Posted on 07/17/2005 7:44:42 AM PDT by sionnsar
Everyone should know that we have done nothing wrong! Not Father Mark, not the vestry, not the parish! We did everything by the book. Applied for DEPO, informed Bishop Smith of Father Mark’s sabbatical, wrote numerous letters to Smith (so far as I am aware without a reply back). Over the past few months while Father Mark was on sabbatical, the congregation’s pastoral needs were well taken care of. God Bless Father Clay Knapp for supplying us with Sunday Eucharist. Also Father Thomas Beck provided for Tuesday weekday worship. And as if that wasn’t enough, the rest of the CT6 priests, including our in town priest Father Helmandollar, was also available on call. So Andrew Smith’s ridiculous charge of “I did this out of concern for the pastoral needs of the parish” is simply not true.
We’ve been robbed of our priest and of our building!!! The people that now occupy my beautiful building have no regard for the congregation as a whole, the vestry or even the canons. And now I’m told the Gospel no longer sits on my beautiful altar at St. John’s! I pray they put it back!
Bishop Smith seems motivated by power and by power alone. He saw a CT6 parish whose rector was on sabbatical and thought it was easy to pick off. Apparently you either conform to his new view of the Bible or you are out. It’s his way or the highway. It’s like some sort of bad reality TV show named “BISHOPS GONE WILD”!
I have personally invested in my church with not only money, but with my time and my talent! I organize various fundraising events that range from selling fried dough to making and selling jewelry and floral arrangements with another devoted parishioner. I run everything from Angel Tree to soup kitchens. My parish may be small, but we are united. These are good people at St. John’s, the congregation, the vestry, and the rector.
I’m proud to say I currently serve on St. John’s vestry and as well as chairperson for Outreach. Every decision I’ve made and every action I’ve taken has been in support of our parish and the Bible. I have no regrets about anything, except maybe charging too little for the crafts I sell that benefit St. John’s.
While it is true that we have missed pledge and loan payments to the diocese, it is also true that Andrew Smith was aware of the fact we couldn’t pay and still make our payroll, utilities and mortgage payments. In fact, Bishop Smith told us that he understood and thanked us for still pledging. So the second reason that the bishop gives for committing this vile act, “for financial concerns of the parish,” is also not fair.
Many of us at St. John’s have literally worked our fingers to the bone to build our beautiful building! We love and respect Father Hansen and his family for all they have done for us. God blesses Father Mark for protecting St. John’s and the Bible. He went on sabbatical to preserve our beliefs and “buy us more time” from the pressure put on us by Bishop Smith. But both his efforts and ours could not prevent Bishop Smith from his HOSTILE TAKEOVER.
My parish owns St. John’s, not Bishop Smith. Yes I know we have a relationship as part of the diocese, but I’m telling you the reality. Andrew Smith did nothing to build our church. Oh he did approve a small loan that we get to pay it back with interest! But Smith won’t even perform confirmations any longer. This CT diocese seems to be willing to take our money, but is not willing to give anything in return. Not in dollars or in sacraments.
I was there last Wednesday it happened. I feel violated, they have our altar!!! Susan McCone is a liberal part time priest and doesn’t share the same views as my parish. And I also feel soiled somehow that some bully has riffled through our private papers. This includes documents, by the way, which contain private HIPPA medical type information about our parishioners. ARE THERE NOT LEGAL QUESTIONS HERE??!!!!
God blesses you all for your support… the numerous emails, the wonderful websites such as David Virtue, CT6, and Titusonenine. I know St. John’s parish will fight this with all its strength and on many fronts. Action is what is now required. These unholy people must be challenged or where will this stop? Also beware that all of our churches, orthodox or not, are at risk here. Whether you have a tolerant Bishop or not, this can happen to you, this will happen to you. It’s all just a matter of time if we let what happened with St. John’s go by.
We must all stay together in His WORD. I pray that all clergy and lay persons put pressure on ECUSA, to speak to the media, to get the word out that St. John’s is NOT deserving of this kind of treatment from Bishop Smith. Also tell them that our congregation is now homeless as a result of this outrageous action by Bishop Smith. STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS!!! And don’t break the prayer chain!!!!
–A commentary by Tammy Vogt who lives, works and worships in Connecticut and is a member and leader at Saint John’s, Bristol. She would like it known that “these words are my own opinion and I speak only for myself.”
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. They've been covering it, definitely, though I haven't been reading much at all because there has been so MUCH of it. I suspect they're parroting the diocesan line overall, though I can't be sure.
Does anyone kmow what the attendance at that OCCUPIED church, with its illigitamately apppointed feminazi "priest", was this morning? I hope that it was not even the "two or three gathered together" necessary to celebrate the liturgy!!!!
Here is the address on how to file a HIPAA Complaint about medical information:
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacyhowtofile.htm
I truly sympathize with you and your parish. We also have an Archbishop here that does not listen to the parishioners.
Thanks. I will see if I can find a way to forward that.
The Hartford paper is clearly favoring the diocese. The local Bristol paper seemed a bit more even-handed with their reporting. Not sure if it's been on the local TV affiliates; I was out of the state all weekend.
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