Darcy Corbitt-Hall recently moved…[to North Dakota] from Alabama.
“Coming to North Dakota and then suddenly realizing I don’t have that ability in my church is very upsetting,” Corbitt-Hall says. “I can’t align myself with organizations that don’t treat everyone the same and don’t work for full inclusion.”
Along with Darcy, other congregants that attend Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, share the same beliefs.
Amy Phillips adds, “Marriage equality is a human right. Our church clearly wants to support that right and be able to celebrate the union of all people, any people that want to marry each other.”
“other congregants that attend Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, share the same beliefs”
I’m sure all 55 of them do. The Diocese of North Dakota has always been small, but like other rural dioceses it is in a world of hurt — most of the 19 or so congregations are struggling to survive, despite population influx into the state due to fracking. Even in Fargo, the cathedral has lost over half of its attendance since 2009.
North Dakota is one of a handful of states with no ACNA presence, and I doubt we’ll see ACNA congregations there anytime soon. Anglican Christianity never took strong root in the northern plains.