Episcopal Church update
Posted July 8, 2006
Lexington Bishop Stacy Sauls has written a pastoral letter to Episcopalians in his diocese, commenting on the 2006 General Convention in Columbus, Ohio. The letter, which describes the uncertain future of the 77-million-member Anglican Communion and its 2.2-million member U.S. affiliate, can be accessed at www.diolex.org.
The communion, 38 national churches which trace their roots to the Church of England, is deeply divided in the wake of the 2003 ordination of an openly-gay bishop, Lexington native Gene Robinson. In his letter, Rev. Sauls suggests that the denomination's "middle way" is imperiled.
"What is at stake is whether The Episcopal Church will continue to be a Church that encourages freedom of expression and inquiry as the best way to seek truth or whether we will stray from our Reformation roots by submitting to a system like that of the Roman Catholic Church with its resort to Papal infallibility or to a system like radical Protestantism with its resort to the infallibility of each individual believer reading his or her Bible."
In the letter, Sauls defends his decision to support Robinson's ordination, but said he will strive to "preserve the voices of those who disagree with me" in the diocese. Sauls suggested he might even allow a conservative bishop to provide alternative oversight for the diocese's remaining conservatives.
Meanwhile, St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Versailles (www.standrewsky.org) published a full-page "Message to Kentucky Episcopalians" in the Herald-Leader today inviting Episcopalians to switch churches. St. Andrew's, which was formed by former members of St. John's Episcopal Church, is affiliated with the Anglican church in Uganda.
"Hope has dawned in Kentucky. Four new Anglican churches have started since 2004," the ad states. "We share a common vision. We hope to rebuild Biblical Anglicanism in our state, one new believer at a time, one new church at a time."
COMMENTS:
AUTHOR: David Brannen
EMAIL: davidbrannen@alltel.net
URL: http://www.standrewsky.org
DATE: 07/11/2006 06:34:13 PM
My purpose in the "Message to Kentucky Episcopalians" was not primarily to invite people to switch churches. Rather, it was to correct a widespread misconception that our disagreement with the Episcopal Church is all about sex. I also hoped to encourage readers to become informed about the real issue -- Biblical truth -- and not simply to accept ECUSA's "party line." Of course, I'm happy for folks to visit us. For that matter, I'd encourage them to be in any church that seeks to adhere to authentic Biblical Christianity.