Posted on 12/26/2004 3:08:03 AM PST by Lindykim
You are correct. There are several, and South America as well. The Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), for example, is African-based.
Whenever I have to go and pick up my wife from 8th and Pike, I feel just so "dirty".
I am a former Episcopalian (6th or 3rd generation, depending on whether you count an intervening Methodist in the line). We hung on through the prayer book changes and ordination of women, even though it was plain that secular politics had won over Scripture and Tradition.
The ordination of Vicky Gene was the last straw - sort of the public seal of approval on everything that had gone before.
We were surprised at how Scriptural, reverent, and alive our local Catholic parish is. We should have made the change long ago - everything we loved about the Episcopal Church is alive and well in the Catholic Church - plus you have rock-ribbed moral teaching and absolutely solid Apostolic Succession.
We're fortunate to have a good old-fashioned Irish rector, a young parochial vicar who is a serious, devout man, and a dynamite team of permanent deacons. I guess you do have to be a little careful about your parish, from what I read here on FR some have gone a little loopy. We have a new Archbishop which is making me nervous . . . but so far everything he's said has been strictly orthodox.
Your impressions of St Mark's cathedral in Seattle fit with mine exactly. It is the see of an apostate diocese in an apostate church. Truth in advertizing would have us emblazon above the door "Ichabod" (the glory has departed). The Divine presence has also left. That is why the place feels so cavernous. I might also mention that it was built to withstand mortar fire and other types of blasts. St. Marks's is one of Seattle's fallout shelters. Tha way things are going out here the people might need to avail themselves of it.
I have good news for you. The church you remember and love is still alive and growing. It is no longer called "Episcopal" but it carries various names from Anglican to Reformed Episcopal to Traditional Anglican. I belong to a parish within the Province of Christ the King (St Bartholomew's, Woodinville, Washington) where we use the 1928 BCP, the Hymnal 1940 and sometimes the Anglian Missal. The original Diocese of Christ the King was born in the ashes of the infamous (P)ECUSA convention that saw the promotion of women priests and the "new" (read theologically revised) prayer book, among other things. Shell shocked Episcopalians left the church in droves - some sadly never returned to any church at all, others went Roman, or Lutheran... the exodus began back then and has been increasing over the years. St Bartholomew's founders were all refugee episcopalians, but todays' membership includes many former lutherans, presbyterians, methodists and baptists. Anytime you are in or near Seattle, come visit. You will all find a welcome here.
Just a footnote: I haven't run a tally lately, but the "refugee episcopalians" in St. Bartholomew's are quite the minority now.
Why??? Ummmmm, It's just a guess, but renaming parishes, Our Patron Saint of Neverland Ranch, just didn't keep the flock coming in.....and the Flock that was 'coming out' wasn't as large they thought?
Oh great, another if you don't belong to MY church you're evil thread.
Go to the Ignatius Press website. Buy yourself a copy of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church", and while at the site, check out the myriad of books about the Church. These folks are seriously Catholic, without being overly pious.
2 good Unitarian Jokes:
What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah's witness? People who knock on doors for no apparent reason.....
Sign on the Unitarian tombstone.....All dressed up and no place to go.....
One b-i-l used to call Unitarians "Atheists who haven't kicked the Church habit". My Jewish b-i-l called Reform Jews, "Atheists who haven't kicked the Temple habit".
My impression of AME is that it bucks the irreligious trend of most of the others on this list. It's a black thing.
Seems to me all you need to do to destroy a religion, is to get a moral relativist in charge of it. Now where, do you suppose, could you find any one like that?
I think I did. I discussed it with a friend but I will have to look at it again to refresh my mind.
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