Via VirtueOnline:
All Saints Anglican Church will join Anglican Diocese of Quincy
By Katharhynn Heidelberg
DAILY PRESS SENIOR WRITER
http://www.montrosepress.com/
October 5, 2009
Unhappy with the direction they believe their former parent church is taking, the retiring minister and majority of congregants at St. Paul's Episcopal Church have formed a new congregation.
All Saints Anglican Church held its first service Sunday. It will meet at 9 a.m. Sundays at 1702 E. Main (the Arrowhead Conference Center). "It really goes back to all these issues the Episcopal Church has been wrestling with the past 20 to 30 years," Father Larry Day said Monday. "Most recently, it was just a strong drift away from biblical orthodoxy, and morality issues the church seems to be relaxing on."
Day said the Episcopal Church is no longer placing much emphasis on premarital chastity and no longer seems to care about multiple divorces and remarriages. There is also the hot-button issue of homosexuality, and in July, the Episcopal Church's general convention is expected o take the matter up.
"There's a very strong push to approve same-sex marriage. That's an issue of difficulty for us," Day said. "It doesn't have anything to do with people's inclinations, it has more to do with behavior."
Day referenced biblical prohibitions against homosexuality, but stressed there was more than that behind the formation of All Saints Anglican Church. "It's only one segment of the issue. The bigger issue is biblical orthodoxy," he said."We want to hold true to what Jesus taught,which includes love for all people.
It's not a matter of homosexuality being the only sin." Marti Isler, senior warden for All Saints new vestry, agreed. "There are so many doctrinal issues, and keeping Jesus Christ as the Lord, I think that's the bigger issue for people at All Saints."
She said she takes exception to Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's statement: "If we insist we know the one way to God,we're putting God in a very small box." Isler said that salvation through Jesus is a basic Christian tenet.
"I just think the reasons for most people (joining All Saints) is it aligned more with their beliefs than the Episcopal Church currently does," Isler said. The Episcopal Church is one of the provinces of the Anglican Communion, Day said. All Saints is now part of the Common Cause Partnership, which includes churches that have splintered from mainline Episcopalian churches. Day said the CCP is not recognized by the Anglican See of Canterbury.
"They feel like the CCP is coming in through the back door and developing a grassroots support from the rest of the provinces.The Archbishop of Canterbury feels likewe're not coming in through the right door," Day said.
He said his church will align with the Anglican Church in North America, which is to form at the end of the month. "Because there's such a strong movement now, and companionship among other Anglican groups, it seemed like a good time for us," he said.I sler said that when the congregation split from St. Paul's, the Episcopal church retained all the property, even though the diocese hadn't paid for it.
"I don't want that to sound like a problem, because there are still congregants at St. Paul's," she said."We want them to be able to have things and survive, and do what they need to do," she said.
"I want them to be OK. We just felt as a matter of conscience,we had to leave. It doesn't mean we don't love those people. A lot of those splits have been really wicked."
Isler said church members had been struggling with the changes for years. "It's not as if we went into this lightly.We just want to let people know we're here." Beckett Stokes, spokeswoman for the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, said the diocese will work with the remaining congregation at St.Paul's to see what makes most sense.
"We have made arrangements for the care of that congregation and they will continue to worship as usual," she said.
"Because Larry Day was retiring,we had already made arrangements for some leadership through a transition for them, anyway....we will provide them with whatever care and support they need during this transition."
Father Larry Day writes a concluding note.
Since this story broke, both All Saints and myself have been provisionally accepted into the Anglican Diocese of Quincy. It will become official as we are voted to be seated at the Quincy Synod meeting on October 16th & 17th in Princeton, IL
We have been meeting in a motel conference center since June, and attendance has remained consistent since our departure from TEC. We are in the process of seeking a more permanent location where we don't have to set up and take down every Sunday for celebration of the Eucharist.
END
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