BULLIES

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

Most people are concerned about the public perception of their churches. And none of this has anything to do with the people who attend them; all of us know that the folks who sit next to us on Sunday mornings as just as sinful and imperfect as we are.

We also know that our churches make mistakes, sometimes grave ones, but we usually loudly insist that something be done to rectify the situation. And if our churches do not respond to their grave errors with what we consider to be sufficient vigor, some of us are led by God out of those churches and into new ones.

But it is extremely rare to find an allegedly-Christian church that deliberately sets out to make itself look as personally and morally ugly as it possibly can. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Episcopalians:

Now the Episcopal Church has upped the ante: It has declared that if congregations break away and buy their sanctuaries, they must disaffiliate from any group that professes to be Anglican.

Rather than agree to this demand to disaffiliate from Anglicanism, Pittsburgh’s All Saints Episcopal Anglican Church last month walked away from the building it had inhabited since 1928. The congregation called the Episcopal Church’s demand “mean-spirited” and an attempt to deny “the freedom of religious affiliation.”

Some other Episcopalians have opted to disaffiliate rather than lose their buildings or spend years in expensive litigation. Two breakaway congregations in Pennsylvania and two in Virginia have promised they will not affiliate with other Anglicans for five years.

For Anglicans, affiliation with a bishop is essential to their identity and to being part of a church. A disaffiliation clause means that bishops can’t make their annual congregational visits to perform baptisms, confirmations and other rites integral to the life of the church, and they can’t encourage or discipline priests. The congregation meanwhile can’t work with local and national church bodies on disaster relief, youth retreats or educational seminars. Clergy members’ insurance and pensions are uncertain. And congregations can’t advertise that they are Anglican or contribute the traditional 10% tithe to the local branch of their denomination.

“It’s unconscionable for a Christian to impose such a condition on a fellow Christian, telling them who they can and can’t worship with and who they can and can’t affiliate with. That violates every Christian precept I know of,” said Mr. [A. S.] Haley, citing St. Paul’s admonition against Christians suing each other in secular courts.

“We can’t sell to an organization that wants to put us out of business,” said Bishop Jefferts Schori, who added that her job is to ensure that “no competing branch of the Anglican Communion impose on the mission strategy” of the Episcopal Church. Indeed she has no complaint with Muslims, Baptists or barkeepers buying Episcopal properties—only fellow Anglicans.

And there you have it. “We can’t sell to an organization that wants to put us out of business.” I will listen to no more whining from Anglican liberals when what few actual Anglican Christians there still are call leftist Anglicans non-Christians.

If that assertion offends those of you on the left, too bad. Look in the damn mirror. Or ask why Katharine Jefferts Schori thinks exactly the same thing about traditionalist Anglican Christians as you claim that she thinks about you.

Still, paying and price and bearing any burden, to paraphrase President Kennedy, is worth it to get clear of the pernicious influence of the Episcopal Organization. I’ve used these guys as an example many times before and will probably do so many times in the future but these guys had to wander in the wilderness for several years but now they’ve got thriving Christian ministries going.

Buildings can be anchors sometimes. And anchors don’t let you go anywhere.