Posted on 12/10/2006 5:26:44 PM PST by sionnsar
The controversy in the Episcopal Church that started three years ago with a gay bishop's consecration reached a breaking point last weekend when the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin voted to realign itself with Anglicanism, the parent church of Episcopalianism.
This is an unprecedented move that might not stand up in court, experts say, but could lead to an even bigger split in the church.
The diocese, which is based in Fresno and stretches from Lodi to Bakersfield and the Nevada border, is one of the most conservative in the country. It does not ordain female priests, as most Episcopal groups do. A New Hampshire diocese's consecration of a gay bishop in 2003 started talks in the San Joaquin Diocese about returning to Episcopalianism's Anglican roots.
"It was a symptom of disregard to 2,000 years of Scripture," diocese spokesman Van McCalister said.
Not all the region's churches are on board. The Episcopal Church of St. Anne in Stockton and the Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Lodi might look to join a different diocese if the diocese's decision is cemented at a second vote at its annual convention next fall.
"If the diocese is now clearly stating where it's going, we can stay clearly Episcopal," said the Rev. Mark Hall of St. Anne's. "We can take the Bible seriously but not literally, we can ordain women and we can assert ourselves as democratic. It frees us up to be the face of the Episcopal Church here."
Both Hall and the Rev. Richard Matters of St. John's in Lodi said they will seek oversight from another diocese if the Diocese of San Joaquin makes a final decision to split.
The split might reflect a larger one. After the controversy over gay clergy, the Anglican Communion, an England-based body that represents the Church of England and other Anglican and Episcopal churches around the world, wrote a document called the Windsor Report. It asked the U.S. church to revert to more conservative views. In response, the Episcopal national convention did not declare a moratorium on gay bishops at its meeting this summer, although no gay bishop has been consecrated since New Hampshire.
The Rev. Dan Martins of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist in Stockton said one of his reasons for voting for the Anglican reidentification proposed by San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield was that he feared the Episcopal Church sooner or later would be shunned by the Anglican Communion.
"The Episcopal Church will no longer be the American expression of Anglicanism," Martins said.
Historically, this is how religious splits take place: A group within a church gets so far from the church that it is recognized as its own belief system.
"New denominations tend to be a response to strains within the old denominations," said Clella Jaffe, a professor at George Fox University in Oregon who has written about the controversy in the Episcopal Church.
Like Catholicism, Anglicanism is a hierarchical religion where a national church makes decisions that affect smaller church cells. American Episcopalians, however, have been drifting away from this model, according to University of the Pacific Religious and Classical Studies Department chairman George Randels.
"There are some difficulties with the Anglican community already, and they (the Episcopal Church) might be put in a position where they have to stand on their own," he said. "The Episcopal Church is being very American.
"If you look at other American denominations, like Methodists, they're very decentralized," Randels added. "The higher-ups can't direct policy to the local congregations."
According to the national church, the diocese's attempted split is not legal, because the diocese is an inseparable part of the Episcopal Church. Because the Episcopal Church is, in turn, the U.S. arm of Anglicanism, a U.S. diocese can't be Anglican without being Episcopalian.
"Dioceses and congregations don't leave. People do," said Jan Nunley, a representative of the national church. "We've had bishops say, 'I resign,' but we've never had one say, 'I resign my responsibility to the Episcopal Church, but I'm not leaving.' "
Diocesan property also might be an issue if Schofield wants to take his Fresno buildings with him.
"Traditionally in California, the courts frown upon taking property outside of the church," said Michael Glass, a San Rafael attorney whom Matters of the Lodi church has consulted. "The courts will not look kindly upon what happened. They're going to respect the church's rules about the property."
Anglican leaders will meet in Africa in February discuss the possibility of alternative Anglican oversight for the San Joaquin Diocese and others like it.
Meanwhile, individual Episcopalians are caught between history and tolerance as their church figures out its path.
Ted Yumoto, 59, a retired teacher and a member of St. John's in Stockton, said he feels a strong connection with the history of Anglicanism in the United States.
"Anglicanism is the hook for me," he said. "The Episcopal Church has drifted from its spiritual roots. They've caused their own grief, and now the conservatives have drawn together."
But for Andee Zetterbaum, 54, a software developer and member of St. John's in Lodi, the main attraction of the faith she joined 20 years ago was its acceptance of alternative views and new ideas.
"I cannot imagine why people would choose to exclude people who don't believe like them from their church," she said. "Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love one another."
Contact reporter Anna Kaplan at (209) 546-8294 or akaplan@recordnet.com
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Anyone who believes this controversy is just 3 years old has a very shallow understanding of what is going on--and the fact that this struggle is generations old.
The very title ("Rift over sexuality, gender could split Episcopal Church") shows this reporter to be biased, and ignorant (willfully or not...) that this issue is the authority of scripture, not sex.
The fact Ms. Kaplan ends the article with a quote about exclusion and the love of Jesus betrays her serious bias.
But anyway, that's not why I'm posting. Here's what got me percolating:
>"Dioceses and congregations don't leave. People do," said Jan Nunley, a representative of the national church. "We've had bishops say, 'I resign,' but we've never had one say, 'I resign my responsibility to the Episcopal Church, but I'm not leaving.' "Oh yes we have, honey! The names Pike and Spong leap to mind -- and the geniuses who ordained the Philadelphia eleven. Those people renounced their reponsibility to the Episcopal Church. it's just that in those cases TEC said, "Hey, no problem! Don't go away mad. Don't go away at all!"
Ms Kaplan sounds like someone who has more experience writing about communists than christians.
FYI, Jan Nunley is a priestess dyke.
I wonder what impact the San Joaquin move will have upon the Continuing Anglican movement in the long run.
I just want to know what is the difference? I was hoping that a web site could cover the differences in a concise manner. Any help out there.
thanks.
I just want to know what is the difference? I was hoping that a web site could cover the differences in a concise manner. Any help out there.
thanks.
Assume the diocese votes to leave, but a few churches within want to stay in TEC and affiliate with another diocese. So, I expect the DSJ to say, "go with God, and you may take your property with you." Sets a precedent of a sort, eh?
In theory, Episcopalians/Anglicans have more in common with Roman Catholics than we do with the other denominations. We believe in the Apostolic succession and are very attached to tradition.
In practice, however, things are more than a little different. But seriously, there is a lot of movement between the 2 denominations that you don't necessarily see with the others you mention.
thank you
Why does the devil need a church building? He can operate just as well without one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.