05/05/2005
Elise Rambaud
Midland Reporter Telegram
A large portion of the St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church parish dissatisfied with the direction of the national Episcopal Church was told this week by diocese officials to leave church property by June 1.
A parish vote taken in March indicated 89 percent of the congregation preferred to dissociate itself with the national Episcopal Church but remain a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The national Episcopal Church, or ECUSA, is one of 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion which originated as the Church of England and spread to 70 million members worldwide.
Dissenting members of St. Nicholas' object to decisions made by the 2003 ECUSA General Convention which elected Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual man, as bishop of New Hampshire. Other points of contention include ECUSA's approval of same-sex marriage blessings and "refusal to adhere to traditional Christian teachings."
"As a culture, we're saying right and wrong is one person's definition against another. We've been captivated by the culture which is a moral free fall right now," said the Rev. Jon Stasney, St. Nicholas' rector or senior pastor.
"The battle in the Episcopal Church and other denominations is not just about homosexuality," Stasney said in a press release. "It's about whether or not we are going to remain true to the Biblical faith and 2000 years of apostolic teaching. The people of St. Nicholas' love all of God's people, no matter what their sexual preference. But the overwhelming majority at St. Nicholas' want to remain true to Biblical faith no matter what the cost -- even if means having to leave our church building"
The minority of the parish, 11 percent, wants St. Nicholas' to remain part of the Episcopal diocese and wishes to continue worshipping at the church's current location. They will have to find interim clergy because both Stasney and Hartzer are counted in the 89 percent. The rest of the congregation currently is seeking an alternative location for worship.
The decision came after several negotiations between both portions of the parish and Bishop Wallis Ohl of the Diocese of Northwest Texas. The Rev. Jonathan Hartzer, associate rector, said St. Nicholas' property was built and paid for four years ago without help of the diocese or ECUSA.
"St. Nicholas' leaders asked Ohl for help in March because the congregation was losing income and members, indicating that most members no longer desired to be affiliated with the ECUSA. At the March meeting, St. Nicholas' representatives asked the Bishop to help work out a mutual solution that would keep the St. Nicholas' congregation together in its church. The title to the property is vested in St. Nicholas' church, but, according to the denomination, is held in trust for the diocese and the national Episcopal Church," Hartzer said.
Ohl could not be reached for comment, but in a May 4 letter to the congregation, Ohl finalized his decision asking those leaving the Episcopal Church to depart no later than May 31.
"I believe that in the long run, delaying the decision would have been much more difficult for all involved. The animosity between the factions of what currently constitutes St. Nicholas' Episcopal Church was not ameliorating; in fact it was becoming more exacerbated with each passing week. I do not believe that is good for the souls of those wishing to remain or those who wish to depart the Episcopal Church to remain in the close proximity relationship that currently exists," Ohl wrote.
St. Nicholas' is the first church in the diocese to consider splitting from ECUSA, but Hartzer said other Texas Episcopal parishes have had similar objections. However, some Texas bishops have been more cooperative.
"At other churches, bishops have allowed congregations to obtain their property and worships according to their conscience," Hartzer said.
"Other bishops in Texas have done much more to stand against the unbiblical direction of the Episcopal Church, such as Bishop James Stanton of Dallas, who aligned the entire diocese with the Anglican Communion Network," Hartzer said. The Anglican Communion Network is an affinity group of orthodox Episcopalians.
Edna Hibbitts, a member of St. Nicholas' for 35 years, plans to stay at the church. She said she is saddened by the loss of her fellow members and wishes there could be a better resolution.
"I have not felt called to leave. I think whatever problems the church has should be solved within the church structure," she said. " I don't think the people who are staying are more liberal than others, but they just don't think it's necessary to leave the church."
Hibbitts pointed out the congregation grew significantly when the church relocated to Loop 250, but she said newer members may have less trouble leaving because they don't have "deep roots." Hibbitts said the diversity in opinions among the parish stems from different perspectives.
"Biblical interpretation varies from one individual to the other, but the foundation is faith in Christ. Perhaps some of us can live with the messiness and others find that very difficult. We all have a shared mission but not a shared vision," she said.
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