Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. St. Luke’s of the Mountains Church Aligns with the Worldwide Anglican Communion
February 14th, 2006 at 3:47 pm
La Crescenta, Calif. – Feb. 14, 2006 – St. Luke’s of the Mountains, a biblically orthodox church for over 60 years, affirms its membership in the Anglican Communion and will no longer be affiliated with the Episcopal Church USA or the Diocese of Los Angeles.
St. Luke’s is now under the jurisdictional oversight of the Anglican Province of Uganda in the Diocese of Luweero, which is a member of the mainstream of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Since its founding, the members of St. Luke’s have remained steadfast and loyal in their commitment to the Holy Scripture, the historic teachings of Christianity and the Anglican Communion. However, the Episcopal Church USA has chosen a path that no longer reflects the membership’s steadfast faith.
“St. Luke’s is a biblically orthodox church that accepts Jesus Christ as the Only Lord and Savior, and acknowledges the Bible as the authoritative Word of God,” said Dr. Tim Kelly, a congregational leader. “Our loyalty is to God, not a religious hierarchy. Thus, when the hierarchy strays from the historical faith, it is time for change. We are simply remaining faithful to our historic beliefs and values, by aligning ourselves with the orthodox faithful in the Anglican Communion.”
The church members and board of directors (called the vestry) of St. Luke’s made this decision with the support of their pastor, The Rev. Dr. Ron Jackson, reflecting the desire of the church to stand firm on its religious convictions.
“It is only after much deliberation and fervent prayer that we came to this conclusion, but it is our only recourse if we are to stay true to the historic faith and teachings of the church,” said Fr. Jackson, St. Luke’s Rector.
“We have worked very hard for many years to reconcile our differences with the Episcopal Church USA and the Diocese of Los Angeles, both in our own hearts and through extensive dialogue. Unfortunately, however, that effort cannot bridge the theological chasm between us or bring the Episcopal Church back into communion with most of the Anglican world that has severed ties with the U.S. church.”
“The members of St. Luke’s wish to move beyond this issue so we can concentrate on our core mission: To glorify God, and to follow the teachings of Christ in the Holy Scriptures,” concluded Fr. Jackson. “This includes reaching out to those in need around us and sharing the Gospel.”
The worldwide Anglican Communion has churches in 164 countries with about 77 million members. In the past, the Episcopal Church USA has claimed to represent about 2.5 million members both here and abroad, which is only about three percent of the Anglican Communion.
The Anglican Province of Uganda represents eight million Anglicans, more than three times the membership in the entire Episcopal Church USA. St. Luke’s has had a close relationship with the Province of Uganda for many years. For example, numerous St. Luke’s parishioners have served as missionaries in Uganda. St. Luke’s built a school in a remote rural area of Uganda which feeds and schools 400 children, and built a clean water system for a Ugandan village of 5000 people which has significantly reduced disease and infant mortality. Also, St. Luke’s is involved in building a community college in Southwest Uganda to provide training for young people to build the economy of this economically poor area.
St. Luke’s has been a separate, California nonprofit religious corporation since 1940, and it will continue to hold worship services in La Crescenta.