That's My Church! - "Check, Please." Edition

Wow. The Colossus drops this link to what ought to be the Bailing-Palie form letter:

April 10, 2007

The Wardens, Vestry, and Parish of St. Barnabas
110 East Lincoln Street
Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388

Subject: Letter of Transfer

Greetings,

I hope this letter finds you well and I pray that the Peace of Christ dwells within you and your families.

Since I left the Vestry of St. Barnabas at the end of my term as Senior Warden last November, I have had time to reflect, pray and discern my position relative to the parish, the Diocese, and The Episcopal Church (TEC). I arrive at this point not in haste, anger or judgment. Rather I arrive gently and with a great sense of relief and peace.

When I decided to leave Rome and become an Anglican, I did so after a significant amount of study, research and prayer over a two year period culminating in my joining the Episcopal Church. Not because of it’s reputation or social presence but because I believed that it represented traditional Anglicanism in the US. Anglicanism as envisioned from the Synod of Whitby forward. The events since General Convention 2003 have proved it to be otherwise.

The consecration of Bp. Robinson in 2003 set the stage for what is now costing TEC an average of 105 communicants a day. In fact the total is 115,000 since 2003. This is not my estimate but that of TEC’s own statistical analysis. In doing this, TEC acted in a manner that tore the very fabric of communion with the larger Anglican Church. They did so citing our supposed “autonomy” and self governance.

After GC 2003, the Executive Council of TEC, independent of either House or the Convention, decided not only to support the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), but to fund it. The RCRC advocates a supposed “freedom of choice” regarding abortion. By doing this they (TEC) demonstrated their willingness to act without the consensus of General Convention. Interestingly enough, this use of polity is in diametric opposition to the fact pattern used by the House of Bishops to declare themselves powerless to answer the most recent requests of the primates meeting in Dar es Salaam. They now say that they cannot act without consensus. In addition, the action regarding the RCRC leaves the National Church in a position where it advocates abortion-on-demand while steadfastly opposing capital punishment. These glaring dichromatic interpretations of both polity and theology have been present since about 2003 and continue today.

GC 2006 brought an onslaught of counter-orthodox decisions. The election of Bp. Jefferts-Schori as the Presiding Bishop was a slap in the face of the larger Communion. Her demonstrated pattern of theological understanding continues to amaze. She has denied Creation, afterlife, and most shockingly, the uniqueness of Christ. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church defines heresy as the "formal denial or doubt of any defined doctrine of the catholic faith" and further separates heresy into two categories based on the old Greek phrase denoting "thing chosen". The first category, "formal heresy", consists in the "willful and persistent adherence to errors in matters of faith on the part of a baptized person; as such it is a grave sin involving ipso facto excommunication". I firmly believe Bishop Schori to be such a heretic. I cannot in conscience, directly or indirectly be associated with any Church led by any heretic, regardless of gender.

Reading from Irenaeus Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) brings TEC’s position under clear focus. “Those persons prove themselves senseless who exaggerate the mercy of Christ, but are silent as to the judgment, and look only at the more abundant grace of the New Testament; but, forgetful of the greater degree of perfection which it demands from us, they endeavour to show that there is another God beyond Him who created the world.” I suggest reading of this particular work to anyone interested in either Church history or current events within the TEC.

The straw that broke the camels back for me was the most recent decision of the HOB to deny alternative oversight for the orthodox in TEC. The effect of this decision will most likely be what TEC was trying to avoid, the orthodox will simply leave. Most remaining with TEC will say a polite good riddance. In fact, entire parishes and individual communicants are doing just that in aligning with CANA, AMiA and other Anglican jurisdictions.

I suppose one could say that the events of late “don’t affect St. Barnabas” and that the National Church’s perspectives on same-sex unions, et cetera can’t or won’t come to Tullahoma. I disagree. I am not a Congregationalist and therefore understand the Presiding and Diocesan Bishops to have ecclesiastical and theological authority. I, as well as many others, read the Nicene Creed as our statement of faith (We believe in one holy catholic and Apostolic Church.). I am also far more Anglo-Catholic than Evangelical or Charismatic, so I am drawn more to CANA than the other options. I believe all these efforts will eventually unify under a recognized Province in full communion with Lambeth.

Having said all of that let me put this in personal perspective. I have decided to join St. Patrick’s Anglican Church under Bishop Minns and Fr. Ray Kasch. I believe CANA to be a true reflection of traditional Anglicanism here in North America. During these times of shaking and reshaping Anglicanism, I hope every one of you finds him or herself at center and peace with where you are regardless of where that might be. I am simply an orthodox Christian and as such I cannot remain in TEC. To do so, at least for me, would be granting at least tacit approval to, and agreement with, the larger situation. I cannot in clear conscience do that. The world embraced the Enlightenment once and it proved a folly. Yet TEC embraces both (albeit more slickly repackaged than the original) secular humanism and post modernism as integral to the operation of a Church. My personal position is that social justice issues are important, but the Gospel is the center of the Church, not the Millennium Development Goals.

I have to agree with Fr. Matt Kennedy, writing for Stand Firm in Faith, as he eloquently wrote; It is depressingly illustrative to read elected deputies to the premier legislative body of the Episcopal Church, heap praise on the ancient heretic Pelagius, denigrate St. Augustine, and openly mock the doctrine of Original sin; a more perfect picture of itching ears is difficult to imagine. Then again, but for the ancient heretics, what else is left to them?

With all of this in mind, I request that I be removed from the membership rolls at St. Barnabas and that a Letter of Transfer be provided to St. Patrick’s at the address below. Please forward a copy of the letter to me at my home address.

St. Patrick’s Anglican Church
Attn: Fr. Ray Kasch
P.O. Box 941
Smyrna, TN 37167

In Christ’s Peace,

Robert W. Filer

cc: The Rt. Rev’d. John Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee
The Rev’d. Canon Jill Zook Jones, Canon to the Ordinary

Oddly enough, the Missus has made me promise to finish out my term on the vestry of my own Church before making any formal move. That gives me about another year, during which time I have every confidence TEC will provide ample justification (if any more be necessary) for my hitting the silk. And whither Robbo? As of yet, regular readers know I'm still pondering the options. But at some point, I'm going to start dropping in here to do some serious recon work.