The San Joaquin Diocese, which covers Lodi to Bakersfield and east to Mammoth Lakes and Ridgecrest, split this year over what Schofield perceives as a growing liberalization of the national Episcopal Church. Schofield strongly opposed the consecration of V. Eugene Robinson, an openly gay man, as bishop of New Hampshire. Schofield maintains that Robinson’s appointment violates scripture.
That means there are two San Joaquin Dioceses, one that is Episcopal and one that is Anglican under the Southern Cone. The Episcopal San Joaquin Diocese reorganized on March 29 in Lodi and appointed Jerry Lamb as the new bishop.
The new Lodi congregation will be a “mission church” sponsored by St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Manteca. Riggsby said he has served at St. Mary’s and an Episcopal church in Copperopolis.
Riggsby said he has no intention of attracting conservatives away from St. John’s Episcopal Church.
“We’re not anti-Episcopal,” he said. “I’d like to work with them. I’m not going to lay my beliefs like a sledgehammer.”
Ms Zetterbaum, remaining together would be possible only if The Episcopal Church abandons everything they’ve done…..including the ordination of women and non-celibate gay men…..among other things. Since that’s not going to happen, neither will a reunion of Anglicans and Episcopalians.
I’m not surprised by our church-planting, since this is one of our stated goals. There will be more……quite a few more eventually, as a matter of fact! We’re just getting started!
First of all KJS reorganized the Episcopal Diocese and she appointed Jerry Lamb and did not recognize the Standing Committee members who were left and duly elected and did it all uncanonically violating her own C’s & C’s. Let us keep the facts straight!
And yes Cennydd is quite right, there will be more church planting and we get calls daily from those who want to be apart of our Anglican Diocese.
So many, in fact, from other parts of the country, that Bishop Schofield has had to turn some of them down! One from Florida is a good example.
I serve an Episcopal Church where the majority of the congregation left TEC late last year for another Anglican province. We are in a community where there are two additional Episcopal Churches. We are getting on with the work God has sent us out to do. . .and so are they. We are giving the group who left our church for the SC province hymnals which they offered to buy, but which our vestry believed should be shared freely. I guess my point is that there is plenty of work to do and plenty of people who are in need. If the folks in Lodi can support a TEC church as well as a Southern Cone province church, I say good for them. Let people choose where they wish to worship based on their own consciences and convictions. My prediction is that Anglicanism in general in the U.S. will begin to resemble the ELCA/Missouri Synod model. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? In my opinion, we should spend more time doing the work of God and less time lobbing hand grenades at on another.
GoSane+,
Stellar post! But might I suggest that you and many in TEC that feel this way tell your PB to let go of the litigations and let God’s people work out the issues as Christians are suppose to do.
#4
Great insight! The ELCA/Missouri Synod example fits perfectly.
#4 Hear hear
GoSan+, thank you for your insight. Now, if only Schori & Company would let go of those lawsuits and let our people go……..
What exactly is the “the ELCA/Missouri Synod model.” Aren’t they essentially two totally different churches with very little if any interaction? Isn’t this “model” model called schism? Please enlighten me.
As the Rector of St. Mary the Virgin, Manteca, I want to clarify a few things about this article. First, we are manning a Preaching Station that will hopefully be organized into a Diocesan-recognized mission church. Second, Deacon Riggsby is quoted as saying “…he has no intention of attracting conservatives away from St. John’s Episcopal Church.” It would be more accurate to write that we are seeking to serve the orthodox Anglicans who are now or have been members of St. John the Baptist or any other church that has abandoned orthodoxy. Third, I want to re-emphasize that while we are strongly opposed to the teaching of TEC and its adherents, the members of St. John’s have been our brothers and sisters in Christ and we bear them no ill will or animosity. If there is any way that we can coexist without compromising the truth of the Gospel we will do so. We abhor schism and strife within the church, but this is not schism it is the rejection of false teaching/heresy.