While the majority of parishes within the Pittsburgh Diocese of the Episcopal Church have voted to realign themselves with a different communion, one church in the local area has decided to remain.
The Rev. Chuck Weiss, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Canonsburg, believes his congregation is the only one in District 10 that remains with the Anglican Communion.
Weiss came to the church less than two years ago. At the time, he said, the congregation made it clear they were proud to be part of the national Episcopal Church and its tradition of honoring differences.
The realigned diocese is still affiliated with the Anglican Communion, of course. This reporter must not have talked to both sides.
The article implies that dio Pittsburgh has left for “another communion” – Rev. Weiss seems to have been the source of this misunderstanding, and indeed, it seems unlikely that he did not know what he was doing. Please leave a comment letting the Observer know the error that has made here.
Across the Aisle people, is this what you stand for?
“If they’re looking for an Episcopal church, there’s still one left. We’re warm and friendly, and we have good coffee,” he said.
It would be too cruel to critique this statement.
I get a chuckle when someone asserts that anglicans have always honored differences about whether or not certain sexual behavior is sinful or blessed.
One would think that this issue has been kicking around for centuries of anglicanism, as opposed to being bound up with our temporal culture.
🙄
Articles like this one always make me sad. The diocese wants to have an amicable parting. Why doesn’t the national church? To echo Rodney King “Why can’t we all get along?”
I guess “differentiation” works both ways, doesn’t it? This guy plainly wants to set himself apart from the churches that have departed TEC. And just look at what he says his parish has to offer, some warm, friendly people, and good coffee. Well, if that’s all you want in a church, his might do nicely.
But just what does that have to do with Christianity anyway?
David Handy+
The parish in which I was confirmed used to have a robust faith.
Now they have good coffee.
I am immensely saddened.
#4 Brilliant!
“The national Episcopal Church and its tradition of honoring differences”
Don’t gag me this early in the day.
“……warm and friendly, and we have good coffee?” What else do you have that mkes attending worthwhile?
“Good Coffee”…not unimportant, and ground-breaking, if true.
Incidentally, a dear, late friend of mine once opined: ‘If the children of Israel had possessed coffee, they would not have been so cranky in the wilderness!”
To echo Cennydd (#10) and Father Handy (#6):
“……warm and friendly, and we have good coffee.” Hmmm, so does Starbucks.
Good coffee trumps the moral teaching of the Christian church through two millenia…and canons and Constitution… .
Well, isn’t that special?!
I can’t seem to get the church statistics page for this parish — or for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Can anyone else?
Re the coffee comment.
I am sure that he meant this — that the warmth and friendliness of the welcome, and the quality of the coffee were selling points.
But isn’t it sad.
Rectors under pressure responding to media that don’t get it, writing to readerships that don’t get it, to advance an agenda that has nothing to do with it, leads to silly quotations that have noting to do with it.
“Canonsburg Church Remains Behind after Choice”
“Remember Lot’s wife” —Luke 17:32