Charles Honey: on the "Decision to accept homosexuality" by the Episcopal Church
But while traditionalists feel they're being steamrolled, these votes simply acknowledge the reality of what already is happening in many Episcopal churches -- including those in West Michigan.
"We have gay clergy functioning in the diocese," said the Rev. William Spaid, an assistant to Bishop Robert Gepert of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan. "It's just not a big issue here."
Some area clergy conduct same-sex blessing ceremonies as well, Spaid said. He didn't expect the decisions will create a mass exodus of members or churches, adding, "People that wanted to leave left six years ago."
Time will tell on that one. But certainly the church will suffer further losses -- part of the price of moving forward.
Read it all.
"We have gay clergy functioning in the diocese," said the Rev. William Spaid, an assistant to Bishop Robert Gepert of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan. "It's just not a big issue here."
Some area clergy conduct same-sex blessing ceremonies as well, Spaid said. He didn't expect the decisions will create a mass exodus of members or churches, adding, "People that wanted to leave left six years ago."
Time will tell on that one. But certainly the church will suffer further losses -- part of the price of moving forward.
Read it all.
posted by t19elves at 10:06 AM
3 Comments:
He didn't expect the decisions will create a mass exodus of members or churches, adding, "People that wanted to leave left six years ago."
Let's just see about that.
He didn't expect the decisions will create a mass exodus of members or churches, adding, "People that wanted to leave left six years ago."
That may be true for the Diocese of Western Michigan, where nearly all the conservatives have already left. But in other places around TEC, it is going to produce an exodus of those who can walk away from their buildings and a begrudging contingent of those who stay with their buildings but who find ways to give their tithes and offerings "as unto the Lord" while making sure none of it goes to TEC. As a number of folks, both liberal and conservative, said during the debates on D025 and C056, it is naive to think there won't be a price to pay for these decisions.
"...a begrudging contingent of those who stay with their buildings but who find ways to give their tithes and offerings "as unto the Lord" while making sure none of it goes to TEC." Dean Munday, I'm surprised that TEC has not converted to an "Assessment" from the current "Asking". If things continue as they are, funds for TEC will diminish to the point that endowments will not make up the difference. Personally, as a member of ACNA, it seems problematic to me that a parish would remain in TEC but not help fund it. Is that a more honorable thing to do than walk away from the buildings? It is a difficult moral dilemma.
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