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Church dissolved over homosexual issue (Episcopal Church in Rochester NY)
World Net Daily ^ | November 23, 2005

Posted on 11/23/2005 6:32:12 AM PST by NYer

A congregation that refused to pay its dues in protest of the Episcopal Church of the USA's ordination of a homosexual bishop has been dissolved by its diocese.

Rochester's Episcopal diocese in New York voted Saturday to shut down All Saints Episcopal Church in Irondequoit, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper.

The church's property and other assets are to be turned over to the trustees of the diocese.

The church refused to pay $16,000 it owed the diocese after the 2003 ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire – a practicing homosexual – and the denomination's decision to give individual dioceses liberty to bless same-sex unions.

Parishioners gathered in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Rochester to find out the result of the vote.

"Goodbye now and God bless you," said All Saints' leader, the Rev. David Harnish, as he left the room where the vote took place.

Harnish then went to the lobby where a small group from his church had gathered.

"The same bishop who strongly opposes the death penalty has issued an ecclesiastical death sentence," he told the parishioners. "But we are alive and well."

The Rev. Canon Carolyn Lumbard, a spokeswoman for the diocese, told the Rochester paper she had come to know many at All Saints after working with them for four years.

"I know their struggle is their struggle, just like my struggle is my struggle," she said. "I don't understand theirs and they don't understand mine, either."

But she emphasized the congregation still must pay its share of the dues.

Similarly, regardless of what you think about the laws of the U.S., "If you don't pay your taxes, you go to jail," said the Rev. Diana Purcell-Chapman, who says she reluctantly voted in favor of the resolution. "It had to be done."

Rev. Denise Yarbrough of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Penn Yan, N.Y., said, "We didn't kick them out. They chose to go."

Yarbrough, a lesbian, said she and others offered to dialogue with parishioners, but they were refused.

All Saints plans to continue operating and possibly be a home for others in the diocese who disagree with the Episcopal Church of the USA, according to Walck.

"We will be a church and we will be functioning," he said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: bishop; churchclosings; ecusa; episcopal; fallout; gay; homosexual; homosexualagenda; homosexualbishop; robinson; schism
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To: NYer

homos as the priest or head of a church makes it no longer a church. It's a house of homos. Stay away from houses of homos.


21 posted on 11/23/2005 6:54:31 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Happy Thanksgiving!)
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To: PBRSTREETGANG

When I grew up in the Episcopal church being gay was considered something akin to an affliction, then it became an alternative lifestyle choice, then it was OK to be gay and even OK to be a gay bishop. I got out before they make being gay a requirement. I have taken communion from gay ministers and laypersons and certainly with gays, I employee an out of the closet lesbian. I don't want to be gay but I don't hate gays. My problem with gay bishops is that the church by choosing a gay to lead endorses the gays as a prefered lifestyle and I'm just not ready to go that far. I think the church should give me something to aspire to not an excuse for my own sins, whatever they are. I just can't get past the homosexual acts as sin thing. And I'm not sure I want to.


22 posted on 11/23/2005 6:54:41 AM PST by dblshot
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To: NYer

Church dismantling: Horrible event.

Christian faithful standing firm in the face of evil: Hopeful event.


23 posted on 11/23/2005 6:55:42 AM PST by eleni121 ('Thou hast conquered, O Galilean!' (Julian the Apostate))
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To: SoFloFreeper

She looks like an eager beaver


24 posted on 11/23/2005 6:55:50 AM PST by stocksthatgoup (Polls = Proof that when the MSM want your opinion it will give it to you.)
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To: NYer

Just a second, Didn't Gene say just a couple of weeks ago that a LOT of Catholics were moving to his church?


25 posted on 11/23/2005 6:55:52 AM PST by Andyman (Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.)
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To: NYer
Parishioners - 0 / Liberal Gays 1. This should be a wake up call to every mainline church goer that this is what is going to happen to them. Their churches will be taken away, all your assets will be stolen and you will be left out on the sidewalk. Your churches have been taken over from the top down and you don't even know it.
26 posted on 11/23/2005 6:55:55 AM PST by Recon Dad (Force Recon Dad (and proud of it))
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To: NYer

Its not coincidence that this is happening at the same time the Catholic Church is finally putting its foot back down and disallowing Homosexuals into the priesthood.

I salute this congregation for understanding and supporting what the know to be unequivacally clear in the Holy Bible, and refusing to sway from the word, even if their Church clearly has.


27 posted on 11/23/2005 7:00:46 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: NYer
The ELCA and Episcopalians have "enjoyed" an evangelical friendship for some years now thanks to ELCA bishop Mark Hanson, et. all. The Episcopalian efforts to recognize homosexual clergy has also been followed by the ELCA (notwithstanding a vote against it in this years assembly in August).

For this reason, as well as others, my wife and I returned to the LCMS this spring. I know there are others in our former ELCA congregation, including one Synod VP and her husband, who are against the ELCA posturing. My wife and I have been criticized for not "staying and fighting", but I see little fight and much disinterest overall. Those within the ELCA leadership promote homosexual inclusiveness (including Bishop Hanson) lend a deaf ear to the opposition. They believe that their agenda will be accepted in time. I suspect they're right.

We are now much happier at our new "home", and find ourselves with people who know the importance of doctrine and the Bible's inerrant message.

God's blessings to all those who recognize what these heretics are formulating and are willing to oppose it. Prayers to the Lord, our Savior, for those who find it difficult to make such drastic changes in their lives, or who are disinterested in the agendas of the denomination they look to for support and nourishment in their Christian faith.
29 posted on 11/23/2005 7:05:48 AM PST by bcsco
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To: originalbuckeye

"I left my church two weeks after 9/11 when our minister preached that the terrorist attack in NYC was due to 'world hunger'and that 'we must redistribute the wealth so that everyone has enough'."

Pathetic. Bin Laden is a billionaire. Arafat had hundreds of millions of dollars. Poverty has nothing to do with it.

There are hundreds of millions of dirt poor Brazilians. Did they attack us? No. Why? because they are Christian.


30 posted on 11/23/2005 7:09:38 AM PST by Nihil Obstat
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To: NYer
But she emphasized the congregation still must pay its share of the dues.

I bet God doesn't see it that way - In my mind, He is thinking of the "dues" the apostate ones will pay in the end...

31 posted on 11/23/2005 7:12:36 AM PST by trebb ("I am the way... no one comes to the Father, but by me..." - Jesus in John 14:6 (RSV))
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To: Nihil Obstat

What denomination was that if I may ask?


32 posted on 11/23/2005 7:12:45 AM PST by stevio (Red-Blooded American Male (NRA))
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To: NYer
It's probably getting old but I can't resist:

The church refused to pay $16,000 it owed the diocese after the 2003 ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire – a practicing homosexual...

So there you go! There is a "gay" Gene, after all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

33 posted on 11/23/2005 7:13:50 AM PST by grellis (Help! My Sims are holding me hostage!)
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To: stevio

see post #20 - I was quoting originalbuckeye.


34 posted on 11/23/2005 7:16:43 AM PST by Nihil Obstat
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To: originalbuckeye; ClearCase_guy

I appreciate your struggle and consternation. I went through a period with the Catholic Church that was similar (though for much different reasons) and found my way back stronger than ever through prayer, research and a great deal of faith.

I strongly recommend two books to you in your faith struggle:

"Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic" by David Currie. He wrote it as a letter to his family for them to understand how he found the Church.

"First Comes Love" by Dr Scott Hahn. It's a clearly-written and powerful piece of Catholic apologetics based on the written Word of the Bible.

May God bless you.


35 posted on 11/23/2005 7:18:37 AM PST by pgyanke (A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have.)
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To: stevio; Nihil Obstat
What denomination was that if I may ask?

It was a snip from post #20, former Methodist original buckeye.

There are hundreds of millions of dirt poor Brazilians. Did they attack us? No. Why? because they are Christian.

Now, there's a statement worth repeating.

36 posted on 11/23/2005 7:21:36 AM PST by grellis (Help! My Sims are holding me hostage!)
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To: NYer

I hate to say it but this is the main reason I left the church.


37 posted on 11/23/2005 7:22:30 AM PST by WesternPacific
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To: NYer
The Episcopalians have truly vast holdings of high-dollar real estate. And they will use their internal denominational laws to expel all who will not obey their liberal agenda.

This is why Baptists refuse to become a denomination.
38 posted on 11/23/2005 7:30:21 AM PST by George W. Bush
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To: ClearCase_guy

Our pastor (Methodist) basically tells us "if you aren't relying on Christ, you are screwed". He's a social liberal who has to constantly battle the old folks and their worship of their pet projects. Although he is liberal, he seems to enjoy hanging out with the conservatives because he likes our theology better.

He all but canceled the community Thanksgiving service because he said it was infected with Unitarians. He refuses to attend the local Minister's Alliance for the same reason. He made our lefty Associate Pastor go to it. Our new Associate is conservative. I can't wait to hear about his reaction to his first meeting.


39 posted on 11/23/2005 7:35:20 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: Redleg Duke
I'm sorry but I must disagree with your statement that, "it's all about money".

The money/property issue for ECUSA is an albatross waiting to hang them. The national church in my opinion will collapse when the mass exodus begins. In no way can ECUSA hold up to the weight of multiple properties, litigation and a decline in membership/offerings.

The real issue here is authority of Holy Scripture. Is it God's word or not? If not, then pretty much anything goes to include sodomy. If it is the living word of God, then they must face their sin. The latter I submit to you is correct.

The liberal revisionist or progressives (whatever you call them) want to lower the bar on sin. If homosexual behavior is no longer sinful, then everyone can feel good about themselves. They hate facing the truth.

God will win in the end. I pray every day that he help us in this struggle. satan is attacking what is the Lord's--from within. God will purge his church one day just as he has in the catholic church.

Homosexual/pedophile priest scandal in the catholic church is just one example of when God says enough is enough, he means it. Look at the number of priest who have almost supernaturally been exposed for what they've hidden in the darkness. Boom---you go God!!!!
40 posted on 11/23/2005 7:35:28 AM PST by servantboy777
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