More clergy are leaving before Schori's installation

The Connecticut Six ^ | 11/02/2006 | The Rev. Henry Pendergrass

[sionnsar]

SOURCE: http://www.stnicksonline.org/
DIRECT LINK

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord,

As you know, the past several years have been a time of intense turmoil within the Episcopal Church. The events of General Convention 2006 have only confirmed that the Episcopal Church is deliberately moving away from the Apostle's teaching as found in Holy Scripture. Despite the relative strength of our own diocese, it is nevertheless the case that we remain part of a withered branch of Christ's Church that has turned its back on His saving Gospel and squandered its spiritual inheritance.

After much prayer and consideration of the information at hand, I have concluded that I cannot in good consience continue to bring others into the Episcopal Church, and this leaves me ill-equipped to lead our church family or serve our Bishop.

I do believe there is a future for the Anglican expression of the Christian faith. I see in the Global South a dynamic, Spirit-driven form of evangelical Anglicanism that holds great promise for North America. Accordingly, I have asked Bishop Stanton if he would be willing to transfer my letters dimissory to the Anglican Diocese of Argentina where Bishop Gregory Venables serves as teh ordinary. Bishop Stanton has kindly agreed to do this.

Of course, once the transfer is in effect, I cannot remain as rector of St. Nicholas, a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas. Therefore, I have tendered my resignation as rector of St. Nicholas effective midnight, November 30, 2006.

It would be beyond inadequate to say that this action grieves me. This diocese has been my spiritual home for forty-five years. I love this church family, and carry each of you in my heart. I have had the opportunity to work closely with Bishop Stanton, and I have great affection for him.

My departure is not a rejection of any of you. This is a personal decision Colleen and I have reached, precipitated on the conviction that we can better serve the Kingdom of God outside the Episcopal Church. Those who differ, and believe their vocation is to remain within the Episcopal Church, can be assured of my love and my prayers.

Please note: Colleen and I are not moving to Argentina. We are staying here to plant a new church that will be Anglican, but will be outside the Episcopal Church. If some of you want to know more about this venture that will begin December 1, I will be happy to discuss it with you. However, my primary focus during the month of November will be helping our church family prepare for the coming transition.

When the Bishp and I were making these arrangements, he asked who I would recommend serve as the interim rector, or priest-in-charge beginning December 1st. I told him I wanted those who remain at St. Nicholas to have the best, and I could thing of no one better qualified than Canon Neal Michell.

Postscript

I had a conversation the other day with a member of our church family. She and I are in complete agreement on the seriousness of the situation. We both agree we are on a ship that is in distress.

She told me that, right now, her calling is to stay on the ship in order to help get as many people as possible off before it goes down. I explained that I believe my calling is to help get the lifeboats ready for the people who are evacuating the ship. Both of these jobs are necessary. In fact they consitute a form of teamwork, and when the crisis is resolved I believe the entire team will be reunited, not only in spirit, but in fact.

With this in mind, in the coming weeks and months let us allow mercy and grace to guide all of our conversations and actions. As Christians, we are all citizens of one Kingdom. We all serve the same King. Whether in or outside of the Episcopal Church our vocation is the same: to bring others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the abundant life He offers.

Nothing else is worth of our time or our energy.
Rev. Henry Pendergrass

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[Albion Wilde]

This is so heart-wrenching. (((shakes head)))

[sionnsar]

It is... and yet it isn't. They're having to find new homes, as many of us laity have had to do, but our various ministries continue regardless.

And there is Anglican life outside of TEC, even in the United States.

[Ottofire]

In many ways this fight will strengthen your faith. Yes it might split the churches, but those that side with the homosexual agenda were not with you to begin with. Pruning those dead vines makes for a healthier church.

[PAR35]

The church in question is in Denton County, just north of DFW Airport, and probably about 25 miles west of the church in Plano that left. I would expect him to do his church planting in the same general area, as it would likely be a good area for such an endeavor. From the website, it appears that the church was started less than 10 years ago.

[Cheverus]

I saw the title and got excited that maybe he was becoming Catholic.

While I am always saddened to see someone forced to leave the Faith Tradition of they clearly love, as a Catholic I know what an asset these guys often our to the Catholic Church.

My one of my very favorite hymns is Anglican (Sing of Mary) so ask that you please for give my excitment at the prospect.

[sionnsar]

Pruning those dead vines makes for a healthier church.

In terms of the world-wide Anglican Communion, you are correct. To those of us in North America it feels more like pruning a dead trunk.