This article detailing the split between the San Joaquin Diocese and the Episcopal Church in the U.S., may well likely be the first such defection based on the ordination of V. Gene Robinson, an openly Gay man. Now, we'll have seats in seeing these gladiators fight for control and ownership of church property, and in civil court, no less, which contradicts biblical teachings! (1Corinthians 6:1-8)
"The Diocese of San Joaquin voted Saturday to cut ties with the Episcopal Church, the first time in church history a diocese has done so over theological issues and the biggest leap so far by dissident Episcopalians hoping to form a rival national church in the United States.
"Fissures have moved through the Episcopal Church, the U.S. arm of the worldwide Anglican Communion, which has 77 million members, and through the communion itself, since the church ordained V. Gene Robinson, a gay man in a long-term relationship, as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
"In the past four years, several dozen individual U.S. congregations of nearly 7,700 have split with the Episcopal Church. But Saturday's vote was the first time an entire diocese chose to secede.
"Clergy and lay members of the San Joaquin Diocese voted 173-22 at their annual convention to remove all references to the national church from the diocese's constitution, said the Rev. Van McCalister, a diocesan spokesman."
[For the full article, see here.]
As a friend of mine who pastors a rather large church recently said to me, frequently going to church inoculates many people with a little bit of Christianity so that they then are subsequently immune to the real thing, the fullness of Christianity. I never thought of that but, given my experience, I certainly concur with his assessment.
They "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:24), and they miss the whole message of Christ!
This is but one more example of the pathetic, moribund, and toxic state of most of the institutionalized Church!
No comments:
Post a Comment