A FrontBurnervian reminds us that the Episcopal Church is about to split over gay ordination, with the reverberations being felt locally in one of its most successful parishes:
I’ll pray for your Catholic Church if you will pray for my Episcopalian Church. It appears very likely that what is currently taking place at our general convention will ultimately split Episcopalians in the United States apart. The Anglican Communion, via the Windsor Report, has asked that ECUSA express regret and seek repentence for the ordination of Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. Windsor also asked for a moratorium on ordination of gay bishops and same-sex marriages until further resolution with the Anglican Communion (likely at Lambeth, a worldwide conference of Anglican leaders in 2008). It appears that ECUSA will choose not to walk with the Anglican Communion and will thus be formally expelled at Lambeth.
On a local level, St. Michael and All Angels (SMAA) is arguably one of the largest congregations in the country. When it comes to ECUSA and the Anglican Communion, SMAA is in somewhat of a pickle. The (now former) Rector, Mark Anschutz, threw much of his parish for a complete loop when he supported Robinson’s ordination (in 2003) without disclosing his stance prior to the convention. Anschutz recently retired, leaving Vice-Rector Chip Edens to serve as Interim Rector. Edens announced his resignation this week to accept a Rector position in Charlotte, NC. It will be very interesting to see who Bishop Stanton appoint to serve SMAA as interim rector in Fr. Edens’ place.
