Free Republic

The historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church known as the “Cathedral of the Confederacy” has begun removing all images of the Confederate flag from within its walls. The measure includes six plaques with various versions of the Confederate flag, the church’s coat of arms with the flag on kneelers at the high altar, and bookplates in some books in the church’s library. The coat of arms will be retired, and the church will start to dig deeper in its history, the role of race and slavery in that history, and how parishioners can engage in conversations about race in the Richmond...

When the 2014 stats came out last week, it was no surprise that The Episcopal Church had again lost membership across the board. However, the newest released figures show that there is a dip in most church growth indicators -- total membership, ASA, congregations, baptisms, communicants, faith formation pupils, confirmations, and receptions from other Christian denominations. There is a slight uptick in marriages and an increase in funerals. For the first time in 75 years, The Episcopal Church's total membership dipped below the two million member mark. TEC's just-released official 2014 stats show worldwide church membership standing at 1,956,042. The...

The Church Divinity School of the Pacific offers a forum on “Imagining a new prayer book” as part of its Alumni Convocation Symposium, October 8, from 3-5 p.m., local time. The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, presenter, is the current dean of academic affairs, and a long-time teacher of liturgy and liturgics. She served on the Standing Commission for Liturgy and Music from 2008 – 2015, and as chair from 2009 – 2015.The seminary website describes the event:  The 2015 General Convention called for a plan for revision of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer that will “utilize the riches of...

Planned Parenthood, which makes money from selling dead baby parts, has a Clergy Advocacy Board, which released a statement defending the abattoir.I tried to find the names of the board members, but came up with this when I clinked their link.  HEREI want to know who the Catholics are.A commentator (below) found it. I dates to April 2015, but we can assume it is still accurate for the most part.Here is a screen shot.

The Episcopalian marriage of Fordham University’s theology chairman to his same-sex partner, just one day after the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling, begins a new flood of challenges to Catholic identity that most Catholic colleges and universities are unprepared to face, warns Cardinal Newman Society President Patrick Reilly.“Even if a Catholic college leader wants to uphold Catholic teaching on marriage, the persistent embrace of dissent and opposition to the Church at many Catholic universities makes it highly unlikely that the law will now permit them to uphold moral standards for professors,” Reilly said.“The fact that a theology chairman at a...

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson with a friend The AP reports here from the Episcopal Church’s General Convention  that the Episcopal Church of the USA is now formally permitting same sex weddings.  Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church’s embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.the House of Bishops prayed and debated the issue for five hours earlier this week before passing it on to the House of Deputies.The Rev. Bonnie Perry of Chicago, a lesbian married to a...

"This is just the beginning. This is a declaration of war by five judges who have spat in the face of their Creator, of marriage, of biology, and freedom. Now a major proper response for Christians and others is massive civil disobedience and defiance of this homo-fascist decision."

Church has always been an important part of my life, and it will continue to be the central expression of my faith in God, and the core of my spiritual life. Attending Liturgy was always the pinnacle of my week, and I have virtually every word of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom committed to memory as a result of years as a church musician. My experience of church is beginning to take a different shape, however, after several years of difficult and painful discernment. I am now leaving the Greek Orthodox Church, and continuing to live out my Christianity...

If Episcopal delegates to General Convention pass two marriage resolutions in Salt Lake City later this month, it could seal the fate of any hope that the Anglican Communion can hold together, a Covenant notwithstanding. The worst fears of GAFCON Primates and Global South archbishops will have been realized -- the Episcopal Church will never repent of its sexual innovations thus sealing forever the unity of the Anglican Communion as an attainable goal. It is over. Never again will an Archbishop of Canterbury be able to call a meeting of his fellow primates; at least a third will be no...

The attempt to change God the Father to God the Mother is full bore idolatry—a syncretism of the spirit of the age. I remember some of the most emotionally powerful moments of worship that I have experienced occurred in a context where there was the least amount of belief. There was a time in my life when I regularly went to worship at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, a beautiful church building that had this glorious liturgy. And it would be my habit to go there on Sunday morning and to sit in the pew and listen to the music...

A pair of gay Florida dads will have their son baptized this summer, following a soul-searching controversy within their Episcopal church that concluded with a meeting with — and the blessing of — their local bishop. “We talked about my being a part of the baptism and I told them I would be happy to do so,” said the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating Jack’s baptism at the Cathedral in the near future.”

It is becoming increasingly clear that realignment in the Anglican Communion is reaching new levels of intensity and speed as concern for the inroads of pansexual behavior by western pan Anglicanism provinces increases with greater stridency. Consider the following. In Melbourne, recently, the chairman of GAFCON, the Most Rev. Eliud Wabukala of Kenya, launched a new chapter of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and ripped the "cultural captivity" of North American Anglican Churches. He went on to say that a crisis is developing in the Church of England, which you can be sure Archbishop Justin Welby does not want to...

The highest ranking woman in the Anglican communion has said climate denial is a “blind” and immoral position which rejects God’s gift of knowledge. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal church and one of the most powerful women in Christianity, said that climate change was a moral imperative akin to that of the civil rights movement. She said it was already a threat to the livelihoods and survival of people in the developing world.

WASHINGTON — St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco is getting bad press this week over a sprinkler system it installed to keep homeless people from sleeping on church grounds. People are outraged that a church would treat the poor so callously. But St. Mary’s isn’t alone. Many houses of worship all over the country face the question of how to keep safe, welcoming grounds while being compassionate to homeless neighbors sleeping on porches and in doorways. Here’s what we tried at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in Washington, DC. A couple of months ago, we started a dialogue about...

ST. PETERSBURG — The bishop was not amused. Not with the video of one of his priests — complete with clerical collar — advocating gratitude for marijuana. "Now, thanking God for weed might feel a little awkward at first," says the Rev. Chris Schuller — a former rector at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church in the Snell Isle neighborhood — in the short video that's punctuated with the reggae rhythms of Bob Marley. "Thanking God is going to feel so much better than throwing stones at people who are already stoned," he says. But Bishop Dabney Smith, head of the Episcopal...

St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kan., plans to host a “Chili for Choice” fundraiser for Planned Parenthood on the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, helping to pay for abortion while other churches are encouraging participation in pro-life events, including a march in the Kansas capital. The fundraiser supports Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri with “an evening of stimulating conversation, refreshments and CHILI!” The ticket costs range from the $20 “income-sensitive” option to the $1,000 “Scorching Serran Patron.” Until 1967, the Episcopal church condemned both abortion and infanticide. But in 1967, the church embraced abortion law reform and...

Reverend Mother Dawn Frankfurt just finished leading her congregation of St. James Episcopal Church of Wichita, Kansas in celebrating the birth of the baby Jesus. Carols were sung, liturgies were performed and communion taken, all in the name of the miracle baby who was sent from Heaven to save the world. The congregation was invited to contemplate and rejoice over the mysterious miracle of God incarnate, formed in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit, giver of life. Perhaps the participants in St. James’ Christmas Eve service had warm and fuzzy feelings as they saw a customary Christmas...

Tending to St. James Episcopal Church’s Facebook page typically isn’t a lot of work for the Rev. Dawn Frankfurt, the church’s rector since 2011. That changed last week. That’s when people started posting they were outraged that the church on East Douglas in College Hill was playing host to a “Chili for Choice” fundraiser Jan. 22 – the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that affirmed abortion as a constitutional right. The fundraiser for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri will benefit Wichita’s clinic, which provides reproductive care such as well-woman exams and contraceptives but doesn’t...

After I published the story that a Wichita church will be hosting a celebration of abortion for Planned Parenthood, Christians across the country were appalled. The church, St. James Episcopal Church is hosting a “fundraiser” for Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid Missouri on January 22, 2015, the anniversary of the 42nd Roe V. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion on demand. They are calling the event: Chili for Choice. By definition, “choice” in the Planned Parenthood world indicates a right to kill a human baby in the womb for any reason at any stage of pregnancy. A man...

A Wichita church will be hosting a celebration of abortion for Planned Parenthood. St. James Episcopal Church will celebrate 42 years of abortion with Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid Missouri on January 22, 2015 for their Chili for Choice. January 22, 2015 will be the 42nd anniversary of legalized child killing through abortion under the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision. According to the most recent abortion stats, in 2011, Guttmacher, reports that 1.06 million abortions were performed nationally.