Dispatches from the HoB/D: Haller’s Complaint

from Stand Firm by Greg Griffith

Often, as you know, Monday mornings bring plenty of fresh hell. Sometimes, though, they bring delightful little chuckles, such as this letter The Rev. Tobias Haller sent to the American Bible Society.

TO:
Autumn Black, Director of Public Relations
American Bible Society

Dear Ms. Black,

I was surprised this evening, on visiting the ForMinistry website (http://www.forministry.com/) operated from your Virginia offices, to discover that The Episcopal Church does not appear in the listing of churches at the Church Directory. (http://www.forministry.com/profile/ChurchSearch.cfm)

I note that when one enters "Anglican" as a general denomination (there being no entry for "Episcopal"), a number of other Anglican churches appear as possible choices, but not The Episcopal Church, which is, at this time, the only church in North America recognized as a member of the Anglican Communion.

I hope this oversight will be corrected. It is shocking to think that The Episcopal Church is not listed in this directory, considering that one of the American Bible Society's founding member and first president -- John Jay -- was an Episcopalian.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I am sharing a copy of this note with the Bishops and Deputies of The Episcopal Church.

Yours,
(The Rev.) Tobias Stanislas Haller
Deputy to the General Convention 2009, Diocese of New York
Vicar, Saint James Episcopal Church, Fordham
2500 Jerome Avenue
Bronx NY 10468


I don't know what my favorite part of this letter is. The subtle but obvious righteous indignation? The insistence that TEC be included on the basis of its official Anglican imprimatur? The little tantrum based on the fact that - horrors - other Anglican churches are listed but not TEC? The John Jay name-dropping, never mind that Jay's faith and that of modern-day TEC bear only a superficial resemblance to each other?

No... after careful consideration, I'm thinking I derive the most amusement from the way the letter resembles a 3-year old standing beside a wall splattered with paint, the child covered in paint himself and holding a paintbrush in one hand: TEC has promoted homosexuality, abortion, every known Christian heresy, and, let's not forget, flipped the bird repeatedly to the Anglican Communion, membership in which Haller now insists the ABS must respect in its inclusion on its web site. It's just rich as double-chocolate fudge, it is: A spokesman for the liberal movement in a liberal church that has done more to trample on the Bible than perhaps any organized church in history, standing there by the paint-splattered wall saying, "What? I didn't do anything!"