The Episcopal Church of the United States dates back almost as far as the Revolutionary War. In Illinois, it was organized 173 years ago. And the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy, Ill., has existed for well more than a century.
But if all goes as expected, the Diocese of Quincy will soon leave the parent church and align itself with the Anglican community based in South America.
A rift that has existed for decades broke open in 2003 after the Episcopal Church of the United States consecrated its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.
“This is an example of how far the Episcopal Church has moved to a contemporary liberal theology,” said the Rev. John Spencer, a spokesman for the diocese that includes Christ Church, Moline; Trinity Church, Rock Island; and St. Mark’s Church, Silvis, Ill. “It’s just not grounded in Scripture anymore.”
Can Shori ignore the leaving of entire dioceses indefinitely? Where is the threshhold -if there is one? Or is this a case that awareness will occur only when it is too late to be of any use? The loss of this diocese must mean the loss of substantial income. When do the boats begin to ground on the flats as the tide goes out? L