ALBANY: Episcopal bishop draws line in the sand and says no to trial rites in his diocese [VirtueOnl

ALBANY: Episcopal bishop draws line in the sand and says no to trial rites in his diocese

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
November 11, 2018

The Episcopal Bishop of Albany, the Rt. Rev. William Love, has issued a statement saying he will not authorize trial rites anywhere in his diocese by diocesan clergy (canonically resident or licensed) and says Canon 16 will be complied with by all diocesan clergy.

(Canon 16 reads: Members of the Clergy Resident in or Licensed to Serve in this Diocese shall neither officiate at, nor facilitate, nor participate in, any service, whether public or private, for the Celebration or Blessing of a Marriage or any other union except between one man and one woman. Unions other than those of one man and one woman in Holy Matrimony, even if they be recognized in other jurisdictions, shall be neither recognized nor blessed in this Diocese.)

Such rites were authorized by Resolution B012 of the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church last summer, but Bishop Love wrote in a pastoral letter to his diocese stating his refusal to live within Resolution B012 (Marriage Rites for the Whole Church). The resolution is scheduled to take effect on the first Advent of Sunday December 2, 2018.

In his pastoral letter, Love wrote of his opposition to the resolution both at General Convention and continuing until now;

"When B012 was presented to the House of Bishops at the 79th General Convention, I both spoke and voted against it, sharing my concerns, all to no avail. A few weeks ago, I met with the Presiding Bishop, the Most Reverend Michael Curry, to once again share my concerns regarding B012 and the tremendous damage I believe it will cause not only in the Diocese of Albany, but throughout The Episcopal Church and wider Anglican Communion."

"While I don't question the sincerity or the well intentions of many in the Episcopal Church who believe the best way to love and minister to our Gay and Lesbian Brothers and Sisters in Christ is to embrace them in their sexuality and make provisions for their same-sex attractions through same-sex marriage rites, I do believe they have been deceived into believing a lie that has been planted in the Church by the "great deceiver" -- Satan. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul states: "...stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:11-13).

The Episcopal Church and Western Society have been hijacked by the "Gay Rights Agenda" which is very well organized, very strategic, very well financed, and very powerful. Satan is having a heyday bringing division into the Church over these issues and is trying to use the Church to hurt and destroy the very ones we love and care about by deceiving the leadership of the Church into creating ways for our gay and lesbians brothers and sister to embrace their sexual desires rather than to repent and seek God's love and healing grace. B012 plays right into this."

Bishop Love, an evangelical catholic, has drawn a line based on Scripture and tradition; "B012 ignores God's Word regarding marriage and thus ignores the authority of Holy Scripture." He lays the blame for General Convention's actions squarely on Satan and the "Gay Rights Agenda."

In taking this stand, Bishop Love has thrown down the gauntlet to his diocese, the vast majority of whom stand behind him, but he has also signaled to the wider Anglican Communion that he stands with primates and bishops of the Global South, GAFCON and the ACNA, that he will not compromise the church's historic position on sexuality and marriage. The only question now is, will he get support for his biblical stance from fellow TEC Communion Partner bishops, or will they leave him to twist alone in the wind.

Reaction to his position came swiftly from TEC's LGBTQ community. Response was quick and disturbing. LGBTQ advocates immediately waded in and in twitter feeds said Love should resign if he cannot carry out the directives of higher authority in good conscience, with others asking was he using as his reference the Protocols of the Elders of Stonewall? He is not fit for office and should resign, screamed one aggrieved homosexual.


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