The Parting of the Ways
AM website comment.   William Gladstone and Henry (later Cardinal) Manning, close Christian friends who lived in the Victorian era, had what would become known as the ’parting of the ways’ when Manning abandoned Anglicanism for the Roman Catholic Church while Gladstone remained staunchly CoE. There are many difficult partings happening now in relation to TEC.
The following from the AAC website is illuminative on at least three fronts. First, it reveals the importance of place, of context and immediate experience.  One wonders if the orthodox priests remaining in TEC would feel the same way if their bishop had joined Bishop Marc Andrus (California) in San Francisco’s gay pride march last June, along with happy crews of sadomasochists, bondage and leather folk, bisexuals and polyamourists.  See Bishop Marc waving to the crowds here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5047471450268728742  Â
But secondly, it is instructive in terms of how money really does ‘talk’; note the role of finances and their importance in the discussion below. Finally, we can see the successful deployment of intimidation and threat. Or, in the words of the aphorism, the best defence is a good offensive – and TEC knows it!
Letter Shows Rift Among Episcopal Conservatives Date: January 30, 2008  By Steve Levin, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In the first public sign of disagreement among theologically conservative clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh over the leadership of Bishop Robert W. Duncan Jr., 12 such rectors and priests told him this week they disapprove of his effort to remove the diocese from the Episcopal Church and will, instead, remain with the denomination.
The 12, including the president of the diocese’s clergy association and its longest-tenured rector, mailed a signed, one-paragraph letter yesterday to the diocese’s 66 churches saying that while they supported the “reformation of the Episcopal Church … we have determined to remain within, and not realign out of” it …
The group does not support ordination of openly gay clergy or conducting same-sex blessings, the so-called “innovations” at the forefront of denominational disputes since 2003. However, members said they do not believe it is necessary to leave the Episcopal Church, the American arm of the worldwide Anglican Communion, to make that point.
For the entire article see here:
http://www.americananglican.org/site/c.ikLUK3MJIpG/b.2604393/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={4FA02F45-4A27-4FA0-A646-51AF6BDDA59A}¬oc=1
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