The sign outside St. Francis Anglican Church reads \u201cthink FORGIVE act.\u201d\u009d Action and forgiveness were the themes of the day, as the parishioners gathered Sunday for one last time at their church on Main Street before walking several blocks away to begin a new church in rented facilities.<\/p>\n
The congregation opened its closing service with “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” which includes the words, “Thou art giving and forgiving … teach us how to love each other.”<\/p>\n
It was especially poignant because the St. Francis facility has been in a tug-of-war since 2007, when 40 of the 47 parishes in the San Joaquin Diocese voted to leave the national Episcopal church over theological differences. The departing parishes, including St. Francis, and the diocese were sued by the Episcopal church in 2008 and 2009 in a bid to regain those properties.<\/p>\n