It’s hardly news that the Episcopal Church is dying. But what is news is the numbers in the recently released results of the annual parochial report. Not because they confirm that the denomination is dying, but because they are so bad. Like Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, rivers of blood, plagues of locusts bad. Things begin with a… Read More »
In the course of my travels, both in-person and cyber-based, I am hearing a recurring criticism from Episcopalians, particularly those who are elderly, shut-in, or isolated. That criticism, and it is deeply concerning, is that the church is ignoring them during the pandemic; that they feel ignored, brushed off, and irrelevant. I don’t have hard numbers, but I… Read More »
Reports coming out of Truro Anglican, one of the parishes at the center of the property dispute with the Episcopal Church, indicate that the church is again embroiled in scandal following the resignation of Tim Mayfield, the interim rector. According to various sources, Mayfield was asked to resign by the church’s senior warden following reports he inappropriately touched… Read More »
One of the problems facing many Episcopal churches, dioceses, and the national church itself is a lack of willingness to look the truth in the eye. That’s especially true when it comes to finances. Fortunately, small glimmers of hope come from the tiny diocese of Vermont, which recently announced that it faces a looming financial catastrophe and is… Read More »
Several days ago, I read an article in Episcopal Cafe about the Alabama Cathedral. The article was enough to make my head explode, and it’s no surprise that my comments didn’t pass muster with the site’s censors. The story was about how the Cathedral has now agreed to use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and financially support the diocese.… Read More »
You can’t make this stuff up. In the midst of the pandemic, at a time where abuse and domestic violence are skyrocketing, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is now proposing to zero out its budget for sexual misconduct training and prevention. Seriously. The announcement comes as the diocese attempts for the second time to pass a 2021 budget.… Read More »
Some time ago, I wrote about the possibility that Episcopal Cafe, the independent news and commentary blog that serves the Episcopal church, is dying. The post can be found here. Recent events suggest that may indeed be the case, with some commenters even calling for the platform to close. The recent uproar involved the Daily Sip, a meditative piece by Charles LaFond.… Read More »
The Episcopal Church, which has said it is working to effect racial reconciliation, just provided a shocking and outrageous example of just how clueless it is. Here is the link. In a letter from the bishops of the Sewanee province condemning recurring incidents of racism at Sewanee, an Episcopal college in the south, the bishops stated emphatically that… Read More »
Imagine you’re a police officer in a small town. Crime’s far from rampant, but most nights you get dispatched on several calls. Depending on the weather or local events, you might have times when you don’t get a lot of calls. Maybe you even go a day or two sometimes with no calls. But if you didn’t get… Read More »
Schism begets schism. That’s the reality that now faces dissident “Anglicans” in North America, following a Pastoral Letter from American Convocation of Anglicans in North America (ACNA) bishops that suggested tolerance, if not acceptance, of LGBTQ members. (ACNA comprises groups that have left the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church, and is not part of the… Read More »