Drell's Descants has posted a request for information from Alice Linsley about female clergy who have left the Episcopal Church. If you know of any please contact Alice with ...
The women’s first name only
Whether she was a priest or deacon
The state in which she resides
The year she set aside her orders
The church with which she has affiliated.
She is conducting a survey and hopes to post the results.
The Terrible, Troubling Test
7 hours ago
3 comments:
The full and honest info on this would be fascinating.
I'm guessing it's not that many because most Episcopalians aren't as radical theologically as media hogs like John Spong and my guess is the loud gay faction are a minority. Chances are these issues don't affect most Episcopal clergy, many of whom are simply Christians trying to minister.
(That and possibly a number of them approve or go along with the gay thing. I think to be ordained now you practically have to.)
Of course you have to distinguish the different reasons for leaving: becoming Roman, becoming Orthodox (as Alice Linsley did), simply dropping out (ministers have been known to burn out) and so on.
The most interesting aspect would be how many Episcopal clergywomen are going under either conservative groups still in the Episcopal Church hoping to break away, or going under the new arrangments under conservative overseas Anglican churches.
The conservative groups are undecided about women's ordination.
The three remaining Catholic dioceses in the Episcopal Church - Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin - don't ordain women priests for a number of reasons (it's impossible to change the apostolic ministry, or they want to be united with Rome and the East and that gets in the way, etc. ... some people are misogynists but that's not the point).
The other groups are undecided whether it should be done or if a standard Protestant objection unrelated to Catholic reasons - Timothy about male headship - should be followed.
A few clergywomen are like some good layfolk I know - until recently they were loyal centre-right Episcopalians until the denomination once again catered to changing upper-middle-class mores over sound theology and began pushing 'gay sex is not a sin' and the possibility of gay weddings in church.
(I don't think REALLY suffering Christians around the world, from the conservative African Anglican poor to Palestinian Orthodox being harassed by Israelis to Iraqi Assyrian Catholics fleeing the Muslim onslaught in their country, feel bad that Tyler and Chad in their loft apartment or restored Victorian house in Capital City, USA might not be able to have an Episcopal wedding.)
One thing to remember about the Episcopal row is, just like the denomination's liberal leaders and spokespeople claim, chances are only a tiny minority, about 1 per cent, want to leave and replace the Episcopal Church as the Anglican presence in the US.
In the liberals' worst-case scenario - if what I just wrote happened - most Episcopalians wouldn't be affected at all. Their bishops won't go on a special trip to England every 10 years any more. So what? And I think other than the loud gay faction's wounded pride most remaining Episcopalians wouldn't care! Why should they?
(Most Americans don't know what the Anglican Communion is.)
Regardless of the outcome I say a few congregations will split nearly down the middle and the proportionally big losing factions, both liberal and conservative, will have to start over in another building.
But considering that being thrown out of Anglicanism wouldn't hurt the liberal Episcopal majority or cost them a penny, ISTM the push among their leaders to sue leaving conservative congregations out of their buildings is nothing but bullying and spite. Legally they can do it but oughtn't. (Can't they at least be nice enough to be patronising?) Act like Christians!
Here endeth the rant.
Thanks for posting this, Father. I've just already received 2 names from people who visit your blog!
Hi Alice,
Glad you are getting some responses. I look forward to reading results of your research. BTW I am not a priest. Fr. David occasionally posts here as a contributor, but I am a layman.
ICXC
John
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