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In the Buffalo area, an Anglican church assumes central role in new diocese

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Kendall Harmon

When members of St. Bartholomew’s Church in the Town of Tonawanda decided in 2008 to leave the Episcopal Church, they didn’t know for sure where they fit in the larger structure of Anglicanism.

Less than three years later, the parish has become a pivotal congregation within the Anglican Church in North America, a rival to the Episcopal Church that grew from a rift between theological conservatives and liberal Episcopalians over Bible interpretation and the ordination of a gay bishop.

This week, the congregation served as host for a conference of the International Diocese, the new diocese to which it belongs as part of the Anglican Church in North America.

Read it all.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), Anthropology, Episcopal Church (TEC), Ethics / Moral Theology, Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion), TEC Conflicts, TEC Departing Parishes, Theology, Theology: Scripture

2 comments on “In the Buffalo area, an Anglican church assumes central role in new diocese”

  1. Emerson Champion says:
    August 15, 2011 at 1:04 am

    We visited this parish in July, and there were over 200 folks in attendance at a time of year when many churches see a seasonal sag in attendance.

    On another note, the photo accompanying the article is not of their current facility, which a former Jewish temple that they have purchased.

    St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Tonawanda, New York

  2. Steven in Falls Church says:
    August 15, 2011 at 1:14 am

    After the split with the diocese, members left their church behind and purchased a former synagogue at 2368 Eggert Road.

    The move “energized the parish,” Ward said. “We got stronger as a result, not weaker.”

    The Episcopal Diocese attempted to establish a new parish in the Brighton Road site. But when that failed, the diocesan offices were moved there from their longtime location on Delaware Avenue.

    “It’s ironic,” Ward said, “but it’s nice that our old place was a blessing to the diocese that they were able to make it their headquarters.”

    That’s a real sign of future growth in TEC, turning vibrant spaces of worship into office cubicles.