Headed into a critical vote, an Episcopal diocese in Central California is poised to split with the national denomination over what its bishop sees as the threat of moral decay in the church.
The Diocese of San Joaquin is expected to vote by Saturday to secede from the Episcopal Church, becoming the first full diocese to do so because of a conservative-liberal rift that began decades ago and is now focused on whether the Bible condemns gay relationships.
An affirmative vote would place San Joaquin under the leadership of a like-minded conservative Anglican diocese in Argentina. It is almost certain to spark a court fight over control of the diocese's multimillion-dollar real estate holdings and other assets.
In a letter to parishioners, Bishop John-David Schofield said, ''Those who claim they want to remain Episcopalians but reject the biblical standards of morality...will, in the end, be left solely with a name and a bureaucratic structure.''
The head of the U.S. denomination has warned Schofield against secession.
''I do not need to remind you as well of the potential consequences of the direction in which you appear to be leading the diocese of San Joaquin,'' Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, head of the U.S. denomination, wrote in a letter Monday to him. ''I do not intend to threaten you, only to urge you to reconsider and draw back from this trajectory.''
Schofield responded that the diocese would go forward with the vote during its annual convention, which starts Friday. He all but predicted that delegates would choose to break with the Episcopal Church, the U.S. member of the global Anglican Communion.
''It is The Episcopal Church that has isolated itself from the overwhelming majority of Christendom and more specifically from the Anglican Communion by denying Biblical truth and walking apart from the historic Faith and Order,'' Schofield wrote.
Last year a majority of the laypeople and clergy who attended the diocesan convention voted to take the first step to secede from the national church. That proposal would become final if it receives a two-thirds majority vote at the meeting.
The Fresno-based congregation has explored breaking ties with the American church since 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The resulting uproar throughout the world Anglican fellowship has moved the 77 million–member communion toward the brink of schism.
Christian advocates for accepting gay relationships, including Jefferts Schori, say they are guided by biblical teachings on social justice and tolerance. But Schofield and other conservatives believe Scripture bars same-sex relationships. San Joaquin also is one of three dioceses in the Episcopal Church that will not ordain women. Schori last year became the first woman elected to lead the denomination.
The diocese's holdings include 48 church buildings, including the lush Fresno headquarters, a series of mission-style buildings surrounded by olive, Chinese elm, and cherry trees. Its total assets are worth millions, said the Reverend Van McCalister, a diocesan spokesman.
About 55 conservative Episcopal parishes have split from the church in the last few years, and some have affiliated directly with Anglican provinces overseas, according to national church statistics. But the courts have mostly ruled against them, said Valerie Munson, a Minneapolis-based lawyer who specializes in religion and law.
''If the San Joaquin diocese succeeds in taking its property, it would set a precedent that would affect not only the Episcopal Church but other churches that are similarly organized,'' Munson said. ''It could set off a chain reaction.''
San Joaquin is one of four Episcopal dioceses out of 110 -- along with Fort Worth, Texas; Quincy, Ill.; and Pittsburgh -- taking steps toward breaking with the U.S. church.
''Who owns what is ultimately going to be controlled by the civil courts,'' said James Quillinan, a San Jose, Calif.–based estate and probate attorney. ''What's certain is that when local chapters break off from the national group, it almost always results in litigation.'' (AP)
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.
Be the first to comment on this story.
If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.
All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.
See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.
Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.
Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff
Career Opportunities | Help
Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition
Visit our Websites
Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | HereTV.com | GayWired.com | SheWired.com
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice
Advocate.com © 2009 Regent Entertainment Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
