St. Francis released a statement Friday stating: “As in most religious communities, there are current issues in the Episcopal Church that are being faced, discussed, and acted [Mark] upon on an international, national, state, diocesan and local level. Time and space constraints limit a full explanation/discussion of the actual issues in this forum. Suffice it to say there have been two primary groups at St. Francis who now desire to follow separate paths along a fork in the road.”
Zimmerman said the two groups both needed some space to grow.
“We felt we needed some space and they needed some space so they can discuss and plan their future and we could plan and discuss our future,” he said.
Zimmerman said the issues that are dividing the Episcopal community lie in biblical authority.
“There are those who still use traditional language and images, but the meanings have strongly shifted,” he said. “I think the biggest difference is some see God as a God who accepts us and transforms us. The (national) church is exclusively a church of acceptance.”
““There are those who still use traditional language and images, but the meanings have strongly shifted,†he said. “I think the biggest difference is some see God as a God who accepts us and transforms us. The (national) church is exclusively a church of acceptance.â€
Exclusively a church of acceptance – exclusively inclusive. Inclusively exclusive. I think Fr. Zimmerman here has picked up on how weird and oxymoronic that sounds…
Several years ago, Bishop Lipscomb here in SW Florida referred to the actions of the GC as reflecting a church of affirmation, rather than transformation. He was deeply concerned about this.
The reasserters are right on one point: God loves us as we are. But they forget (or do not understand) that He does not wish us to remain as we are (much as I love my children exactly as they are, but do expect them to grow into adults, and not remain children).
This breaks my heart. Why now? This is a Dio Pgh parish – if they were in Dio CPA, next door, I’d understand.
I pray for both these groups – this is going to be a difficult time for this small country church.