In the ongoing statistical decline of The Episcopal Church, brought about by the actions in 2003 to ordain a known non-celibate homosexual to the priesthood, VOL is forced to ask just how accurate are the diocesan figures for 2008 compared to 2007. The national church claims the overall drop was about 3%, but VOL believes that the drop is far higher because of inaccurate reporting figures from some dioceses.
For example, the DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK under Bishop Michael Garrison claims an ASA figure of 4,452 in 2008 down from 4,627 in 2007, a drop of 175. This completely ignores the parish of St Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Tonawanda (one of the largest in the whole state of NY), which left with more than 900 members. VOL wrote extensively about this at the time. http://tinyurl.com/yzlndvd After St. Bartholomew's left and moved into their own building, Garrison renamed the church. Virtually everyone left with Fr. Art Ward. A parish of about 30 remained. If one takes into account the real loss of 900, the ASA figure for 2008 would be closer to 3500, substantially less than what was reported by the bishop. As the bishop has no vision for growth, no evangelism that will draw people in, it is hard not to imagine at that rate of decline, with aging parishioners and dwindling financial resources, that within five years the diocese will be forced to juncture with another diocese.
Even its overall membership figures are skewed. Recent figures (now in the Red Book) show that in 2008 the diocese had 12,809, whereas in 2007 it was 13,233 down a mere 424. Yet at the diocesan website the bishop claims "approximately 16,000 adult communicants worshipping in 63 different congregations spread across the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming at the western edge of New York State." Where is the truth here?
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