Two small parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia have quit the denomination because of objections to gay ordination and have joined a like-minded group of dissident churches based in Northern Virginia.
The break away Anglican District of Virginia announced Friday that Christ Church in Emporia and Grace Church in Purdy had become members. The district now includes 23 parishes that have cut ties with the Episcopal Church.
The Southern Virginia diocese has about 120 parishes, including more than two dozen in South Hampton Roads.
Church of the Messiah in Chesapeake quit the Episcopal denomination in 2006. Grace Episcopal Church in Newport News left a couple of years earlier.
Messiah, Christ and Grace Church/Purdy all contend that their congregations own their church building and grounds. The diocese argues that it owns the properties and that the congregations were only trustees.
The Episcopal Church has seen an internal split over denominational leaders' endorsement in 2003 of the ordination of a noncelibate gay man as bishop.
Traditionalists denounce gay ordination and also say the denomination is drifting from orthodox interpretation of Scripture.
The Purdy and Emporia parishes left over those issues, said the Rev. Colin C. Cooper, who leads both congregations.
Cooper criticized the denomination's "general approach to Scripture that seems to say, if we come to Scripture and find something that doesn't fit with the way we think, we'll just reinterpret it."
Cooper said the Purdy congregation has about 40 members, while the Emporia parish has about 25. Both were established around 1840, he said.
The two congregations formally quit the denomination in June and now give allegiance to the Anglican Church of Uganda, he said.
The affiliation allows the congregations to remain part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the 77 million member church that includes Episcopalians.
The Southern Virginia diocese could go to court to confirm its ownership of the Christ, Messiah and Grace Church/Purdy properties, but has not so far, said Bishop John C. Buchanan, the
diocese's interim leader.
The issue could be influenced by the outcome of a legal battle over property rights between nine churches in the Anglican District and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia in Northern Virginia.
Steven G. Vegh, (757) 446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
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Divine
There's the crux. Either you believe the Bible is the Word of God or you don't. If you believe it is, you can't prove it, but neither can those who disbelieve it disprove it. Everyone gets to choose for themselves what they think about the Bible. And certainly cynical churchmen have treated it worse than unbelievers have, over the centuries. To my belief, it is nothing short of miraculous that the words almost completely match the Dead Sea scrolls after all of this time (and the parts that don't match don't affect any major beliefs). Cheers, MGM
And another thing
Cooper criticized the denomination's "general approach to Scripture that seems to say, if we come to Scripture and find something that doesn't fit with the way we think, we'll just reinterpret it."
I find it hilarious that he would seem outraged by this. For centuries, up to present day, men of the cloth have been doing this very same practice. Popes were/are notorious for it, just as much as political statesmen were/are. How do you think the separation of church and state came about in the first place?? This was certainly one of the reasons...
You can have your church
I've never had any use for church, much less religion. If you want my honest opinion, church/religion are for the morally weak. If you can't use common sense to decide the difference between right or wrong and live your life in a decent, civil manner without being told how, then you are a sad human being. No one needs religious guidance (theoretically) on how to do right by others and oneself.
Gay unions don't affect heterosexual divorces (obviously, considering the outlandish divorce rate in this country)...
Following the words of Jesus??
Modern day Christianity does not really follow the words of Jesus, but those of Paul.
Why Im not a christian.....
those churchesmake great forums for comedy. What a shame that you folks have ruined what was probably once a beautiful system of beliefs. My family has been so much better off since we left all of that hypocrisy behind.
Follow Jesus' words?
The Bible has some good words but even the supposed followers of Jesus and the Bible ignore the parts they find inconvenient.
mary
"I think Gertz understands on this one. She knows that I am not against her son and his partner personally and would wish them a good life, but we would not hold their ceremony in our church."
My son and his partner first thought of a church wedding, but changed their mind and wanted to have it here at home. The ceremony was held by a Rabbi, and a Caholic Priest. A building (church) means nothing in God's eye (my opinion). You don't have to attend a church to worshp the God you believe in.
So let me get this right,
So let me get this right, you would rather belong to the Church of Uganda then let gay people worship in your church? Those are some hateful people...
People should strive to
People should strive to conform to the teachings of their religion, not change the religion to conform to their ideals. If people dont like what a faith teaches, then perhaps they should change their thinking or their religion.
IMHO
Oh, I see, so you have a need to change everyone to believe the way you do regarding homosexuality being just another way to define a family????
Interesting, because the Christians I know who believe that way also believe that no one can know for sure what Jesus taught in the Bible. But you are very sure He taught that homosexuality is acceptable, even if all of His other teachings are veiled, eh? How does that work?
I think Gertz understands on this one. She knows that I am not against her son and his partner personally and would wish them a good life, but we would not hold their ceremony in our church. The separation of church and state works both ways--government should not be defining any church's doctrine either! Cheers, MGM
change huh?
Churches for centuries have changed what was written in the bible and what they preached to whatever their beliefs were at the time. I think it's funny how some people think "orthodox" equates to "purity." Do you really think that what's writen on the bible today is the same that was written 500+ years ago?
Irresponsible, poorly written article
This article is poorly written.
For the millionth time, it's NOT about homosexuality!
The issue of Gene Robinson's election of bishop may have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but it was just a part of a much bigger drift in the Episcopal church toward being more like a Unitarian church.
It's about the gradual drift away from "orthodoxy" and towards a liberal reintepretation of scripture that has taken place over several decades.
Conservatives get accused of being the bad guys here, but we didn't leave the church, the church left US.
yes mary there are
As you said there are other churches that will marry gay couples even righ here in Hampton Roads. When my son and his partner had their Union we held it here at my home in the flower garden. As one attendee said, that was one hell of a garden party. And it was!
reproduction
Everything having to do with homosexuality will take care of itself after a few generations.
mary
It's not marriage, it's following Jesus' will.
By the same rationale you propose, Segregationists must have thought there were plenty of water fountains for African Americans to use, too.
mary
It's not marriage, it's following Jesus' will.
By the same rationale you propose, Segregationists must have thought there were plenty of water fountains for African Americans to use, too.
IMHO
Remember what Joe Biden said, "Let the churches decide on which ones will provide gay unions and which ones will not." He said it is not a civil issue at all, but one for churches to decide. These have obviously decided "no." Isn't that their right? There are plenty of churches that would be happy to marry gay couples. Cheers, MGM
God bless their hearts
for taking such a Christian stand. I hope there will be a special place somewhere for them in the afterlife.
Maybe now that that issue is decided, they can go back to their task of trying to elect John McSame and his female-version of Dan Quayle running mate.