Episcopal Church loses largest Colorado congregation
Posted March 26, 2007
More than 800 people worship at the church on a typical Sunday, according to the denominaton's web site.
Press release from Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado Springs:
Largest Episcopal Church in Colorado to Leave Denomination
The vestry of Grace Church and St. Stephen’s Parish in Colorado Springs, the largest Episcopal parish in the state and one of Colorado’s oldest churches, voted to leave the Episcopal Church on Monday morning.
Effective today the parish affiliates with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican). A 40 day process of discernment is planned for the congregation to fully understand the ramifications of this decision.
At the end of
this period parish members will be given the opportunity to affirm the new ecclesial relationship with the Church of Nigeria. Although a long-time and consistent advocate of orthodox reform within The Episcopal Church (TEC), the parish’s lay leadership has lost hope in future reform of The Episcopal Church.
“It’s clear that The Episcopal Church no longer believes the historic, orthodox Christian faith common to all believers. It’s also clear that purported Episcopal values of ‘inclusion’ do not apply to orthodox believers. In fact, we find it bizarre that Episcopal leaders deny what the Apostles and martyrs believed and reject those who maintain the faith for which the Apostles lived and the martyrs died,” said Jon Wroblewski, senior warden of the parish.
The congregation’s lay leadership believes that The Episcopal Church’s departure from belief in biblical authority affects the parish’s own faith and witness, and to fail to name and reject this revisionism leaves its children at risk, as well as all those who depend on the parish to defend and maintain the truth.
“We are concerned that The Episcopal Church has rejected the historic faith, has abandoned Holy Scripture for the values and trends of contemporary culture, and has severed its continuity with the faith of our parents. To remain in The Episcopal Church is to be influenced by, and under the authority of, such a revisionist church at our own peril,” Wroblewski said.
The March 20, 2007 resolution of The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops to decline the Anglican Primates direction to provide alternative pastoral oversight for orthodox clergy, congregations, and dioceses in the United States further signifies to the vestry that The Episcopal Church is departing from the Anglican Communion.
By its defiant action, The Episcopal Church chooses to walk apart from the tradition it claims to embrace. Unlike The Episcopal Church, Grace Church and St. Stephen’s Parish resolves to remain steadfastly Anglican in its belief and practice.
Additionally, the ongoing investigation of the parish and of its Rector, The Rev. Donald Armstrong III, by the Bishop of Colorado and his absolute determination to defrock the rector and gain control of the parish is intolerable.
The continued health, vitality, and general well-being of the congregation demand immediate withdrawal from the Episcopal Church and new pastoral oversight by CANA. The vestry’s position is that in spite of numerous attempts to have reasonable discussions with the Bishop and the Diocese of Colorado, these approaches have been rebuffed time and again.
In the Vestry’s opinion, the Bishop has manipulated the Diocese’s judicial system to resemble a kangaroo court, so that no fair hearing is possible at any level in the Diocese. “Grace Church and St. Stephen’s Parish longs for, and looks forward to, pastoral direction by a bishop who genuinely cares about our parishioners. The international reputation of Bishop Martyn Minns of the Church of Nigeria is excellent, and I am confident that he will provide us with the necessary leadership and pastoral oversight lacking in Colorado’s Episcopal Bishop,” Wroblewski said.
Over the last few months the parish’s relationship with the Bishop and Diocese of Colorado has degenerated to a level of mistrust and adversity from which point its vestry sees no hope of recovery. The recent action by The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops offers no hope of continuing fellowship. This divisive and perilous situation has compelled the vestry to acknowledge the sad fact that The Episcopal Church has abandoned Grace and St. Stephen’s Parish and all traditional Anglicans worldwide.
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Comments
It is sad to see a congregation go, but at times it can be the best choice. We all have to go where our concience takes us.
Just leave the keys to the buildings and the pensions at the door--to do anything else is dishonest.
No one should ever join a church organization that owns the buildings and grounds. You're nothing but a squatter on somebody else's land, and the losers running the organization use the leverage to jerk the congregations around.
If I have to choose to whom I report on this earth--a diocese made up of a bunch of properly chosen people with a process they work with, or to an charismatic pastor or so called non denomination church that routes authority through strong willed individuals who report to no one, I'll pick a diocese any day.
The use of authority is there in all cases--the accountability is not.
The wise flee TEC. It is rotten tree that will be felled by the slightest gust.
Ah, the politics of religion. In December of last year Armstrong was accused of theft and fraud and suspended from the church.
-"Theft from Grace Church of $392,409.93 in unauthorized payments for educational and personal expenses for Father Armstrong's family
-"Tax Fraud involving $548,097.27 in non-salary income and benefits not reported to the Internal Revenue Service and the Colorado Department of Revenue
-"The unlawful extension and receipt of loans to Father Armstrong totaling $122,479.16
-"The improper use of Clergy Discretionary Funds in the amount of $136,354.78.
Makes one wonder what the real motivations are.
Editor's note: Rev. Armstrong has denied the above allegations, which have been brought by the diocese. The matter will undoubtedly be resolved in the courts.
The best of wishes and prayers to Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado. For those of us Catholics and Evangelicals willing to confront our morally decaying secular culture with the authentic Biblical and Christian Moral Tradition, it is heartening to see individual parishes of mainline Protestant churches willing to confront their national leadership which in so many cases have sold out to people who are more political activists than believers in The Word.