Diocese of Rio Grande: St. Marks on the Mesa Splits, Majority Found New Anglican Church

from Stand Firm by Sarah Hey:

[Note: since this is from several sources, I've tried to post only what I believe to be fairly reliable. If I find further details or have to correct, I'll try to remember to note it in the comments.]

This morning it was announced at the worship service that all but one vestry member, and all staff save Deacons Beth and Emilio Torres are departing St. Mark's on the Mesa, Albuquerque, and are founding Christ the King Anglican parish. Estimates of the numbers of parishioners that will leave for the new church vary -- it looks as if it will be somewhere between 70 to 80%. The new church's bishop is Bishop John Guernsey.

St. Mark's is one of the largest parishes in Rio Grande -- if not the largest -- with an ASA of about 300 in 2007.

In addition, I understand the small parish of Our Saviour, in Albuquerque, along with its priest, Father Harold Trott has departed TEC; that parish had around 70 ASA.

The priest in charge at St. Mark's will be, I believe, Interim Bishop Bill Frey.

While the departures are understandable -- as I've pointed out for a while, many people do not wish to be a part of a national organization that is as corrupt and heretical as TEC even if their diocesan leadership is fantastic -- from my own perspective it also represents a stunning repudiation of the interminable and turgid bishop search process that has been winding its way through the institutional maw since the departure of Bishop Steenson for Rome [please note -- my mentioning Bishop Steenson does not mean that this post is now about Bishop Steenson]. Much of the length of that search process seems to be because the diocesan leaders have a belief that the diocese will be "unified" by a reconciliation process while dragging out the bishop search process over a long period of time.

Of course . . . in the light of the departures of the many parishioners that have taken place in this diocese, it does appear as if the diocese will be more "unified" . . . in the customary TEC way . . . by the departure of many conservatives.

Although I am sorry to see them go, I do wish these Anglican Christians well, and great joy and peace in a new place.