A British Columbia Supreme Court justice on May 28 ruled that a group of dissident parishioners at Victoria's St. Mary of the Incarnation, Metchosin, Diocese of British Columbia, may not have exclusive use of the church building while the question of ownership is being decided. Read it all here: |
| **Be Informed!*Important Reading |
"On April 22, the Diocese of Pittsburgh posted “Frequently Asked Questions About Realignment” on its Parish Toolbox Web site. Pittsburgh Episcopalians should understand that this document is not so much de-signed to inform, as to influence. We believe that those who rely on the answers in the diocese’s FAQ may be putting themselves and their parishes at great risk. You will find alternative answers here that we think are more helpful and realistic. " Realignment Reconsidered |
| "Courts rarely interfere in doctrinal matters, church rituals or tenets of faith. " Virginia Church Property Case |
| "Theologians from Augustine onward have insisted that the effort to leave one church to start a better one results not in a better church but a worse one—and it also fosters the bad habit of defection. The history of Western Christendom attests to the wisdom of this view. The question for the Anglican Mission in the Americas is whether antagonism toward the Episcopal Church is enough to shape a coherent Anglican identity in a complex global setting." by Jason Byassee Christian Century |
| The Chapman Memo "Our ultimate goal is a realignment of Anglicanism on North American soil committed to biblical faith and values, and driven by Gospel mission." "Stage 2 will launch at some yet to be determined moment, probably in 2004. During this phase, we will seek, under the guidance of the Primates, negotiated settlements in matters of property, jurisdiction, pastoral succession and communion. If adequate settlements are not within reach, a faithful disobedience of canon law on a widespread basis may be necessary." |
| Turning Away From Jesus:Gay Rights and the War for the Episcopal Church "... he decides that the current crisis is, at best, a sideshow or, at worst, a distraction from vexing problems whose solution would require more than arms' length indignation. " |
| The Episcopal Church Wins Again "...the Rev. Stanley C. Kemmerer, priest-in-charge appointed by the diocese, has taken charge of the Trinity property on behalf of the parish. The lawsuit that had been initiated about a year ago to keep the parish in the diocese will be withdrawn shortly, according to the release." |
| More Excerpts from Turning Away From Jesus by Garret Keizer Keizer discusses the effect of sexuality battles in the Episcopal Church on our mission, and asks questions about whether our attention on these issues helps us ignore other gospel mandates. |
| What's the difference? "How we treat one another both in terms of rights and policy as well as personally is profoundly spiritual. It stems from the summary of the Law that Jesus quotes in his teachings. It is Gospel, it seems to me." |