Posted on 01/14/2009 8:15:10 PM PST by hiho hiho
By David W. Virtue www.virtueonline.org 1/12/2009
In September 2008, Saddleback pastor and author Dr. Rick Warren wrote to VOL with a proposition. He would make his church available to any Anglican parish wanting to flee the Episcopal Church because of its non-biblical stand on faith and morals.
VOL was delighted to accept the challenge and wrote to Bishop John Guernsey of the Anglican Province of Uganda who oversees some 51 parishes in the U.S. and told him about the offer.
Bishop Guernsey wrote back saying he would notify a number of churches that might someday be in need of Saddleback's help.
This past week, St. James, Newport Beach, CA, followed up with Warren directly. The Rev. Richard Crocker, newly installed pastor of St. James, is a former Episcopal priest who transferred his ecclesiastical allegiance to the Nigerian Anglican Church (CANA) under Bishop Martyn Minns while he was the associate rector at Truro Church in Truro, Virginia.
Since his arrival in Newport Beach, he has been deep in litigation with the diocese following the sudden departure of the Rev. Praveen Bunyan who was forced to resign from the parish over allegations of "inappropriate conduct" toward a female parishioner. Crocker said the congregation has no immediate plans to move out of its Newport Beach facility and will continue litigating for the property.
When he became the pastor of St. James, Crocker transferred his ecclesiastical allegiance to the Ugandan branch of North American Anglicanism and came under Bishop John Guernsey.
Warren has been extremely supportive of orthodox Anglicans since having come into touch with them through his AIDS work in Rwanda.
In a letter last week to Tim Morgan of Christianity Today, he wrote: "... [The Episcopal Church has] already considered me an adversary after partnering on projects with Kolini, Orumbi, and Nzimbi, and writing the TIME bio on Akinola.
"But since last summer... I've been on Gene Robinson and other's attack list for my position on gay marriage. .... [Our] brothers and sisters here at St. James in Newport Beach lost their California State Supreme Court case to keep their property.
"We stand in solidarity with them, and with all orthodox, evangelical Anglicans. I offer the campus of Saddleback Church to any Anglican congregation who need a place to meet, or if you want to plant a new congregation in south Orange County."
While St. James parish is not giving up its court case and is planning on further legal action through the Superior Court of California, Dr. Warren has repeated his offer to VOL that he welcomes church planters to his campus to plant churches.
Warren has thrown his full support behind the emerging North American Anglican province (ACNA).
Pastor Warren's strong support of the Proposition 8 campaign to overturn the California Supreme Court decision permitting gay marriage was met with bitter antagonism from lesbian Episcopal priest Susan Russell. He has been blasted by New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson for his lack of homosexual "inclusion". Robinson says Warren "does not worship the same Jesus I worship."
The Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Bishop John Chane has written saying he was "profoundly disappointed" that Pastor Warren was chosen to give the invocation at the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama.
In November 2005, Warren spoke to some 2,000 Episcopalians at a "Hope and a Future" Conference in Pittsburgh, organized by Bishop Robert Duncan. He called for Episcopal leaders to return to their biblical and doctrinal roots, but said Anglican priests should be prepared to forfeit their properties rather than stay in an apostate denomination..
Is Rick Warren like a Wiccan now or what?
If Warren is the Saddleback pastor, does that make that gay bishop the Bareback pastor?
Uh, that is most definitely true.
ROTFLMAO!!! Good one!
I’m not keen on either of them (media whores).
Great—what options? Idol Obama-worship on the left versus acceptance of gay bishops on the....well, that’s on the left, too. Not much choice here.
brings this quote to mind..."Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"Matthew 7:23
Wouldn’t most Anglicans prefer to migrate to a Catholic Church since the Catholic Church is the closest to their liturgy?
I got the impression he was simply making the building available to congregations displaced after leaving the Episcopal Church (which in some cases can legally keep their church buildings), giving them a place to keep worshiping independently as parishes.
Besides, most conservative Episcopalians are fairly Protestant, both culturally and theologically, and would probably choose a more traditional Protestant denomination such as the Presbyterian Church over the Catholic Church if they did switch.
Former Anglican Bishop, Catholic Convert, Jeffrey Steenson on Anglocatholicism [Ecumenical]
Jeffrey Steenson: Why I Became Catholic [Address to Anglican Use Conference]
Ping
Most of the remaining traditional Episcpalians/Anglicans want to stay Episcopalian/Anglican. They believe they constitute the true Episcopal/Anglican church as opposed to ot the one taken over by the Robinson crowd.
In Northern Virginia, several Episcopal parishes separated from the Episcopal Church and its Richmond Diocese. They joined the “Convocation of Anglicans in North America,(CANA)” which is affiliated with the Anglican Church of Nigeria. The local parishes remain part of the Anglican Communion, not the Episcopal Church in the USA.
It’s been a fascinating drama. The local parishes were sued by the Diocese, then the national church, in an attempt to keep their valuable real property. (souls be damned) Because of laws peculiar to VA, so far the local parishes have prevailed in court.
Parishes in other states that join with the Anglican Church of Nigeria may not be able to keep their property. Thus, in CA, they would need a home until they can rebuild.
The Catholic Church is close to the Anglican Church in terms of liturgy (so is the Lutheran Church) and Catholics have a lot in common with faithful Anglicans on issues such as abortion, homosexuality, racism, etc. However, there are significant theological differences, specifically in the areas of Mariology, the Papacy and Clerical Celibacy. There is also the Apostolic Succession dispute. These issues are not beyond resolution, unfortunately the dialogues concerning those resolutions has been interupted by the “current unpleasantness” brought on by ECUSA.
“Wouldn’t most Anglicans prefer to migrate to a Catholic Church since the Catholic Church is the closest to their liturgy?”
That’s exactly what I did three and a half years ago. It took about ten months to become a full communicant in the Catholic Chuch but the process was well worth it. I couldn’t be happier.
That’s certainly the case for high churchers, though I think low churchers would find classically Protestant organizations more to their taste.
I’m wondering less about liturgy than governance...how can an Anglican parish be subsumed under a church without an ordained bishop?? That makes no sense and totally eviscerates the concept of orders which has been present in Anglicanism since day one.
LOL
If the quotes attributed to Rick Warren are correct, he may finally be realizing that a culture war is in effect in this country.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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Humor: The Anglican Blue
Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15
Rick Warren Reaches Out to Gene Robinson
Today, Warren issued a statement praising Obama for selecting Robinson, saying the president-elect "has again demonstrated his genuine commitment to bringing all Americans of goodwill together in search of common ground. I applaud his desire to be the president of every citizen."
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