Trying to find a conservative parish nearby. Any suggestions welcome

Note that I said I've only attended two services. I take as I find, but as I say, my experience is limited. I imagine that seeking.IAM, who confirmed my impression, has more experience, as does my friend in LA..

Obviously I'm pleased that my "decree" has at least helped to resolve your problems, but I'm not sure what they were. I don't know what you were thinking.

 

Well, you won't find this in the CofE, though some of our dissidents over women priests/bishops are having problems. Some who moved to Rome via the hapless "Ordinariate" even thought that they might take their "property" with them. Even the CofE isn't that soft!

 

Okay, I did my google search, which states he was defrocked not for statements made but for his efforts to move the Diocese of Pittsburg out of the Episcopal Church. And it seems to have been done by a majority vote (88 to 35) of the Council of Bishops. But lets pin it on the Presiding Bishop anyway shall we because we really don't like her and she is a woman after all.

Do you really think if he was working to remove his diocese from TEC for a different reason than the gay issue, he wouldn't have been defrocked for that? The church can't stand still for its Bishops stirring flight from its membership.

 

Cherry picking is a logical fallacy.

 

Yeah that was it...god bless those blinders, they make it so easy to overlook anything unpleasant.

 

I am not sure who is wearing the blinders or seeing only that which they want to see. I can't envision any religious denomination standing still for one of its religious leaders trying to lead a substantial portion of members to another denomination for any reason whatsoever. It's about money and assets. If one...in this case a Bishop...is trying to lead members away he is no longer a representative of a denomination...in this case TEC...and he is placing himself at risk of being defrocked.

It seems you dismiss the stated reason as a cover for the whole gay issue. I submit it isn't about what he believes but what he did and the threat (largely economic) posed to the TEC.

 

Or, as far as I know, The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana, where I live. Granted, I haven't actually been to an Episcopal church, and the most real life experience I've had with them is when they held the diocese's Sr. High Camp at the local Brethren church camp at the same time we were having Youth Camp.

 

I found this blog post, which is mainly about this issue.
http://conciliaranglican.com/2013/0...nter-or-remain-in-the-episcopal-church-usa-3/

 

Then you are blessed with a decent parish, but rest assured it is an anomaly in the grand scheme of things. The national church has lost over 50,000 members every year for the last decade, and the recent jettison of South Carolina has peaked those numbers. I would encourage you to examine the Presiding Bishop's teachings and statements as of late, and watch for further fallout over the gay marriage issue.

Jeff

 

For those who wish to downplay the crisis in the Episcopal church, examine the recent merger of the ECUSA with the ELCA Lutheran Synod. This was purely a financial move to stay afloat amid the declining membership and tithing dollars, and now the ECUSA is looking at a merger with the United Church of Christ and the liberal Disciples of Christ. The PB has been spinning this as "ecclesiastical unity", but anyone with an IQ over the room temperature see's the financial desperation behind it. You can't lose 500,000 members in 10 years and not expect to have a financial crisis.

Jeff

 

And the Presiding Bishop fabricated a story of financial malfeasance against the South Carolina Bishop before his defrocking, but interestingly enough she recanted the story a few weeks later in the face of a civil suit, but never re-instated him. You must realize that this woman will stop at nothing to achieve her agenda. She didn't own any church buildings or pensions in SC, so her only muscle to flex against them was their Bishop's affiliation. She was also shown to have completely circumvented church law and procedure by her move.

Jeff

Edited for language.

 

"Merger" is a strong word here. When denominations merge two become one. That is not exactly what has happened here. For example, the United Methodist Church is a 1969 merger between the Methodist Church and the Evangelical Brethren Church. The United Church of Christ is a 1957 merger between the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical & Reformed Church. In a merger two denominations become one. That is not what happened with the ELCA and TEC. Your saying it doesn't make it so. One church being in communion with another does not make a merger. I understand your passion on the issue but let's not overstate things. TEC and ELCA are still two separate denominations.

TEC's loss of membership hardly makes it unique among churches. Large numbers are not essential. We always knew the way was narrow.

 

My friend I believe that the Episcopal Church needs tranformation from the inside. There is no reason of any other splits. I think we ve had enough from that. I'm really dissapointed with the liberals in ECUSA but when conservatives deside to leave the church that gives the liberals more power inside the church. On the other hand I also believe that the Anglican Church in North America being not a member of the Anglican communion will fail just like every other splinter group. If I was you I would decide to enter ministry in the Episcopal Church and help people from there. It's more challenging anyway. God wants us to fight for him

 

Fotis I believe that the ACNA will get recognition from Canterbury. Canterbury needs vibrant, growing faith communities in the first world and the ACNA is one of the few.

 

It's rather unlikely. ACNA is very young and the English are not going to support it when it is so flimsy and unstable. It needs at least 20-30 years of growth and stability for the C of E to even consider recognizing it. Even then, the chances are slim.

 

Let's see the facts. ECUSA has about 2.000.000 baptized members... on the other hand ACNA has about 100.000. I dont think that the Anglican Communion will approve ACNA for this reason. ECUSA will threaten Anglican Communion with withdrawal. Well... that would shake the whole Communion. Moreover the Episcopal Church is one of the most historical churches in the US.

 

My friend, I would take a closer look at the pension merger and clergy sharing agreements!

Jeff

 

I am quite comfortable standing by my position. Two separate denominations continue to exist. There is no merger of denominations.

 

I would concur. The details of the intercommunion agreement are not universal either. Lutheran pastors cannot de facto function as priests in the Diocese of Albany, for example. It doesn't really matter what the morons at 815 do, it's your diocesan bishop who decides the policies.

 

I understand your position, but you must ask yourself why this merger happened in the first place. Was it a strong desire to unite on a theological level, or were finances driving the entire thing? The church was positioning itself against a looming financial crisis, and is/was their motivation for seeking this same agreement with the UCC and DOC.

Jeff