Posted on 11/12/2018 3:18:17 PM PST by Ennis85
A bishop of The Episcopal Church whose diocese is based in the capital of New York has announced that his churches will not perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.
Earlier this year, the Episcopal Church General Convention passed a resolution allowing for congregations to perform gay weddings even in dioceses where leadership objects. The new policy is scheduled to take effect on the first Sunday of Advent, Dec. 2.
This stood in contrast to a resolution passed by the General Convention in 2015 that allowed bishops opposed to same-sex marriage to maintain a ban on such unions within their diocese.
Bishop William Love of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany released a lengthy pastoral letter on Saturday officially stating that the gay marriage rites approved earlier this year "shall not be used anywhere in the Diocese of Albany by diocesan clergy (canonically resident or licensed)."
"Jesus is calling the Church to follow His example. He is calling the Church to have the courage to speak His Truth in love about homosexual behavior – even though it isn't politically correct," stated Bishop Love.
"Sexual relations between two men or two women was never part of God's plan and is a distortion of His design in creation and as such is to be avoided. To engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage between a man and women, is against God's will and therefore sinful and needs to be repented of, NOT encouraged or told it is ok."
Love also stated that he believes that both his denomination and overall Western society "have been hijacked by the 'Gay Rights Agenda,'" and that pro-LGBT Episcopalians have been "received into believing a lie that has been planted in the Church by the 'great deceiver' – Satan."
"There is no doubt The Episcopal Church and now the Diocese of Albany are in the midst of a huge storm that can rip us apart if we are not careful. That is exactly what Satan wants," added Love.
"We don't have to play his game. If we focus on what divides us, we will be destroyed. If we focus on what unites us – our Lord Jesus Christ -- He will get us through to the other side. I pray the Lord will help us to see one another as He sees us; to love one another as He loves us; to forgive one another as He forgives us."
At their triennial convention in Austin, Texas in July, the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops and House of Deputies passed Resolution B012, which allows same-sex couples to be married by clergy in eight dioceses that had previously not allowed marriage rites for same-sex couples.
While the new resolution still gives clergy the right to refuse to perform gay weddings, bishops who oppose same-sex marriage rites must call on another bishop who does not oppose such unions to provide pastoral support for the couple and a clergy for the ceremony.
In addition to the Diocese of Albany, the other impacted dioceses include Dallas; North Dakota; Springfield, Illinois; Tennessee; the U.S. Virgin Islands; and two of the denomination's Florida-based dioceses, the Diocese of Florida and the Diocese of Central Florida.
Long Island Bishop Larry Provenzano, who proposed the B012, told Episcopal News Service in an interview earlier this year that he considered the resolution "a really important moment for the church."
"We do this without there having to be one side wins and one side loses. Very much like the theme of the whole convention, there's a great movement for the church to really be the church in this time," stated Bishop Provenzano.
Bravo!! It is not easy to express your blief in today’s world. Bishop Love stands tall among true believers - a real leader.
It sounds like a bit of Christianity has broken out.
Good!
Oh, yeah, and Cuomo and deBlasio will just let that go in the corrupt single party state that just sent Ocasio-Cortez to Congress.
TEC/815 will try Bishop Love for heresy. And find him guilty.
The Presiding Bishop replies: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/presiding-bishops-statement-bishop-william-loves-november-10-pastoral-letter-and?fbclid=IwAR3To0iRUSjITVAhsEbX26HaBrE_3V0700dhVQ7AGCJkNJejuaitTN7tRhA
Most of the Bishops who hold to the traditional church teachings have departed the Episcopal Church and formed a new church. Bishop Love may be forced to soon join them.
I believe this diocese has the money that keeps the national church viable
I left the Episcopal Church many years ago because they slipsided eagerly into fashionable apostasy.
I know there are a few remnant churches, struggling to hang on to the tradition - but until they return and preach the gospel - I will not go back just for the liturgy .
Denominations have lost all appeal to me, if they do not adhere to the Bible. I no longer trust their notions of what is “ok”.
God’s ways are not “man’s ways”. Most people seem to want “warm, permissive, and easy, not hard, difficult and restrictive”, particularly when it comes to our personal sins.
None of us measure up. So, we want to belong to a “feel good about yourself, no matter how many ways you miss the mark” denomination. All that matters to the “denominations” is envelopes in the basket” - not saving souls. Damn them all.
Not that I am perfect. God forgive me my many sins. But I have no need for “priests without chests” (snatched from C.S. Lewis) who are afraid to call our human sins what they are, sins we are ashamed to admit, even to ourselves.
Jesus knew this about us, and we do not deserve His gift, his sacrifice, but because of Him, we can hope that we can be forgiven, if we sincerely ask, and keep on trying.
Great post.
I know of someone, once a devout Christian, who is a member of this sort of church. “Fashionable apostasy” pretty much describes it. Praying nightly for this person.
I mostly agree with you. The General Convention for the past 30-40 years lost its focus on the Gospel. Sexuality became more important than evangelism. What has happened in the Episcopal Church has also happened in other mainline denominations - and universities and the government. The homosexual movement began to infiltrate these institutions during the hippie age and over the years have become dominate.
What I have seen is that most of the southern Episcopal churches have fallen in line, but not all. The people in the pews for the most part don’t go along with the modern movement and remain traditional. They don’t fight it, they just say this is my church and we will continue our old ways. They are not about to leave for they married, baptized and buried family members over the years from the same church. Many are buried in the church yard. The Prayer Book is the same and is fully compliant with Scripture, always has been. More Scripture is heard in worship than other churches and for the most part preaching is on the scripture. Some of the big churches and urban churches go off on liberal tangents. But the ones away from the blue patches on the map stay scripture bound for the most part. So, it’s a mixed bag. Where I attend from time to time is as I have described. Call me naive, but I don’t believe the people in the pews are in lock step with the national leadership.
He’s not alone. As he mentioned in his letter there are 6 or 7 other diocesan bishops who are with him.
The quintessential speaking of truth to power.
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