Posted on 02/12/2007 7:48:16 AM PST by SmithL
The crowd rose for a standing ovation.
Nowhere in the nation would those three words be more controversial than in the Central Valley. Churches in the 14 counties covered by the Diocese of San Joaquin voted overwhelmingly in December to strip the diocese's constitution of all references to the word "Episcopal" as a rejoinder to the national church's stance that gay people can be ordained as clergy.
St. John's is one of only three churches among 48 in the diocese likely to remain with the Episcopal church.
Controversy over whether gay people can join the clergy is dividing the 77 million-member Anglican Communion, the global body of churches that traces its roots to the Church of England, and beginning to tear at other denominations. A second vote this year would confirm the Central Valley diocese's decision to leave and prepare it to be the first in the nation to secede from the Episcopal Church, the American branch of the Anglican Communion. It hopes to be put under the leadership of an Anglican province abroad, possibly in Africa.
The service Anderson led Saturday -- which she, the national church's top-ranking elected lay person, flew cross-country to lead -- offered a unique and historic glimmer of what it would mean if dissenters and supporters of the Episcopal Church in the United States all worshiped together.
"We are the followers of Jesus, gathered," Anderson said in a sermon on the idea that the work of Jesus -- and the unity of the church -- lies in social action.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
FYI
Forget about coming to seek and to save what is lost.
There is an Episcopal church with hundreds of congregants??? Wow!
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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
Probably most were ringers.
I would like to see the Average Sunday Attendance figures for St. John the Baptist, Lodi.
Dedication to social action interferes with the prime directive to be missionaries to those in darkness. As Jesus said - The Poor will always be with us...
I'm surprised too. Here in VA, there have been reports that the "faithful Episcopalians" from TFC "worshiping" separately include a lot of locals, not necessarily TFC members or even Episcopalians, showing up. I bet that TEC is inflating the numbers.
I will add, this is a tricky subject since Christians are to "do justice". "Seeking and saving the lost" may entail becoming involved in social causes. Some of the founding Protestants felt it was a Christian's responsibility to become involve. I don't think it's all black and white.
Not only is St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church not Episcopal anymore, it's not Baptist either!
(Still not as bad as the St. John the Baptist African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church)
Mine has thousands, of course we have left and are now being sued by the "real" Episcopalians...........
We are also commanded to feed the hungry, heal the sick, clothe the naked, etc. So it is right for us to do so. The problem is when people think that this is ALL we are here for.
I have faced this in our parish. Our new pastor has correctly called us on this and said that we need to get engaged in mission. My point on this is that we should get engaged in mission, but we should not forget that this is a means to an end, not an end in itself. The true end is the Great Commission.
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