Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Big BUMP! That's my church!
December 8, 2006
Dear Ones,
You may have received, or may soon receive, a letter from Bishop Lee urging you to vote against the resolution for Church of the Apostles to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church. We welcome Bishop Lee expressing his opinion to you in this matter. It is, and should be, of great importance to him.
In his Pastoral Address at the 2004 Annual Diocesan Council--and in the context of the actions of General Convention the previous summer--Bishop Lee summed up his position in this way: "If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy." In a wry comment on the Bishop's remark, Fr. John Neuhaus wrote: "[W]e are never in a position of having to make that choice, since heresy is by definition schismatic. Choosing heresy in order to avoid schism is a guaranteed formula for ending up with both." The bishop may have been sincere; but we believe that he was then, and is now, sincerely wrong. This is not a conviction we hold alone. It is shared by the vast majority of our Anglican family around the world, for whom positions such as Bishop Lee's, however plausible their may sound, have led them to declare impaired or broken communion with this part of the worldwide church.
The people of Church of the Apostles have carefully studied, prayed, and deliberated about these matters for years. We have just completed a dedicated session of prayer, repentance, and the study of God's Word, for all the purpose of discerning His will for the future of our relationship with The Episcopal Church. Most of us participated in the discernment small groups that were so vital in forging clarity and unity in our congregation. And, in that same clarity and unity, our Vestry unanimously voted to sever our denominational ties to TEC in order to "preserve our witness as faithful followers of Jesus Christ." (1)
We hear what Bishop Lee is saying in his recent letters; and precisely because we hear it clearly, we and your Vestry stand resolutely by our unanimous vote. We urge you to stand with us and vote YES on both resolutions (2) on the ballot before our congregation: 1) to separate from The Episcopal Church, and 2) keep our property with our congregation.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
In Christ Jesus,
David Harper, Rector
David K. Allison, Senior Warden
Mark Robbins, Junior Warden
(1) From the November 28, 2006, Vestry Resolution
(2) Congregational Vote: Dec. 9-17, 2006
. . .
Some responses from Forty Days of Discernment small groups, as mentioned in the 09 Dec. 2006 sermon (Prepare the Way of the Lord! by David Harper):
"Our only choice is to obey God, to follow him at any price, at any consequence.
We should be obedient and faithful to the word of God, even if there are severe consequences."
We need to get back to our evangelical calling and stop the introspection. One was asking, 'Where are the converts? We have given up Alpha and other things. Why?'"
(Note: Alpha will be coming back after the New Year.)