Posted on 05/01/2006 6:32:08 PM PDT by sionnsar
This is from Titusonenine. It is in response to a post found here.
By the way, the number of parishes that have left Florida is higher.
Florida Seven
High Springs
Advent Tallahassee (now Holy Cross Anglican)
St. John's Tallahassee (now St. Peter's Anglican) Church of the Holy Spirit (now Living Word)
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The sad thing is that Bishop John Howard professes to be an orthodox Episcopalian and it was on that basis that we elected him to the episcopate. Since becoming bishop he seems to have done everything not to befriend the very people he is supposed to identify with theologically and who were in large part responsible for his election in the first place. Many of us have felt betrayed and left wondering what is going to happen to our once thriving and growing diocese which was biblically grounded and committed to the Great Commission.
It is not only the nine parishes that have already left that should be of concern to Florida Episcopalians, to Bishop Howard, the next Presiding Bishop of ECUSA, and to readers of titusonenine. It is very likely, to correct the impression left by the Times Union article, that the further exodus after General Convention this year won’t only be some significant numbers of individuals but several more parishes as well. Many of us who are orthodox Episcopalians and our congregations are merely waiting to see what happens in Columbus and if the Episcopal Church and its leadership do not repent of their errors we see no reason to stay with a denomination that has decided to pursue a disastrous course and essentially cease to be very Christian let alone Episcopalian. It does no good to have a bishop who says he is opposed to ordaining and licensing homosexual persons and is opposed to the blessing of same sex unions if he: one, does nothing significant to oppose the continued drift of the denomination, and does not labor to get the House of Bishops to repent of their sin; two, appears to put property above theology and ethics; and three, is creating a diocese in which a radical liberalism is in the ascendant and rapidly taking over a diocese. Bishop Howard may be the last orthodox Episcopalian left in the diocese of Florida by December 2006. I find it must be a sad legacy for him, so short into his episcopal career and spiritual leadership to go down in history as the one to be the leader at the time our once wonderful diocese was taken out of the orthodox camp and moved into the far left of American Episcopalianism.
The other thing that does not get reported in the media or on the internet are the number of clergy Howard has lost since becoming bishop, including not only the clergy in charge of congregations or on staffs of parishes. In addition to losing some of the best and brightest of clergy in parish leadership, he has lost a significant number of clergy who are also committed to the Great Commission, to evangelism, to building up the Body of Christ to other Anglican bodies, other break away Anglican groups, the Roman Catholic Church and from what I hear other denominations as well. Can any other recent bishop in the Episcopal Church match the loss of clergy Bishop Howard has experienced and will continue to experience given his hardline not rocking the national Episcopal boat, enforcing canons, seeking to preserve property, over showing real pastoral caring and involvement with his orthodox congregations and his even more extensive orthodox clergy. It is all very perplexing for us Florida Episcopalians as to what God has allowed and permitted in the wake of Bishop Howard becoming our Father in God.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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