Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. It seems like doubling the congregation to 4 wouldn't be too lofty of a goal by 2020
rather than General Convention’s steps to normalize homosexuality.
Using data and analysis presented during the past two years to Executive Council by the Office of Congregational Development at the Episcopal Church Center, the commission attributes the majority of the numerical attendance decline to systemic factors rather than General Convention’s steps to normalize homosexuality.
I agree with them; ECUSA was declining long before Robbie got his pointy hat. Although the reason for that decline should not be attributed to "systemic factors" as much as to, well, ceasing to seriously believe much of anything or stand for much of anything a long time ago.
The problem is not ceasing to seriously believe much of anything. The problem is that many of us discovered they do believe quite firmly in a number of things - wymyn Priests, abortion, birth control, the Real Absence, the blessedness of sodomy, the absence of Divinity in Christ, liturgical anarachy.
And having discovered that we became so disgusted we got up and left.
At this point, their decline into irrelevancy is inevitably forced by the demographics they have created - few attendees, fewer children, many conversions to other denominations, many apostacies.
The only real question is will the conservatives salvage much of anything to bring over to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and to Continuing Anglicanism, and if Continuing Anglicanism will discover unity. On the latter count, I doubt it.
The decline began in the 50s with Pike and Spong abandoning basic Christian doctrine without suffering any consequences, and accelerated through the abandonment of the Book of Common Prayer and the male priesthood.
Vicki Gene was simply the Last Straw for many people (including our family) . . . other people's Last Straws came sooner . . . and I guess the selection of another homosexual bishop out in California will be the Last Straw for a few more . . . and so it goes.
Not really worth the effort ~ after all, there are many, many more churches around with more to offer. Folks who are interested can move on. Those who aren't may get the opportunity to serve on the facilities and assets auction committees needed to shut these places down.
The Dean of the Ft. Worth cathedral said in a recent sermon, "At the general convention there have been two types in attendance - those who say Jesus has changed me and those who say I've changed Jesus." The decline of the ECUSA can be laid at the feet of the second group, because they are in the majority, they are the people that preach the best seller list or the Brokeback Mountain story instead of preaching the gospel that is in the weekly lexionary.
They're cutting a baling bucket out of the hull planks.