posted July 12, 2012
The headlines coming out of the Episcopal Church's annual U.S. convention are stunning - endorsement of cross-dressing clergy, blessing same-sex marriage, the sale of their headquarters since they can't afford to maintain it.
The American branch of the Church of England, founded when the Vatican balked at permitting King Henry VIII to continue executing any wife who failed to bear him sons, is in trouble.
Somehow slipping out of the headlines is a harsh reality that the denomination has been deserted in droves by an angry or ambivalent membership. Six prominent bishops are ready to take their large dioceses out of the American church and align with conservative Anglican groups in Africa and South America. THE REST
LIKEWISE, BISHOP EDWARD LITTLE OF NORTHERN INDIANA STOOD AGAINST THE RESOLUTION.
"THE CHRISTIAN WORLD IS GOING TO UNDERSTAND US AS HAVING CHANGED THE NATURE OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY MATRIMONY," BISHOP LITTLE SAID. "THE CHRISTIAN WORLD WILL LOOK AT THAT LITURGY WORLD AND SEE VOWS, AND EXCHANGE OF RINGS, A PRONOUNCEMENT AND A BLESSING AND THEY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT TO MEAN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAS ENDORSED SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND CHANGED A BASIC CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE ARE FREE TO DO THAT."
BUT FEW OBSERVERS WERE SURPRISED BY THE TRANSGENDER AND SAME-SEX RESOLUTIONS.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THE ANNUAL NATIONAL EPISCOPAL CONVENTION OVERWHELMINGLY REFUSED EVEN TO CONSIDER A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IS IN THE NEWS AGAIN FOR THE USUAL REASONS.
First, a few days ago it was reported that the Episcopal Church suffered a 23 percent decline in attendance from 2000 to 2010. Second, on Tuesday the Episcopal Church approved rites for blessing same-sex unions. Many commentators made what seems to be an obvious connection supposedly supported by sociology: liberalism in religion leads to the decline and death of denominations. "Conservative churches are growing," we heard yet again...
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND THE REVOLT AGAINST METROPOLITAN JONAH
