Cherie Wetzel and her Monday Lambeth report

From Cherie Wetzel at Anglicans United [boldface mine]:

The 5:00 press conference on the Third stage of the Windsor Continuation Group was preceded by an Episcopal News Service impromptu conference on the lawn outside “the Missing Link” building.

TEC bishops Catherine Roskam, Suffragan, New York and Kirk Smith, Arizona, spoke first about the theme of the day: the Bishop and Interfaith dialogue. Both noted that they have a new respect for the bishops here who live in multi-cultural and multi-faith worlds and really need to dialogue so that all may live peaceably together and get along. Both described their efforts at dialogue as much less serious business.

Moving on to the third session today from the Windsor Continuation Group, both said that they would prefer to see the statements made in a positive and much less negative wording. Bishop Smith said that affirming their relationships as bishops in a positive way would be more acceptable; because it sounds like if you don’t accept this thesis and/or the Covenant, you can’t be part of the group.

Bishop Roskam stated, “We agree on so much. Let what we agree on develop a covenant, not just the problems we don’t agree on. In ’98 at Lambeth, we invited the Communion to take seriously the Christianity of gay and lesbian people. This Lambeth has welcomed the LGTB (Lesbian, Gay Transgendered and bi-sexual) people.”. . .

Read it all.

Another American parish quits

From George Conger:

The unraveling of the American Church continues as parishioners at one of the Diocese of Arizona’s “cardinal parishes” announced on Sept 28 they were quitting the Episcopal Church to come under the Church of Uganda.

Approximately 40 percent of the active congregation of Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley withdrew from the Episcopal Church last month to come under the authority of Uganda’s missionary bishop in the US, the Rt. Rev. John Guernsey.

One of the largest and most prosperous Episcopal churches in Arizona, it was the church home of American conservative icon, the late Barry Goldwater. The founder of the modern conservative movement who counted Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush among his acolytes, Senator Goldwater donated the land for the church, was a long time parishioner and is interred at the parish.

The rector of Christ Church, the Rev. Ken Semon announced he was leaving the parish, to take a call in the conservative diocese of the Rio Grande. Mr. Semon told the Arizona Republic his decision took place as “the parish was about to split because the bishop was threatening the conservative majority that he would sue us if we aligned with a conservative Anglican group.”. . .

Read it all.
H/t to TitusOneNine.

Conservative group leaves Episcopalian parish in Paradise Valley, AZ

From The Arizona Republic:

About 15 percent of the members are splitting from a prominent Valley Episcopalian parish and affiliating with an African church because they say the conservative congregation here is not conservative enough for them.

The departure is one of many across the United States by former Episcopalians who believe the church, the American arm of the worldwide Anglican Communion, has turned its back on its own traditions and become too liberal.

A leader of the group that left Christ Church of the Ascension at the end of August says the decision had nothing to do with a statement issued Tuesday by American bishops attempting to appease fellow church leaders on the gay issue.

Christ Church of the Ascension, at 4015 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, is one of the largest and most prosperous Episcopalian parishes in Arizona. The late Sen. Barry Goldwater, who donated some of its land, worshiped there, and his ashes are interred there.

The church has approximately 1,000 members. Christ Church Anglican, the breakaway group, has about 150 members who will worship at a church at 20th Street and Bethany Home Road. The first service will be at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 7. The gay issue was "inconsequential" in the breakaway group's decision, said Jane Allred, a leader of the new church. Instead, she said, the motivation was respect for traditional Anglican values.

"We are leaving to follow Christ's call as we understand it," Allred said. "We want to be part of a Scriptural church that is biblically orthodox, and the Episcopal Church is no longer teaching the basic and ancient truths."

The rector of Christ Church of the Ascension, who also is leaving the parish, agreed that the gay issue is just a part of a bigger issue that could divide the Anglican Communion from the Episcopal Church.

"The gay stuff is minor," said the Rev. Ken Semon, who declined to lead the breakaway group. "It's about the Episcopal Church failing to acknowledge the authority of Scripture."

Semon said he will move to Santa Fe to lead a conservative parish that remains affiliated with the Episcopal Church. "Since I have friends on both sides of the divide," Semon said Tuesday, "I decided that this would not betray anyone or hurt anyone any more than they already have been hurt."

Read it all.
H/t to Anglicans United.