JOHNSON’S FIRST LAW

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

It is a humbling and sobering thing for anyone to discover a fundamental law of the universe, never mind some punkass little blogger from Missouri. For the benefit of those of you who are new here, Johnson’s First Law of Episcopal Thermodynamics runs as follows: every joke you make about the Episcopal Organization eventually comes true.

I’ve quipped here a time or two that ex-Episcopalians, no matter how long they’d been away, would eventually be hit up for money by their old pseudo-ecclesial body. Back pledges with interest, that kind of stuff. Funny idea? Actually, thanks to Phil Ashey, it is no longer amusing at all. And your host is officially scared to death:

I’d like to share with you a letter from the Bishop and Diocesan Council of The Episcopal Church’s (TEC) Diocese of the Rio Grande. But first, a little background so that you can appreciate the letter in all its fullness.

This time two years ago, approximately 80% of the parishioners of St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa (TEC) left the parish and formed Christ the King Anglican, Albuquerque, NM (Anglican Church in North America). When those parishioners left the parish, the Diocese of the Rio Grande, and the Episcopal Church, they left everything. They left the property, building, endowments, bank accounts – even paperclips and pencils. They did so in good conscience, with generosity, and with love for those who in good conscience could not leave The Episcopal Church. Based on their reading of scripture, these parishioners did not want to fight over buildings and property in civil courts. Instead, they walked away and began a new life together as Anglican followers of Jesus Christ at Christ the King Anglican Church. Not only did the new parish draw former Episcopalians, but also Christians from other denominations who wanted to worship and serve at Christ the King Anglican.

So the other day, Christ the King gets this letter.

August 31, 2011
Dear Father Weber,

RE: St. Mark’s on the Mesa, Albuquerque
Fair Share Obligation, Third Quarter 2009

I pray that this finds you well in the Lord! Summer is always such a gift in the ministry, a time for reflection, refreshment and anticipation for the end of the liturgical year.

On July 12 of this year, the Diocesan Council had a meeting here a [sic] Diocesan House. At that time, a group from St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque came before the Council to request forgiveness for their Fair Share obligation from the third quarter of 2009. As I am sure you are well aware, it was during this time that a good number of the clergy and congregation at St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa left to form a new congregation, leaving the remaining members with quite a financial and emotional burden to carry. What follows is the motion as it was amended and passed that afternoon.

Motion, that the -$25,000 Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009 be forgiven. Moved and seconded to amend the motion by replacing it with the following: that the -$25,000 Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009 be adjusted to $5,000 and that the Diocesan Council write a pastoral letter to the leadership of Christ the King Anglican Church appealing to them to cover $20,000 of the original Fair Share obligation for St. Mark’s on-the-Mesa, Albuquerque for the third quarter of 2009.

The amendment passed. The amended motion passed.

As you can see, it was the decision of Council to hold St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa responsible for the entire Fair Share payment for the third quarter in 2009, requesting that the burden be split between the members that left and the members that stayed, dividing the responsibility roughly along the lines of how the congregation self-selected.

I would ask that you would prayerfully consider accepting the responsibility of paying the portion of the Fair Share that was required by the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.

I have lots of reactions to this story, the kindest of which is probably “Are you effing kidding me?!!“ Phil Ashey is absolutely flabbergasted.

The people who left St. Mark’s-on-the-Mesa willingly surrendered their property. They literally turned the other cheek. In response, the Diocese of the Rio Grande basically said, “we have all your stuff now, but we think you owe us more.”

We are not very far from Wonderland and Alice who cried “Curiouser and curiouser!” Apparently, the Bishop and the Diocesan Council felt that their decision, memorialized in their minutes, was of at least sufficient moral authority to cite in the letter, to persuade Fr. Weber and the Anglicans of Christ the King to accept their “responsibility.” Note to Bishop and Diocesan Council: it may come as a surprise to you, but Fr. Weber, the clergy and people who formed Christ the King Anglican have moved on. They are not coming back. They really meant what they said. And when the bishop addresses them as if he were the lord of the manor, the diocesan council his advisors, and these departed Anglicans as if they were permanently indentured serfs…it doesn’t go over very well.

For years we have been hearing the mantra from TEC’s legal team that “people can leave, but churches cannot.” But now it turns out that TEC bishops and leaders don’t actually believe their own justification for suing departing Anglicans! Even when people walk away for conscience sake, they are “indebted” for God-only-knows-what-and-how long to TEC. And never mind that supporting an organization they left is a violation of their conscience. These Anglicans are still obligated; it is “their responsibility.”

Why not send the same letter to Albuquerque Catholics? It’s their own fault for not seeing the genius that is American Anglicanism. Hell, send one to the Archbishop of Canterbury; he could lop off a cathedral or two and instantly raise that kind of scratch.

And as long as you’re hitting up non-Episcopalians for money, you might as well ask the Pope. Hell, 20 grrr is chump change to Benedict XVI. He could probably find that in the Vatican sofa cushions.

But Christ the King could have a little fun with this if they wanted to. Sure, we can raise the jack, they could tell the Rio Grande. Subject to a few minor conditions.

What kinds of conditions?

Nothing much. The Diocese of the Rio Grande has to pass a resolution which states that homosexual practice is incompatible with Holy Scripture and that open homosexual ministers are never to be licensed in the Diocese. The Diocese has to formally withdraw from TEO and join ACNA. And the Diocese has to officially recognize Bob Duncan as the Anglice Primate of North America.

Do all that and we’ll have your kaysh on the way day after tomorrow.