By COLLEEN CREAMER
ccreamer@dnj.com
Members of All Saints' Church in Smyrna remaining after the rest of the congregation split to form St. Patrick's Anglican Church will cross paths with their former brethren Sunday.
Both congregations are claiming rights to the same church facility at 1401 Lee Victory Parkway.
The Rev. Ray Kasch of St. Patrick's and former head of All Saints', said he got a call from the Rev. Bertram Nelson Herlong, the Bishop of Tennessee, telling him that Herlong would be holding an 11 a.m. service for members of All Saints' at the Smyrna church.
"I said, 'Bishop, there is nobody left at All Saints'," Kasch said. He said Herlong told him he was going "to do it anyway."
The 11 a.m. service is St. Patrick's largest service, Kasch said. At issue is who holds rights to the church Kasch's Episcopalian congregation built 10 years ago.
Last month, All Saints' Church voted to become St. Patrick's, leaving the Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. All Saints' was the first church in the region to split with the Episcopal Church after a 3-year-long schism over the ordination of openly gay priests.
Also at issue, according to Kasch, was the general direction of the church, which he believes veers from Scripture.
The diocese, he added, is asking not only that St. Patrick's pay the mortgage and utilities but also an undetermined amount of rent. He said there are not enough members left to support a new All Saints' congregation in Smyrna.
"We have about 180 now coming now on a Sunday, and he claims to have 15," Kasch said. "He's been at this a long time, and he's pretty smart. I'm sure he's going to bring in a bunch of ringers from around the diocese and claim that they had 100 at their first service."
St. Patrick's services will be held at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday, Kasch said. On Thursday, the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee sent a letter to the Smyrna church that states Herlong will hold 11 a.m. services each Sunday.
"The diocese has graciously let St. Patrick's continue to use its facilities," the letter states. "In spite of what you may have heard, All Saints' Church has not been closed. Members are not encouraged to attend other congregations but are asked to remain part of the All Saints' family. The diocese still thinks we should have an Episcopal Church in Smyrna and will make every effort to see that this congregation continues."
A number of Episcopal churches have been blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gay and lesbian priests, but the consecration of V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire to the rank of bishop in 2003 is at the heart of a fracture still affecting both the Episcopal Church and its parent affiliation, the worldwide Anglican Communion.
"Everything in the Episcopal Church is interesting these days.," said the Rev. Canon Jill Zook-Jones of the diocese. "People who have loved each other and who have been the closest of friends find themselves divided by the issues, and it's been extremely painful."
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