Austin church breaks with denomination

Austin American-Statesman (requires registration) ^ | 22 June 2004 | Eileen E. Flynn

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Austin church breaks with denomination

Disagreements over homosexuality, church's direction prompt Episcopal congregation to move on

By Eileen E. Flynn, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF, Tuesday, June 22, 2004

A Northwest Austin congregation has voted to sever ties with the Episcopal Church over long-festering theological disputes and to align itself with a Chicago-based evangelical denomination.

It came down to a matter of conscience, said the Rev. Jeff Black, vicar of St. Barnabas the Encourager.

"I was trying to respect my people and myself and the word of God," he said.

On Sunday, the congregation voted almost unanimously — 196-2 — to leave the denomination and temporarily associate with the Evangelical Covenant Church, a national organization of churches founded by Swedish immigrants in 1885.

Last week, Black met with the Right Rev. Don Wimberly, Diocese of Texas bishop, to renounce his orders in the church as of July 2.

Black, 58, a priest for 29 years, has been a vocal critic of church leaders, especially in the past year, since bishops approved at last summer's national convention the ordination of an openly gay bishop and allowed dioceses to consider blessing same-sex unions, actions he saw as abandoning scriptural authority.

St. Barnabas is the first church in the diocese to break from the denomination since the convention's controversy.

Black has participated in meetings with traditional churches that are trying to create a network that is recognized by the worldwide Anglican Communion — the global denomination to which the Episcopal Church belongs — outside of the national church's leadership.

But that network's future remains unclear, Black said.

For now, St. Barnabas parishioners have found theological common ground with the Evangelical Covenant Church, which Black said places more emphasis on the Bible as the word of God. The church will become a "friend" of the covenant church on a one- to two-year trial basis, he said.

Carol Barnwell, a spokeswoman for the Houston-based diocese, said Black's meeting with the bishop was "respectful, cordial and compassionate." She said the decision to leave was not surprising.

Other Episcopal priests in the diocese have expressed outrage over what they see as a rejection of biblical principles among church leaders. But diocesan leaders do not anticipate a domino effect.

Wimberly has maintained a conservative stance on homosexuality and has made it clear he will not ordain noncelibate gays or allow same-sex blessings in the diocese.

Black said he respected Wimberly and stressed that "our heartburn is with the prevalent teaching in the wider church about the word of God."

He praised Wimberly for "caring about our well-being and not wanting to violate our conscience."

Black planted St. Barnabas as a mission, the designation for Episcopal churches that are financially dependent on the diocese, in 1998 and leads services in rented office space along U.S. 183.

The diocese recently spent $1.5 million on land in southern Williamson County for the church to build a sanctuary. But Black said key donors were hesitant to invest in the church knowing that if the congregation severed ties, the diocese would retain the property and buildings.

"Our problem was never with this diocese," Black said. "We didn't want to be building up the Episcopal Church now that they're in variance with our beliefs."

The congregation will continue to worship in the office space. The diocese has not determined what will happen with the land in Williamson County.

For Bill Mallory, a St. Barnabas parishioner and lifelong Episcopalian, the fundamental problem with the church was what he considered the lack of belief in the Bible's authority. Now, he said, the future holds exciting possibility.

"I think that God answered our prayers and that's really the right way for things to turn out," Mallory said. "As the bishop told us, it was difficult and sad. But you can still have things that are difficult and sad and still be generous and honorable and gracious."

The Rev. Al Rodriguez, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in North Austin, said that although church leaders may have seen the split coming, there's a definite sadness over the loss.

"From a personal standpoint, we have friends who are part of St. Barnabas, and we hate for them to be outside of our network church," said Rodriguez. "However, we do understand, and we respect their positions."

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