News Analysis
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 21, 2009
It was not a good week for The Episcopal Church.
In fact one might say, it has been disastrous with no good news in sight; unless one views the victory flag run up by the pansexual organization Integrity saying they won everything at General Convention and it is now time to let the champagne flow. See victory celebrations here: http://www.integrityfortworth.org/main/index.htm "Integrity Celebrates Virtual Clean Sweep on GC2009 Legislative Agenda"
That might be theirs and TEC's last hurrah. Consider this.
A Church of England archdeacon (the equivalent of a TEC Suffragan Bishop) from London, who has the ear of the Archbishop of Canterbury, told an American audience of evangelical Episcopalians at Virginia Theological Seminary that The Episcopal Church has caused the greatest spiritual catastrophe since the Reformation and that the tear in the fabric of the Anglican Communion is near terminal.
The Dennis Canon has been harpooned by the state Supreme Court of South Carolina. One could forgive a jubilant Bishop Chuck Murphy (AMiA) when he declared a complete legal victory, announcing that it will have enormous implications not only for the two Episcopal dioceses in South Carolina, but for other churches throughout the U.S.A.
San Joaquin attorney Allan S. Haley weighed in on the decision, "The Dennis Canon only 'purports' to declare a trust; it does not in fact establish an effective trust under South Carolina law, because the person declaring the trust -- the national Church -- does not own the property..."
He concluded by saying that this is truly an historic decision for all Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of South Carolina and the Diocese of Upper South Carolina. "The result could see a mass exodus of parishes from the Church in that State, and a further weakening of ECUSA."
It also demonstrates that Bishop Walter Dennis was the equivalent of a Trojan Horse for the Episcopal Church (USA).
VOL has been told that at least four parishes are considering leaving the Diocese of South Carolina while one parish St. Andrews, Mt. Pleasant is going through a 40-day discernment period. Of course this ruling opens the door for the entire diocese to leave.
Weighing in on the declining situation in TEC, the newly anointed Archbishop of ACNA, the Most Rev. Robert Duncan told an Oklahoma City audience this week at St. James Anglican Church that he wants one thousand new Anglican churches planted in the U.S. and Canada. Hardly good news to the ears of Mrs. Jefferts Schori.
The evangelical catholic leader also said mainline Protestant churches are failing because they have gotten off track from the Gospel. That's putting it mildly.
A case in point of Episcopal Church failure in planting new churches was when the Rev. John Yates rector of Falls Church, VA, was told by then Virginia Bishop Peter James Lee that he was not permitted to plant churches in the area. When the parish left TEC and voted to join CANA, Yates promptly planted six new churches. If one thousand new churches are born, they might well be able to buy empty and dying Episcopal churches.
Another case in point is historic St. Stephen's in Center City Philadelphia. It has 10 people on a Sunday similar to Church of the Advocate. The Diocese of PA has the parish "on the dole" as it is too historically prominent to close officially. But come the day when the diocese runs out of money (Charles Bennison virtually bankrupted it with the purchase of Camp Wapiti), a "For Sale" will be visible in the neighborhood.
To further make the point, the Diocese of Colorado announced, that as a result of the extraordinary legal expenses associated with the property litigation involving Grace Church in Colorado Springs, their reserves have been substantially reduced. Litigation cost them $2,900,000 causing the Diocese's unrestricted reserves to decline from $4,900,000 at January 1, 2006 to a mere $750,000. The lesson for the National Church is that the only one who wins in litigation is the lawyers.
VOL revealed this week that the Diocese of New York is facing economic trials and tribulations despite a $12 million budget and may close small parishes that are no longer economically viable. One cannot sustain the unsustainable forever.
Then came the historic announcement of the launch of FCA-NA by Canon Phil Ashey, COO of the American Anglican Council, during a SEWAAC meeting at Nashotah House. He and it were greeted with thunderous applause. And why not? The American Anglican Council has applied for recognition of FCA-NA as a "Ministry Partner" of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) under its Canons. People applauded because they recognize that FCA-NA meets a need to "leave no Anglican behind."
Another blow to Katharine Jefferts Schori.
The Archbishop of Canterbury believes he can solve the Anglican Communion dilemma by offering a "two-track" solution. That is not going to fly because the Liberals and pansexualists seethe at any notion of seeing themselves as second-class Anglicans. Gene Robinson, Louie Crew and TEC's pansexualists will have none of it.
Furthermore, if the Listening Process is a "gift" to the church, orthodox Anglicans are sending it back marked "undeliverable".
Clearly the most disheartening news for TEC this week came from the Potemkin Diocese of Pittsburgh when it announced that it was seeking a merger with the Diocese of Northwestern PA. Unable to sustain itself as a legitimate diocese, it is seeking to reunite with the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania. In ecclesiastical terms it is called "juncturing" .According to a report from the diocese, this could be achieved under the provisions of Title I, canon 10, section 6 of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, 2006.
What this ultimately means is that even if the faux diocese wins the litigation over properties - the rented downtown diocesan headquarters and endowment, apparently they don't want the parishes - is a pyrrhic victory. Pittsburgh is unsustainable as a stand-alone diocese and needs to reunite with another diocese.
So, as the original diocese is now under the Province of the Southern Cone and ACNA, The Episcopal Church, in point of fact, has literally no presence in Pittsburgh. There is no Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Poof, gone up in a cloud of ecclesiastical smoke.
People will go on worshipping in Episcopal and Anglican churches of course, but they will be unevenly and lopsidedly split between the Diocese of Northwestern PA and the Southern Cone. One more Episcopal diocese bites the dust.
To add insult to injury, The Anglican Mission in the Americas ordained three new bishops in Pasadena, CA, and plans to start planting churches right under Episcopal Bishop Jon Bruno's nose.
The Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman's announced the institution of The Order of the Daughters of the Holy Cross and promptly admitted 90+ members. A joyous service was held at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Loganville, GA.
A group of Cursillo leaders from the Anglican Church in North America created a new organization, known as Anglican 4thDay, to continue Cursillo training and traditions this week. Articles of Incorporation were approved and signed, board members elected, bylaws adopted, and a first draft of the Anglican 4thDay handbook prepared and reviewed. By early 2010, it will be possible to form Anglican 4thDay branches and become full members of Cursillo through a new secretariat. "The name "Anglican 4thDay" was selected as it best symbolizes the Cursillo experience, which begins with small group interactions and leads to a three-day retreat," said a news release from ACNA.
All in all, it was not a good week for TEC. The Episcopal Church is reaping what it has sown and is still sowing. The old order is dying. A new order is being born. Truly God is not mocked.
END
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