he stage is sizzling. The crowd is howling and stamping its feet. The energy makes your skin crawl.
What do you do when your act follows that of a rock star? If Robert Hirschfeld knows one thing, he knows not to imitate the last act.
Hirschfeld becomes the full-fledged 10th Episcopal Bishop for the state of New Hampshire on Saturday in an investiture ceremony that will include several Episcopal bishops, including his predecessor, outgoing Bishop Gene Robinson.
[blockquote]The Diocese counted 14,582 active church members in 2010, up from 14,160 in 2007. That makes the New Hampshire Diocese one of the fastest growing in the country, according to episcopalchurch.org, [/blockquote]
((14,582 – 14,160) /3)/ 14,160 = 0.0099, or ~ 1%
population growth in N.H. 2007 to 2010 went from 11.4% to 6.5%
Res ipsa loquitur
As I recall, several years ago Bishop Hirschfeld, then a Massachusetts rector, refused to conduct marriages until and unless he was authorized to conduct same-sex weddings. That seemed an obvious abandonment of his ordination vows, a violation of canons, and a basis for disciplinary proceedings and removal from the ordained ministry. Instead he has been made a bishop. Only proves that canon procedures are to be invoked only against conservatives — not against progressives who follow their own “higher calling.”
The marriage canons mean one thing to orthodox Anglican bishops and clergy, and quite another to Episcopal bishops and clergy. The first uphold traditional marriage between one man and one woman, while the second now have abandoned those canons for the zeitgeist of “what’s happening now.” This new bishop is one of the second group.
Did the Union Leader really just call VGR a “rock star?” Oh my.
RE: “The Diocese counted 14,582 active church members in 2010, up from 14,160 in 2007. That makes the New Hampshire Diocese one of the fastest growing in the country, according to episcopalchurch.org . . . ”
Oh dear. Somebody in the diocesan house is playing around with numbers again.
Let’s try a little reality, shall we?
According to the stats, in 2007 ASA in NH was around 4100. In 2011 it had dropped to around 4000.
In 2007, membership was around 14,000. In 2011, it was around 13,600.
The *total* tenure of Gene Robinson’s stint as bishop as NH has been a disaster of epic proportions for that diocese’s membership and attendance.
In 2003, when he took office, ASA was around 4500 and membership was around 15,600.
It’s easy enough to check out these stats over here:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/studying-your-congregation-and-community
I think one thing this demonstrates it that the leftist activists in the Episcopal Church [i]recognize just how badly things have gone for Gene Robinson’s diocese — and want desperately to try to hide that.[/i]
It’s . . . “awkward” . . . when the First Non-Celibate Gay Bishop augers his diocese into the ground in a matter of ten years. Even more awkward when people discover it and it gets publicized. ; > )
But, but, let us consider the important questions, such as what will VGR wear to The Event? What shoes? What gorgeouth cope?