Beloved in Christ,
There is a certain suspense in watching the unfolding battle between the Episcopal Church (TEC) and Anglican orthodoxy around the world. As TEC's demographics continue to implode, both in membership and finances, it funnels ever-larger amounts of money and resource into domestic litigation and overseas charm offensives.
Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori is unwilling to reveal the current statistics of membership decline, but TEC continues to count many of those who have left as if they were still in TEC. For example, the membership of St. James Newport Beach, CA, which departed in 2004, is still being counted by the TEC Diocese of Los Angeles as if all those people were still a part of the Diocese. This is replicated in much of the United States, so whatever number Jefferts Schori is afraid to show us is still not as bad as the reality. Perhaps it has finally gotten to the point where she doesn't want her own people to know what her regime has done to the church. As she turns off the money flow for real mission and fires some of her staff, money and people are flowing to African dioceses in Tanzania, central African nations, and even dioceses here and there in GAFCON/FCA Provinces. All it takes is a willing TEC bishop or priest to bring help, money, books, teachers or whatever to a targeted diocese, and turn on the charm.
If some of the orthodox bishops in the Global South expect that they can "work with" TEC and still maintain their purity, they may find that they are riding the tiger. Tanzania is especially targeted and a priest from the Diocese of Atlanta is over there now doing a teaching mission.
Speaking of the Diocese of Atlanta, the Diocese proudly proclaims its support and participation in the Gay Pride Festival Oct. 31 - Nov. 1 (note that they are are planning the parade for All Saints' Day - are they using "all saints" to signal inclusivity?). Leading up to the Festival is the Diocesan Gay Pride Eucharist on Oct. 22 at...you guessed it...All Saints' Episcopal Church, North Avenue and West Peachtree Street.
The gay agenda of TEC stretches from coast to coast and from north to south on both coasts. Far to the north of Atlanta, the TEC bishop of Maine is busy advocating for same-sex marriage. He is so proud of his heterodoxy and corruption of the faith and morals of the church that he posts information about it on his Blog. At this point, the orthodox Episcopal bishops are an endangered minority, and their people and priests are at high risk. After the voting tsunami of the last TEC General Convention, it became clear that the days of Jefferts Schori putting up with any dissent are numbered. In fact the only reason to delay her reprisals against the orthodox may be concern about how this would play out with Dr. Rowan Williams. If she continues to see that he will only wring his hands, appoint a committee, and release inconclusive statements, she will grow more and more bold. It is likely that as TEC's membership and income continue to dwindle, the level of intolerance of orthodoxy will increase.
Although last week brought some good news from the legal sector, with encouragement from a Fort Worth, Texas judge and the Supreme Court of South Carolina, this week brought some disappointment as the lower court judge in Pittsburgh, apparently forgetting some of his own statements, issued a ruling against Bishop Duncan and the orthodox Diocese of Pittsburgh. More news about this will unfold over the next several weeks. The United States Supreme Court declined to accept an appeal request from my former parish, St. James, Newport Beach, although many hoped that they would understand the gravity of the situation. They apparently feel that the lower courts have not completed their work, and that the legal situation has additional maturation that needs to take place. As John Eastman, attorney for St. James, explained, "The Supreme Court normally considers only cases that are final, so it is not surprising that the Court decided to wait until further developments in this case are completed." By the time that the lower courts actually deal with all the issues of fact and law, which should support St. James' claims, there may be other legal appeals lining up as well.
The travesty of all of this litigation is that it is unnecessary. Most of the departing churches would have been willing to negotiate over their property if given the chance, but Jefferts Schori is on record as preferring that the buildings be sold for any use whatsoever except that of departing Anglicans. Why is she so full of hatred and malice? Because if she doesn't destroy the AC-NA she knows that it will increase even as her "Church of the False Gospel" will dissipate into the dust of history. Fortunately for former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, Jefferts Schori will be blamed for shipwrecking the church, even though Griswold should rightfully share in the opprobrium.
There are better times coming, of this I am confident, and the present earthly trials will in the end seem insignificant, as we see men and women come to Christ, and as lives are transformed by God's grace in action. What we now see by faith we shall live to see with our own eyes.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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