Episcopal Church of the Resurrection

Hello parishioners,

You may have been reading or hearing in the news this week about some conservatives who have chosen to leave the Episcopal church to form a new denomination. Several different splinter groups came together at a meeting in Wheaton, IL (including a group who left in the 1800s, a few small groups who left in the 1980s over women's ordination and the "new" prayerbook, and the most recent who left in 2003 over the consecration of Bishop Robinson who is a partnered gay man.) I would encourage you to read a variety of news sources and consider their perspectives before you form any conclusions about the recent meeting, or about meetings at points historical. If you have time and interest, you can read more at the national Episcopal Church USA website http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_103344_ENG_HTM.htm and the conservative group's own website http://www.gafcon.org/ or the New York Times Dec. 4 article http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/us/04episcopal.html?th&emc=th Because they are calling their new denomination "Anglican" even though they have left our church, you might be interested in reading the Archbishop of Canterbury's response to their proposals. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_98433_ENG_HTM.htm.

My own perspective is this. First, I think it's not, as the Times reported, an "Episcopal split." I don't even think it's a splinter, particularly. Rather small numbers of people left. In 4 dioceses some folks left; some stayed (there are 110 Dioceses). Their leader himself guesses the most who'll join them will be 100,000 (there are 2.3 million Episcopalians in the USA). Secondly, I don't think this is anything new, whether in our contemporary Episcopal church or the historic Anglican communion. The Anglican church has always incorporated a very broad range of thought -- from Evangelical to Anglo-Catholic, and politically the whole spectrum, and liturgically also low (roughly speaking, informal) to very high "smells and bells"). This is even true in our own parish in Mukwonago -- we have different ideas about things, and different reasons for our thinking. But sometimes this means that we have to sort things out. Naturally, people have left our denomination, and it has survived. Historically, the world got the Methodist church because a lot larger group of Wesley's followers couldn't manage to stay Anglican, or alternatively, Anglicans back then couldn't manage to incorporate their reform movement. But for the most part we Anglicans have agreed and disagreed and sorted things out. What is very new to an Anglican, is the idea that a "church" should be gathered primarily among people who agree with each other (by forming theological consensus and signing statements together). You know, our church doesn't really write doctrinal statements, and when our members joined it we are never asked to sign one. "Renounce evil" and "turn to Jesus" sure, but we can differ on the fine points of exactly how to do that. So I guess I'd rather be in a broader church where we can discuss, agree or disagree, but do so respectfully, and find commonality in our worship, and in our historic creeds.

If I can be helpful to you as you think about these things, or you have any questions or concerns let me know. Mother Paula+