This we will speak about, learn about, and engage together in the coming days, months, and years. As you know, the Vestry of St. Andrew’s has expressed with clarity that our parish will continue as a parish within the Episcopal Church, and will not recognize or participate in the organization of the “realigned diocese.”
On leaving St. Martin’s this afternoon canonically resident Pittsburgh clergy were asked to take certificates licensing them as deacons or priests of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the Southern Cone Province, and I declined to receive the one with my name on it. As I have indicated to you, I will remain a priest of the Episcopal Church, U.S.A.
Again: much sadness, and a sense of profound loss. I personally have expressed my deep respect and love for many dear friends and colleagues who have chosen today to walk in a different direction–and my hope and prayer that in many ways the spirit of friendship and shared ministry that we have known in the past may be able to continue. But of course there will be changes, and it will be necessary to move forward to the new challenges that await us without being overly-encumbered by what lies in our past. We’ll have to figure that out as we go on.
How do we discern the purity of our decisions…can any of us say if we are really making a pension decision, or are we making a theological decision…I wish we all could be more clearly living in subjection to the Lord so these things would be self-evident of any of us…mostly what I see is not creative witness that is drawing people to Jesus but decisions that are destructive, and therefore not of God (not this one in particular…but the whole lot of decisons). I see the impending destruction of mainline Christianity…even for those avoidant personalities who try to ignore the whole thing, which is itself a decision.
This is a very tender letter and I’m glad I bothered to read the whole thing. I don’t know anything about St. Andrew’s or Rev. Bruce Robinson, but I do know that too often our communication with one another and about one another has been dripping in spin and vitriol. It is good to be reminded — for a change — about the loss of relationship and shared ministry. I am genuinely weary of so-called pastoral letters that are crafted to be public relations tools rather than words of comfort to the flocks they lead. And when these spin-letters come my side of the aisle, I am both weary and ashamed. Bless you Rev. Bruce Robinson.
I believe that it would have been better if both sides had agreed to recognize each other, and depart in peace. The sad fact of the matter is that the “continuing” Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh….the reappraisers….chose not to recognize that their brothers and sisters on the other side of the aisle chose to remain faithful to Christ and His Church by moving to the Province of the Southern Cone, while The Episcopal Church has walked away from the rest of the Communion.
This was not something that Bishop Duncan and his diocese wanted to do, just as we in the Anglican diocese of San Joaquin did not want to do it. They, like we, felt that they had no choice but to do as they did in order to remain faithful to Christ and His Church.
I wish them well, and I welcome them home!
[blockquote] I don’t know anything about St. Andrew’s or Rev. Bruce Robinson [/blockquote]
The parish chart is here:
http://12.0.101.88/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_107200843723AM.pdf
It is a small parish — about 100 ASA which has been holding its own steadily over the years. For some reason the number of baptised members fell significantly in 2006 when the number of attendees was stable — I always think attendees are the more reliable numbers anyway.
In the letter from the vestry giving their decision to stay with TEC describes themselves as:
[blockquote] St. Andrew’s is a broad parish family, and members of our congregation hold a wide range of theological views and expressions of our Christian faith. We are neither a “conservative†parish nor a “progressive†parish, but we live together as a community with views across the whole spectrum of opinion and belief. We believe we are called as a parish family to love one another, to worship our Lord Jesus Christ together, and to serve the world in his name–even as we may disagree about some important matters. [/blockquote]
As someone in a very similar parish, I sympathise with the leaders in having to hold the community together in such difficult times.
#3
[i]I believe that it would have been better if both sides had agreed to recognize each other, and depart in peace.[/i]
Hear, hear.
However, the rest of what you say here is rather unfortunate. Are you certain that everyone who is remaining in TEC is a reappraiser? Are you in a position to know that ALL those who remain in TEC are reappraisers or sell-outs? Clearly it is your opinion as such. However, as a traditionalist who remains in TEC, I would suggest to you that who stays and who goes is a far more complex situation than you make it out to be.
Cennydd wrote:[blockquote]the “continuing†Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh….the reappraisers….chose not to recognize[/blockquote] Actually, by all accounts, reappraisers make up a minority of the continuing Episcopal diocese. Most of the folks remaning are reasserters, conservatives, who do not believe that realignment is the appropriate course of action.
Actually, I believe this pastoral letter is sad not tender. He has chosen death over life. TEC = Death.
As for choosing ‘death over life. TEC = Death”, we must remember that God’s timing and will is unique for all of those who love and follow Him. Many who remain, including the owner of this blog’ are remaining. How long is determined by listening to God’s will for Canon Harmon, as it is for many others. As for ‘death’, Christ calls some to stand at the gates of hell, preaching His message of salvation to the last minute.
Amen, I could not agree more with 1,2,5 and 8. As Christians we have to answer God’s call…where ever it may lead us. I am in a Diocese that has been torn up due to actions on both sides. Are things a mess?….absolutely, but we need to put away our self-righteous swords and stop hurting one another. We need to start praying for one another and start respecting where God has called each of us, even when it doesn’t make sense to the other person. We need to get on with ministry. My prayers are with the people of Pittsburgh–both sides. I
RE: “TEC = Death.”
Actually, life on earth = Death.
American = Death.
I don’t see you leaving America.
There comes a point in time when it is clearly evident that trying one’s best to reform one’s parish is a fruitless effort, and it is time to move on. I applaud my fellow reasserters who choose to remain Episcopalian for their efforts at reform, and I wish them well. I sincerely hope that they succeed, but right now, I’m afraid the future doesn’t look bright. I wish it were otherwise.
#11, On the contrary, the future is very bright. I am finding folk who are wanting to know Christ, who are actively seeking to know him, who are engaging in worship, solid biblical teaching and in ministry. I stand amazed at what God is doing within my parish and within my Diocese. We have chosen to focus on God and to do those things that he has called us to do. We acknowledge what is going on in the national and world levels, but we have found when we focused on this instead of God, our anger with each other increased, our worship and ministry suffered internally.
I support your call to be where you are, God calls us to different places; but please do not tell me that my future is not bright because I have not left TEC. Where ever God is present, the future is bright.