder….
As I read the article, I kept waiting for the”partnered” “shoe to drop” as it were, just ASSUMING that the code language “diverse” meant LGBT-friendly and that there had to be something more to this story about a TEC parish and rector.
So, when I got to the end of the article, and nothing had been mentioned, I chided myself for automatically assuming the only reason this article would be published would be because of LGBT issues… thinking I’d gotten to the point of always assuming the worst about TEC.
But Paradoxymoron unfortunately proved my instincts were true. How odd and how interesting that the details paradoxymoron found easily on the website aren’t mentioned in the article?!?! There’s a “sub current” that is hidden, though one keeps expecting something of the sort to emerge. Very odd…. Certainly the area she’s serving is NOT known as being conservative, so, I wonder why nothing is said. Strange indeed.
This was the lady who in, I believe ’05, was chaplain to the Province I Clergy Convocation at which Marvin Ellison(the Presbyterian “polyamorous justice” guru) was keynote speaker.
Why doesn’t TEC get it over with and merge with the Metropolitan Community Church now?
A partnered lesbian rector and a parish with young families? I can’t imagine why any family would expose their children to this. I won’t say more or my age will really show. The Rev. Tanya has lots to do. Since 2002, the parish Members increased about 10 percent while ASA fell by about 50 percent. Go figure. And Plate & Pledge has been flat since 2002. Statmann
The Northampton area is as gay as Provincetown, but for the ladies. Many of the families will look like Ms. Wallace’s family. Really, makes good sense to have a lesbian minister in those parts, in a place where it makes little sense to have a minister at all. Kinda like a bicycle shop for fish.
Bp Scruton has fully capitulated to the “gay agenda.” In admitting this woman to ordained ministry in WMAss, he has done what no conservative expected him to do when he was elected in 1996. WMass used to be a moderate to conservative diocese, but has gone completely over to the dark side. No surprise, but much sorrow.