Sheep Reconciles with Wolf; Lamb Chops for Everybody!

from Stand Firm by Greg Griffith

When we last checked in with The Rev. Tory Baucum, rector of Truro Church, he was making nice-nice with the bishop of Virginia, Shannon Johnston, after a long and bitter string of lawsuits over church property. More recently, we’ve reminded everyone of Bishop Johnston’s long and unwavering support for same-sex marriage, and that his theology puts him in the dubious company of the likes of Joseph Smith and other who prefer the voices in their heads over the truth of Scripture.

Back in April, I noted how incomprehensible Truro’s new-found affection for Johnston was:

...either Shannon Johnston is a false teacher, preaching and promoting a sinful and harmful version of the Gospel; or he is not.

If he is, then there is no justification for the ecclesial comity Truro has agreed to with the Diocese of Virginia - and certainly not under the aegis of Mark 2. The right thing to do is to continue to call out Johnston and TEC as false teachers, to preach and teach against their false Gospel. Speak the truth in love, yes, but by all means speak the truth. Do not make friends of the lie, which is exactly what this proposed “covenant of mutual charity and respect” between Truro and the diocese does.

But if he’s not a false teacher, then neither was Peter Lee before him, and Truro’s leaving was nothing less than an act of schism. In that case, the only right thing to do is repent, and seek full reconciliation with the Diocese of Virginia.

Matt pointed out:

Sin is deadly to the soul but Fr. Baucum makes peace with this purveyor poison and calls it healing and unity. This precisely what St. John warned about in his second epistle.

So what is Tory Baucum up to now?

Well, it looks like he’s one of Justin Welby’s new poster boys for “reconciliation”:

Over the coming week, we will be featuring the participation of Truro Church clergy and laity in Coventry Cathedral’s Faith in Conflict conference. Faith in Conflict is dedicated to helping Christians of all walks to better understand and manage conflict as it occurs in the life of congregations and religious communities.
Truro Anglican Church occupies a special place at this gathering. Conference sponsor and the new Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, has invited our Rector, Tory Baucum, and Shannon Johnston, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, to jointly address the delegates on their efforts to build a relationship of peace in the midst of deep, substantive divisions over critical issues of faith.

It’s a shame Baucum and Truro didn’t realize until so recently just how well they could get along with Shannon Johnston. They could still be in their building, with all that money they spent on attorneys safely in their church treasury.