Declining membership hurts Episcopal churches in Northern California - Sacramento Living - Sacramento Food and Wine, Home, Health | Sacramento Bee
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From the perspective of an Episcopalian I think this leaves a lot out. A good deal of the reason that the Episcopal Church has suffered declines in membership and that the Diocese of Northern California has also suffered declines is based on a dichotomy between words and actions. The last Bishop of Northern California (Jerry Lamb), who is now presiding over legal efforts to regain property of the San Joaquin diocese, and the current one have done little or nothing to encourage diversity of belief.
When the National Convention adopted provisions to allow Gene Robinson to serve in New Hampshire, many in congregations disagreed with the decision. Several churches decided to remove themselves, including one entire diocese, San Joaquin. (Others across the country also took those actions.) The conservatives in this fight argued that the decisions by the convention violated scripture and more importantly violated the way the Church is supposed to make decisions. A report (called the Windsor Report) by the Anglican Church (of which the Episcopal Church of North America was a part) as much as said that and urged the American church to go slow on making the changes. The "leadership" of the American Church decided that the political point was more important than working the issue through and so they forged ahead.
The smarter decision would have been to sit down with those who disagreed with the decision and try to come to a reasonable solution. That discussion might well have meant some loss of property - which is what Lamb is trying to recover. But it also would have encouraged all Episcopalians to think about the larger principles that bind them together. Some church leaders have claimed that they are compelled to recover the property of the parishes that dissent. From my perspective the compulsion looks like unabated greed.
As long as the leadership mixes a dogmatic affiliation with a set of beliefs that are in conflict with a large minority of the flock and simultaneously aggressively attempts to deepen the wound by suing to recover property - even those who chose to stay in the Episcopal Church will be less inclined to offer support for the greater church.
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2 comments:
You have left out a very important fact from your explanation of the facts leading up to the current state of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
Schofield, then Bishop (now deposed) started his exit from the Episcopal Church when he was elevated to Bishop over 20 years ago; LONG before Gene Robinson. As one who was there I saw him remove all church publications from day one. He terminated the diocese assessments to the national church and he systematically removed clergy that did not follow his new direction and replaced them with men of his own ilk.
His long term deep-seated dislike (some call it hate) for gays and women clergy gave him the jumping point to finely realize his dream.
When it came to a vote, he had stacked the deck for over 20 years and it was certain he would succeed because the laity would be unwilling to leave the church buildings that have been part of their family history for generations. The SAME reason they will be there when his clergy are removed and Episcopalians are finely welcomed home.
I have no opinion on Schofield. But that does not condone the way that the national church and the last two bishops of N. California have dealt with differences in beliefs.
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