Posted on 07/05/2005 8:53:15 AM PDT by sionnsar
Another Episcopal congregation leaves ECUSA.
News Release
Elizabethtown Congregation Leaves Episcopal Church
More than 100 former members of Christ Church, Elizabethtown, KY are leaving the Episcopal Church to form a new Anglican parish. The new congregation, Holy Apostles, will begin worshipping at the Gallery of the State Theater in downtown Elizabethtown. Their first service will be celebrated July 10th at 10:00 a.m.
According to the Reverend Kent Litchfield, pastor of the new church, the recent practices and teaching of the Episcopal Church are in violation of scripture and go against the tradition, faith and order of Anglicanism and Christianity. "The Episcopal Church has acquiesced to the pressures of cultural relativism and secular modernism instead of standing as the moral beacon to a society that appears to have abandoned the principles that have stood the test of time," said Father Litchfield. "We hope to regain that moral compass and be a positive voice in the community."
During its general convention in 2003, the Episcopal Church voted to approve a non-celibate homosexual man to become bishop and approved the development of rites to bless same-sex unions. The worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is part, has repeatedly rejected these actions at various councils prior to and since 2003.
Last month, the Anglican Consultative Council ratified a motion that effectively gives the American Episcopal and Canadian Anglican churches no representation in worldwide Anglican church councils until all Anglican bishops meet in 2008. This "cooling off" period allows the churches time to reconsider their actions and determine whether they wish to remain a part of the Anglican Communion.
The new Elizabethtown congregation is stepping out in order to better proclaim biblical truth to the community and their own children. "Christian education extends beyond familiar biblical stories," said Alexandria Wilson, a member of the new congregation. "It is the cornerstone of our faith and the love of Christ. These biblical principles equip us to live out our beliefs daily in our community and the secular world. It does our children no good to see their denomination act with disregard to the truths we teach them from the Bible."
The Rev. Litchfield recently retired from the Episcopal Church and served as rector of Christ Church for the past 17 years. His new congregation, Holy Apostles, will be affiliated with the Anglican Communion Network and is under the direct supervision and support of the Right Reverend Frank Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia.
Two other new Anglican churches in Kentucky, St. Andrew’s in Versailles and Apostles in Lexington, are under the supervision of Ugandan bishops. A third church, St. Patrick’s Anglican in Lexington, is part of the Anglican Mission in America which has several American bishops who serve under the authority of the Anglican archbishops of Rwanda and Southeast Asia.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Sad to see this slow bleeding. How many others are on the brink, I wonder?
Sad, yes, but we didn't cuse it..BTW..anyone know what % of the parish this 100+ represents...I'd wager well over 50%, and most likely the most active,and the ones who give the most..
The schism is underway, IMHO.
I know that for now, my parish stands firm against the mysterious actions of Griswold and his henchmen. We might have one or two in our parish that would support someone like Vickie Gene, but that's all.
The only way a non-celibate homosexual priest could come into our parish is if he were totally in the closet. I do not know what actions we could take to remove him if that happened, but unless that could be done immediately if not sooner, I'd bail in a heartbeat.
To my dear friend Kent and to the faithful of Holy Apostles:
God grant you grace as you face the great adventure before you. You will be blessed beyond imagination! I would be with you this Sunday, but I am teaching an adult class at St. Andrew's in Versailles at the very hour when you will gather for worship. We will begin our class with a prayer especially for you.
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