VA: Statement from Bishop Lee on The Falls Church, Truro vote to leave TEC

The Diocese of Virginia ^ | 12/17/2006 | Rt. Rev. Peter Lee

[rabscuttle385]

December 17, 2006

A Statement from the Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia

Today a small number of congregations in the Diocese of Virginia announced that they have voted to separate from the Episcopal Church and affiliate with the Church of Nigeria and Bishop Akinola. I am saddened by this development.

The leadership of the Diocese of Virginia has labored for three years to seek another course that would have maintained the integrity of the church and the spirit of inclusiveness that has been a hallmark of the Diocese and the Anglican Communion. The votes today have compromised these discussions and have created Nigerian congregations occupying Episcopal churches. This is not the future of the Episcopal Church envisioned by our forebears.

I have called a special joint meeting Monday of the Executive Board and Standing Committee of the Diocese, with counsel, to consider the full range of pastoral, canonical and legal obligations of the Church and our responsibilities to those faithful Episcopalians in these congregations who do not choose to associate with the Church of Nigeria.

In the interim I have asked the leadership of these now Nigerian and Ugandan congregations occupying Episcopal churches to keep the spiritual needs of all concerned uppermost in their minds at this difficult moment in our Church history, especially continuing Episcopalians. I also have directed diocesan personnel to work with the leadership of the departing congregations and with those who wish to remain in the Episcopal Church to reach agreements for the shared use of the Church property for the purposes of worship and other needs until final disposition of the Church's property can be settled.

I want to be clear on this point: Our polity maintains that all real and personal property is held in trust for The Episcopal Church and the Diocese. As stewards of this historic trust, we fully intend to assert the Church's canonical and legal rights over these properties.

Today is indeed a sad day for the Church and for many in the Church. It is also a day of abundant hope that in our 400 years as Virginia's oldest Christian community, the Episcopal Church in Virginia will continue to serve Christ faithfully by serving his people.

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[Theophane]

I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, * than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
Psalm 84:11

[beelzepug]

"This is not the future of the Episcopal Church envisioned by our forebears."

Neither did they envision that future to be one of gay marriage, gay bishops, female bishops, and pluriform (love that word--thanks, Frank) ways of getting to Heaven.

[TruthNtegrity]

You and I are both members of Apostles, but I couldn't vote because I am a dual-resident and am currently residing in FL.

Do you know what percentage of congregants at Apostles voted to leave? I would think the percentage would be higher than at Truro, since it seems to me so many have left Apostles who weren't happy with the decisions of the TEC over the past 5 years. I kept watching friends who had come over with me from Truro disappear - off to some nondenominational church but one faithful to Scripture.

Also the article doesn't mention the snippy letter Bp. Lee wrote to the Churches in early December, exerting his authority and certainly sounding less conciliatory than he has for the past 3 years. In fact, I read the letter written by The Rev. David Harper and it gave me the impression that Bp Lee was acting all high and mighty in the face of the coming votes to leave.

[rabscuttle385]

The vote was 97% to depart from The Diocese of Virginia and 98% to retain parish property.

From my understanding, Bishop Lee was very much willing to work with the dissenting parishes until recently. The Diocese worked out an "amicable divorce" with All Saints in Dale City, although the incidents with Phil Ashey of South Riding Church (he came from Apostles originally) and Christ Our Lord in Lake Ridge were...troubling. I know the pastor at Christ Our Lord and everything the Diocese said publicly was flat out wrong.

I believe the recent change in attitude is largely due to the fact that Bishop Lee is caught between a rock and a hard place...between the conservatives that were basically funding the Diocese and the new Presiding Bishop. To lose The Falls Church and Truro...is devastating for the Diocese and for the national church.