Posted on 12/10/2006 5:13:12 PM PST by sionnsar
Holy Family Church in northeast Fresno and two other parishes will remain with the Episcopal Church USA, despite a recent vote by the Valley’s Episcopal diocese to start breaking away from the national church.
It’s a schism within a schism for the Diocese of San Joaquin, based in Fresno. Holy Family, St. Anne’s Church in Stockton and St. John the Baptist Church in Lodi have taken official positions not to split.
The Rev. Van McCalister, spokesman for the diocese, did not return telephone calls from The Bee.
The Diocese of San Joaquin, made up of about 50 churches in 10 counties, is the only diocese in the country to vote to separate from the American Episcopal Church. The division is primarily over interpretation of the Bible and views on the ordination of homosexuals.
In 2003, V. Gene Robinson was elected in New Hampshire as the church’s first openly gay bishop. Bishop John-David Schofield of the Diocese of San Joaquin said earlier this month that the practice of homosexuality was unacceptable to God and “an abomination” to Scripture.
Across the country, the 2.2 million-member denomination is struggling to remain unified. In Virginia, two of the state’s biggest Episcopal churches — with roots dating to colonial times — are expected to vote next week to sever ties with the denomination.
The Episcopal Church is the United States branch of the 77million-member world Anglican Communion. The Diocese of San Joaquin and the churches in Virginia want to break with Episcopal Church USA and align only with the Anglican Communion, which opposes the American church’s position on same-sex marriage and gay clergy.
“It’s sad and it’s unfortunate that it has to be this way,” said Robert Maldonado, chairman of the philosophy department at California State University, Fresno.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. It's not even about interpretation of the bible--as if the revisionists' twistings of text were actual interpretation--its about scripture's authority, and our obedience.
It's fascinating to me that the original protestants broke away (or were thrown out) over the dual authority claimed by the church--of curia AND the bible.
Once again the curia in ECUSA, and other mainlines, are competing with (and really trumping) the authority of God's word, making up "truth" as they go along...
More and more I believe we are in the midst of a new Reformation.
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