Yes, on the site of the Diocese of Chicago and those that reprint its press release, you will read a headline such as: “Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and Episcopal Church File Suit in Peoria”, but not at this blog. Here we call them as we see them — and this latest lawsuit is simply an outrageous attempt to bludgeon the already cash-starved Anglican Diocese of Quincy and its member parishes and missions into submission. Worse, it comes right after the Anglican Diocese prevailed at trial over ECUSA on many of the same issues raised in this new lawsuit.
Take a look at the complaint as filed. The lies in the plaintiffs’ press release are evident from the very caption at the start of the complaint. They claim to be suing “to clarify the legal status of the parishes and missions whose leaders left the Episcopal Church in 2008,” yet have they named those parishes? No, they have not: instead, in typical blunderbuss fashion, they are going after the individual rectors of those parishes, as well as Bishop Morales and the members of the Diocese’s standing committee and corporate board (whom they personally sued in the case they already lost).
Another lie in the press release (emphasis added): “Among the assets are the properties of St. George’s Episcopal Church in Macomb, Grace Episcopal Church in Galesburg, Trinity Episcopal Church in Rock Island and Christ Episcopal Church in Moline.” That last church, however, is not mentioned in the complaint; nor is its its rector (whom, again, they sued in the suit they lost, but in his capacity as a trustee and member of the Standing Committee).
I am reminded by ECUSA yet again of the image of a mortally wounded animal mindlessly, and apparently instinctively, lashing out at anything and everything that appears within reach, in the (likely vain) hope that its actions might injure those near enough to be clawed or bitten.
Pax et bonum,
Keith Töpfer
I think the broader message this sends to American Christians is that it makes no sense for them to get involved in a mainline denomination, whether TEC, PCUSA, or others.
I think over the next five years or so you are going to see many of the committed Christians who may still be the mainlines voting with their feet and moving to community churches or non-denominational churches where you don’t have all this nonsense going on. Certainly PCUSA is about to empty out.
It was lawyers like the sharks (apologies to sharks for the analogy) representing TEC that made me decide I was sick and tired of practicing law. The “not only must I win but you must lose” mentality is revolting.
Unfortunately, I am still in the mess, both as a practicing lawyer and having to be part of the team trying to protect our church from the continuing apostasy of American mainline protestantism. The worst part of this is once it happens, it sucks the whole life out of your church as you have to deal with denominational politics and polarization of your congregation rather than sharing the gospel and evangelizing. That is why I believe this is totally Satanic at the heart of it.
[i]That is why I believe this is totally Satanic at the heart of it[/i]
Absolutely. If Satan can defeat the Church, then he has stopped the earthly body of Christ in its tracks. I renounced my orders in TEC when the Title IV Disciplinary Canons got changed. I still talk to a TEC priest now and then thinking of leaving TEC. My advice, walk away from the building and the stuff. Let’em have it. You are freed up to live a Gospel filled worship life and evangelize the best you can; just as #4 said. Is that scary? You bet, but you put your faith where your mouth is and your integrity as a person and a Christian is intact.
It is evil – it has been clear for a long time. There is an air not only of the rage of the fallen angel but also of desperation and fear as the attendance figures of TEC are bombing and judgement day approaches I suppose the UTO money will come in very handy for use in, or for releasing other funds for use in, this litigation, bribing Lambeth Palace and St Andrew’s House with their schemes for propping up TEC or shovelling into Goodwin Proctor’s partners’ greedy gullets.
We know what they are like – but how should we view Justin Welby backing up the PB and TEC HOB recently with his announcement he would visit in April? If you lie down with fleas, you will probably be seen as a cur!
The episcopal see in Chicago is vacant.
#6- Lee used the word “reconciliation” in his press release, so I am sure Welby is completely OK with him personally suing dozens of people. Welby and his ombudsman will be “reconciling” all the Anglo Catholics in CoE the very same way in a year or two. We do need to pray for the idiots and cowards who make up the HoBs of both CoE and TEC. Virtually none of them are actually bishops anymore. Some have acted to destroy the church, and the rest either stand idly by and watch, or hide, and pretend they are so orthodox that no one in their dioceses will be impacted (until they retire and are replaced by a Jeffrey Lee or KJS). Had any of them ever read a Bible and believed a word of it, they would recognize that eternal damnation is a very real possibility given the course they have followed.
Perhaps they would do well to heed St. John Chrysostom.
“My advice, walk away from the building and the stuff. ”
We would probably do well to remember that between 1975 and 2003, something on the order of 1 million Episcopalians- 30% of the denomination- did exactly that (probably many more than 1 million, just some were replaced by revisionists who came into TEC). No doubt a similar number in the CoE. There are plenty of people out there who were born and raised Anglicans to start a new church with.
#7–As an elder in my present church, I am always mindful of James 3:1, which says that teachers (which I interpret as all in the church that are in a position of leadership) shall be held to a higher standard on Judgment Day. That is a scary proposition, because you will be held accountable not only for yourself but how you shepherded those under your care.
#8–I was one of those who left, unfortunately I am now in another denomination that is following the exact same path to perdition. The positive thing is that I have seen it happen once already, so nothing that is going on now is a surprise, they are following the identical game plan down to the same kind of deceits and word games.
So glad I left when I did, back in 1987. I’m now in another church that preaches the gospel, serves the sacraments, and incites people to holiness of life. Yes, I jumped the Tiber and the Adriatic and am EO, and happier for it.
rdr. James Morgan
olympia, wa
Like many commenters above, I find it hard to express the depth of my utter contempt and disdain for the reckless, blind leadership of TEC. Woe to those false shepherds! Isaiah had vile, self-deluded leaders like them in mind when he uttered his famous curse: “[i]Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…![/i]” (Isaiah 5:20).
In the crazy, upside down world of TEC these days, clearly “the end justifies the means,” and any and all injustices are allowed in pursuit of a fictious social justice that is no justice at all.
I’m so glad that Counsel Haley calls ’em as he sees ’em. Labelling many of the claims in this despicable law suit as lies is wholly justified. Shame, shame on the wolves in sheep’s clothing in TEC! Bishop Jeffrey Lee and the contempible PB are wolves.
David Handy+
Alberto Morales is my bishop, and presided over our Sunday morning service last weekend. If I still needed any confirmation of my choice to leave TEC, comparing the Godly humility, simplicity, faithfulness to the Word of God, and earnest desire to be a shepherd of his flock that I have seen in him on each and every episcopal visit to the cynical, destructive legal maneuvers repeatedly undertaken by the leader of TEC’s Chicago outfit would tell me everything I need to know. By their fruits I know them.
TEC and their lawyers have now proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have sunk to a new and despicable low, and it’s one that I could never imagine anyone calling himself a Christian or a lawyer would sink to. There are ambulance-chasers in the legal profession, and these shysters fit that category.
I am very proud of the diocese of Quincy, that they have been able to continue so long. If they can’t continue, then I will still be very proud of them.
On the other hand, if they do continue, that will be all the better. Simply by resisting TEC’s unconscionable and apostate demands, they are providing a powerful witness to all people in the USA and overseas that the Truth matters. May the Lord bless them and guide them through this.
MichaelA, TEC knows that their actions are unconscionable, and their demands are apostate, but they don’t care. They claim to be Christians, and maybe some are, but the majority are nothing more than pew sitters who comfortably “go along to get along;” without thinking of the consequences. I feel sorry for those poor deluded fools, but not for their leaders.