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Lodi church rejects Episcopal schism
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/12/7 | Matthai Chakko Kuruvila

Posted on 02/12/2007 7:48:16 AM PST by SmithL

Issue of whether gays can join the clergy splitting the world Anglican Communion -

Before hundreds of congregants at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Lodi, Bonnie Anderson said her name and three words: "I'm an Episcopalian."

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 ...


TOPICS: Mainline Protestant; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: episcopal

1 posted on 02/12/2007 7:48:18 AM PST by SmithL
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To: sionnsar

FYI


2 posted on 02/12/2007 8:05:42 AM PST by SmithL (si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: SmithL
the work of Jesus -- and the unity of the church -- lies in social action.

Forget about coming to seek and to save what is lost.

3 posted on 02/12/2007 10:03:45 AM PST by HarleyD
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To: SmithL
Before hundreds of congregants at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church . . .

There is an Episcopal church with hundreds of congregants??? Wow!

4 posted on 02/12/2007 12:36:40 PM PST by madprof98 ("moritur et ridet" - salvianus)
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To: ahadams2; Way4Him; Peach; Zippo44; piperpilot; ex-Texan; ableLight; rogue yam; neodad; Tribemike; ..
Thanks to SmithL for the ping.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this moderately high-volume ping list (typically 3-9 pings/day).
This list is pinged by sionnsar, Huber and newheart.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com
More Anglican articles here.

Humor: The Anglican Blue (by Huber)

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

5 posted on 02/12/2007 2:44:56 PM PST by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com†|Iran Azadi| 5yst3m 0wn3d - it's N0t Y0ur5 (SONY) | UN: Useless Nations)
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To: madprof98
Notice they didn't say parishioners.

Probably most were ringers.

I would like to see the Average Sunday Attendance figures for St. John the Baptist, Lodi.

6 posted on 02/12/2007 2:53:45 PM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: HarleyD
But did Jesus direct everyone to go and spread the word??? Isn't that the great commission - to spread the words of Christ to all corners of the globe?

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...

7 posted on 02/12/2007 3:11:27 PM PST by x_plus_one (As long as we pretend to not be fighting Iran in Iraq, we can't pretend to win the war.)
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To: madprof98

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.


8 posted on 02/12/2007 3:45:03 PM PST by rabscuttle385 (Sic Semper Tyrannis * Allen for U.S. Senate in '08)
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To: x_plus_one
The Great Commission is to seek and save the lost. It isn't to rally for social causes.

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.

9 posted on 02/12/2007 4:19:59 PM PST by HarleyD
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To: SmithL

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)


10 posted on 02/13/2007 2:21:06 AM PST by dangus
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To: madprof98

Mine has thousands, of course we have left and are now being sued by the "real" Episcopalians...........


11 posted on 02/13/2007 6:04:17 AM PST by Bainbridge
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To: HarleyD
Forget about coming to seek and to save what is lost.

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.

12 posted on 02/13/2007 7:04:10 AM PST by RonF
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