Posted on 02/06/2007 6:07:07 PM PST by sionnsar
ATTLEBORO, MA: Ousted from church, Anglicans celebrate
BY GLORIA LaBOUNTY
SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
http://tinyurl.com/228rtc
February 4, 2007
NORTH ATTLEBORO - Last Sunday the members of the newly-formed All Saints Anglican parish emotionally left behind their church on North Main Street after separating from the Episcopal Church.
This Sunday they celebrated in their new but temporary home at Fisher College in neighboring North Attleboro, where they will worship and minister until they can find a permanent location.
The gathering of about 100 people at the 9 a.m. service sang and prayed with gusto as their priest, the Rev. Lance Giuffrida, led them through an upbeat program that featured Bishop Jackton Lugumira of Tanzania as a special guest.
About 30 others had attended an earlier service, and more were expected at the later worship gathering at 11 a.m.
"No matter where we go, we serve Him, we worship Him," Giuffrida told a group of children he gathered around him during the service. "Wherever we are, we are the church," he said, and the congregation applauded.
This was the first service for the separated parish that left the national Episcopal Church and was then ordered in January to leave the parish property on North Main Street in Attleboro, which is now being revived as an Episcopal parish.
Lugumira, who had been scheduled to visit All Saints Sunday long before the parish knew it would have to relocate, ended up being symbolic of the new ties All Saints has made with Anglicans in other countries, especially Africa, whose bishops have offered their support to separated Anglicans in this country.
After deciding to leave the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church months ago, All Saints Anglican aligned with the conservative Anglican Mission in America under the province of Rwanda and its bishop.
A key issue for the separated parishes is the belief in Scripture as the liberal, authoritative word of God, as opposed to the view of a majority in the Episcopal Church in the U.S. who take a more interpretative approach to the Bible and combine it with tradition and reason in determining church teachings.
"Be strengthened. Be able to stand for the Gospel," Lugumira told the All Saints Anglican congregation. "Today is a great day," he said. "It is the first time you are worshiping in this church."
Referring to their difficult departure from the Attleboro church a week before, Lugumira said other congregations have gone through similar painful moves because "those who owned the place no longer believed in the true Bible."
But he said God was putting them to a test, and this would not be the last one. As with any trial in life, he said, "it shows we are firm in what we believe."
"This makes you strong. It grounds you in faith," he said.
While others may read the Bible as a story book, a history book or a novel, the Bible, he said, is "the fundamental book we have in teaching us the Christian way of life."
"What the Bible says is final," he said. "You can't go against it."
Lugumira urged the congregation to not lose heart, despite the difficulties it is facing.
"People are struggling with what to believe, what to do, who to join, what group to associate with," Lugumira said. "They should associate with the Bible. The Bible is the fundamental rule."
*****
'New beginning' at divided city church
BY GLORIA LaBOUNTY
SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
February 4, 2007
ATTLEBORO - The new sign outside All Saints Episcopal says that all are welcome, and inside the church Sunday, it was a welcoming home for many who had been going to services elsewhere.
People were hugging and saying hello as they entered the North Main Street church for the first service since the departure last week of the Anglican congregation that had recently been there.
"People are so excited to be coming back," said long-time parishioner Jane Merkle as she greeted people at the door and handed out programs. "Some are people I haven't seen in a long time. They are all excited, and joyful."
About 150 people nearly packed the pews for a service celebrated by the Rev. William Underhill, a retired priest who had been assisting at a parish in Hingham and who will now serve as the interim priest at All Saints until a permanent rector is hired.
"This is the first day of a new beginning," Underhill told the gathering. Retired Bishop Barbara Harris also attended the service along with the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, staff officer for urban ministry development for the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.
Jacobs said it was a day to "celebrate the return, rebirth, re-creation, resurrection of what we have all come to know and love as All Saints Episcopal."
He offered greetings on behalf of Bishop Thomas Shaw and the other 192 parishes in the diocese, which covers the eastern part of the state.
"They are praying for you this morning, and rejoicing that you are returning to this place," Jacobs said.
He also noted later that some of the people at Sunday's service were not former or current members of All Saints and had instead come from other parts of the diocese as a show of support for the parish.
The hope now is to revive the congregation as an Episcopal parish. The Rev. Lance Giuffrida and the congregation that had been at All Saints church had broken ties months ago with the liberal-leaning Episcopal Church, which is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Giuffrida's congregation aligned with other orthodox Anglican groups, and in January, Shaw ordered them to leave the parish property, saying their actions constituted an abandonment with the Anglican Communion.
Similar divisions are happening across the country over theological issues, especially the interpretation of Scripture and how that applies to the church's views on homosexuality.
During his sermon at All Saints on Sunday, Underhill told parishioners that he preaches from the Bible, which is the source of faith but which is used along with tradition and reason as the three authorities in the church.
While he acknowledged that what had been happening at All Saints was distressful and painful, he reminded parishioners that they were not alone, and that both God and the diocese were supporting them.
"God is with us," Underhill said. "He has given us the mission to re-establish the congregation and the parish."
But he said to rebuild, "we need people," and following the service, he and Jacobs held a reception, then met with more than 40 parishioners who were willing to volunteer for committees and ministries as part of the parish's reorganization.
Jacobs said the diocese would continue to assist the parish, but the goal is to make the parish self-sustaining, and members would have to pledge both time and financial support. The financial status of the parish is uncertain, he said, because some of the parish records are incomplete.
Late last week, Jacobs announced that the diocese had ordered an audit of the parish finances, and had asked the departed congregation to provide missing bank statements and records. Giuffrida and the Anglican congregation have put the financial issues in the hands of their attorney.
Jacobs told returning parishioners Sunday to leave the financial worries to the diocese and the church vestry, the parish's governing board, and to instead turn their attention to rebuilding the congregation and inviting others to join.
"Reach out to those who used to come here, and those who never came here," he said.
As she was leaving the service, long-time parishioner Ruth Gower of Attleboro said she had been attending All Saints occasionally while Giuffrida was there, "even though my heart was not here," and was now back to stay.
While she respects the right of Giuffrida and his congregation to think and believe differently, "this is the church I believe in," Gower said.
Nate and Sue Adams of Attleboro said they had been attending All Saints for several years but stopped going there 16 months ago.
"It's nice to be home again," Nate Adams said.
Part of the reason he left, he said, is that Giuffrida's congregation had changed directions, and had alienated some people, including gays and lesbians who were made to feel uncomfortable there.
Several others cited the exclusion of gays as a reason for their discontent with the Anglican group.
Karen Petrucci of Attleboro, who got married at All Saints, said she and her husband left three years ago because of the direction of the congregation.
"Certain individuals were not welcome," she said.
Now the couple plans to return and to stay.
"It feels like coming home," she said.
Nancy Leper of Attleboro said she has been a member of All Saints nearly all her life, and was very active in the parish, but stopped attending services there in recent years because of what Giuffrida was preaching.
"He has these people mesmerized," she said of the Anglican congregation.
Leper said her sister is gay, and would not have been welcomed at All Saints during Giuffrida's tenure.
"I could not find it in my heart to continue when Lance came here," she said.
Raymond Brousseau of Attleboro said he has been at All Saints for 40 years and was senior warden when Giuffrida was hired. The split of the parish was very hurtful, he said, and his sons chose to go with Giuffrida's congregation, while he chose to stay.
"This church and this place have always been home to me," Brousseau said. "It's a family."
END
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. All it takes is 150 people to "nearly pack" this church?
150 people would be more than my little church could hold. But interesting that 150 people would "nearly pack" when it appears they just lost about 100.
Hm. Doesn't it go somewhere a bit further back than Luther, or is he being held responsible for the catholic--orthodox division too?
You can't thank Luther for this one. Thank the New World feminazi heretic Katharine Jefferts-Schori and "Selfish Gene" Robertson.
I wonder how many are prospects and how many are on 'loan' from other parishes to make a good show for the media. More interesting will be the count in mid - April.
Good point.
While TEC navel gazes, Christianity is outlawed by fiat due to hate speech laws. Will no one speak out and influlence congress to not pass anti-Christian legislation?
That answers your question. The revisionists ALWAYS bring in ringers from outside the parish in a situation like this!
I also wonder about their statements that gaysbians were not "welcome" under the orthodox rector. I doubt that there were bouncers at the door, or that the bulletin or sermons said "no gaysbians allowed". The REAL issue is that the rector and others probably said that the "consecration" of "Selfish Gene" Robinson was illegitimate, and that the Bible says that homosexual behavior is a sin. They also probably refused to go along with using "inclusive language", or otherwise holding "gay friendly" services. Or to sing that booby-trap of a hymn, "All Are Welcome".
My interpretation of "not welcome" matches yours.
When I serve as Assisting Minister in my ELCA Lutheran parish, and I make those "infamous" pro-Serbian prayers, I probably scare off the "gays"-and-lesbians, too!
And I do it without mentioning the "gay" subject at all.
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