Posted on 12/04/2006 4:41:13 PM PST by sionnsar
Two of the country's largest and most historic Episcopal congregations -- both in Fairfax County -- will vote next week on whether to leave the U.S. church on ideological grounds and affiliate instead with a controversial Nigerian archbishop. The decision could lead to a bitter court battle and the loss of $25 million in property.
Many members of The Falls Church and Truro Church, as well as some conservative leaders around the country, hope a split will establish a legal structure that would make it easier for dozens more like-minded congregations to also depart the national denomination.
Some conservatives in the Episcopal Church, the U.S. wing of the worldwide Anglican Communion, believe the church abandoned Scripture by installing a gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003, among other things. Those feelings of alienation were strengthened when Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori -- who supports the New Hampshire bishop -- was elected this summer to lead the national church.
Three other churches in the 193-congregation Virginia diocese -- the nation's largest -- are also voting this month. And Saturday, the Associated Press reported that leaders of the San Joaquin, Calif., diocese voted to affirm their membership within the Anglican Communion, a slap to the U.S. church that some see as a first step toward a later vote to separate. That would be the first entire diocese to leave the mother church.
Although some orthodox congregations have been leaving since 2003 -- as some did in the 1970s, when ordinations of women began -- advocates think they are getting closer to creating a new, U.S.-based umbrella organization that would essentially compete with the Episcopal Church. And the two Fairfax churches are on the vanguard of the movement, which could lead to massive changes in the 226-year-old denomination, years of painful litigation or ...
(Excerpt) Read more at virtueonline.org ...
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. It's kind of surprising that the two churches are in Fairfax, which is by far the most leftist part of Virginia.
You clearly haven't heard of Arlington, Alexandria, Charlottesville, Petersburg, Richmond City...
Actually, The Falls Church is in the city of Falls Church, not Fairfax County. And Falls Church city even further to the left of Fairfax County.
You're right, I should have included Arlington and Alexandria with Fairfax. Richmond City is predominantly black and probably not heavily Episcopalian, whereas Henrico County is quite conservative. Petersburg is about the same as Richmond. Charlottesville is pretty liberal, but surrounding area of isn't.
I believe it is the handiwork of Bishop John Howe, now of Central Florida.
of course, Howe was Rector at Truro for years
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