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Rev. Vern Caswell - Rt. Rev. William J. Cox

Episcopalian bishop bolts to Anglicans

 By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer
4/7/2007

A retired Oklahoma bishop charged with violating church law resigned this week from the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church and has been accepted into the Anglican Diocese of Argentina.

The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican communion.

The Rt. Rev. William J. Cox, 86, is a casualty of the growing rift in the Episcopal Church over biblical authority and the ordination of gay clergy.

Cox, who lives in Tulsa, was facing an Episcopal church trial on charges that he violated church law by ordaining two Anglican priests and a deacon in Kansas without the permission of the bishop of the Diocese of Kansas, among other charges.

His resignation leaves the status of the trial in question.

Cox said if the trial is held, he will not participate.

The Rev. Jan Nunley of the Episcopal News Service said the policy of the national church is not to comment on ecclesiastical trials.

Last week, Cox was accepted as a retired assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Argentina, Province of the Southern Cone.

That diocese, and some in Africa, have been accepting ecclesiastical authority over American churches and 

individuals leaving the Episcopal denomination over the consecration of a gay bishop.

The Episcopal Church has been severely criticized by Anglican leaders, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, for consecrating Bishop Gene Robinson, a self-avowed practicing homosexual.

Cox, who served as assistant bishop of Oklahoma from 1980 until his retirement in 1988, is well-known in the area as a speaker and leader of healing seminars held in a variety of denominations.

He fell out of favor with the Episcopal leadership in Oklahoma in recent years by aligning himself with conservative Episcopalians who are leaving the church in the wake of the Robinson consecration.

"The church today is not the church I was ordained in 50 years ago, because of its revisionism and its lack of orthodox theology," Cox said. "It has abandoned biblical faith and practice."

Cox said he did not resign solely because of the pending trial, but that the trial was "the straw that broke the camel's back."

Cox's current trouble with the church began about two years ago when he was contacted by Anglican Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, primate of the Province of the Church of Uganda.

Orombi had assumed authority over the former Christ Church Episcopal in Overland Park, Kan., when it left the Episcopal Church. He asked Cox to ordain two priests and a deacon there, so Orombi would not have to make the trip from Africa.

Cox agreed to do the ordinations.

The bishop of the Diocese of Kansas, the Rt. Rev. Dean Wolfe, asked him not to do it, and Oklahoma Bishop Robert M. Moody advised him against it.

Cox performed the ordinations in June 2005.

"If I had it to do over again, I would do the same thing," he said. "These people are not outcasts. They're my brothers and sisters in Christ.

"I'm not going to allow my ministry to stop. I'll make disciples for Jesus Christ whenever and wherever I can."

Cox said he has ministered all over the world, in numerous denominations, and it has never before been a problem.

Attorney Wicks Stephens represents Cox and also serves as house attorney for the Anglican Communion Network, a group of churches and individuals who are leaving the Episcopal Church and aligning themselves with Anglicans worldwide.

Stephens said complaints were brought against Cox by the bishops of Oklahoma and Kansas. The Review Committee of the House of Bishops examined the complaints and ruled that they merited investigation.

After an investigation, the Review Committee issued formal charges, called a "presentment."

Stephens said the next step would be a trial before a group of bishops. If the trial is held, and charges are found to be true, discipline could range from admonishment to permanent removal from ordained ministry.

He said Cox's position is that he did not violate church law because the ordinations were performed for non-Episcopalians, who are not under the authority of the Diocese of Kansas, and were performed at the request of an Anglican primate.

Moody declined to discuss the case. His spokesman, the Rev. Canon Charles Woltz, said it was an internal disciplinary issue, and the bishop would not comment to protect the reputation of the church and the people involved.

He said the case has been "out of our hands" since it went to the House of Bishops, "who felt the charges were serious enough to bring presentment."

 

Posted by David Virtue on 2007/4/10

In the DIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA, Bishop William Cox, 86, a retired Oklahoma bishop who was charged with violating church law by ordaining two Anglican priests, resigned from the Episcopal House of Bishops and was accepted into the Anglican Diocese of Argentina. He may now avoid a canonical trial because he has left the TEC. One of the presenting bishops, Robert M. Moody, (Oklahoma) who wants to put him on trial, called a diocesan clericus, last week. During his discussions he remarked, "Cox took the coward's way out." Word on the street it is that Moody has closed down as many as eight parishes during his tenure as bishop.

One church, St. James Anglican, in Oklahoma City, (formerly St. James Episcopal that pulled out of the Diocese of Oklahoma) is growing. It now has more than 130 members under the rector ship of the Rev. Vern Caswell. The old St. James Episcopal has about twenty-five members and lives off the diocese, which pays the salary of the priest. VOL was told that the two-year period for that priest ends shortly. It will be interesting to see if the bishop continues this financial arrangement. The Rev. Vern Caswell, rector of St. James Anglican told VOL that his parishioners have purchased a piece of property and will break ground some time this summer. "There are now four churches under the diocese of Argentina (Province of Southern Cone) in Oklahoma and we all are looking to plant new churches," Caswell told VOL.

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Global South Primates with Rowan Williams
Our Bishop Gregory J. Venables
Seated first on left

A Pastoral Letter From Archbishop Greg Venables
 in Reference to the recently Concluded Primates Meeting - February 2007

The Most Revd Gregory Venables

Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone

Pastoral Letter Addressing the Primates Meeting

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

To my dear brothers and sisters in Christ in the Southern Cone:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the One Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I am enroute back to Buenos Aires having, as you are well aware, been meeting in Dar es Salaam with the other Primates of the Anglican Communion. The meeting has resulted in a great deal of attention. I thought it might be helpful to share some of my thoughts with you.

The meeting was a remarkable one in that we were able, through much painful honesty and clear speech, to come to a common agreement. Frankly, I was surprised at that. Given the great polarization in the Anglican Communion, I held out little hope for a way forward. The willingness of many of our colleagues from the two-thirds world to speak plainly about the changes to the faith that The Episcopal Church (now called TEC) has introduced to the “faith once delivered to the saints” was a clear sign of the work of the Holy Spirit. While these changes centre around their pursuit of what might be called a “same-sex agenda,” departures from Christian practice and teaching extend well beyond that. Their view and interpretation of Scripture is vastly different from Anglican teaching and two millennia of Christian understanding and interpretation. This, of course, tragically leads away from the essential and central truth of the unique role of Jesus Christ in the atonement and in the power of His resurrection. In other words the very basis of the Gospel which is our one hope and glory.

A number of press reports have asked why human sexuality was even discussed given the importance of the Millennium Goals for the elimination of poverty. Of course, a church with the compassionate heart of Christ will work to address–even eradicate–poverty. Contrary to popular understanding, however, behaviour of all types has theological implications. The Bible is completely clear that sexual behaviour has deep spiritual significance. It is concern for people’s souls that causes us to address this issue, not fear or revulsion. The heart and soul of the Church is the proclamation of the Gospel. The core of the Gospel is repentance, forgiveness, and new life in Christ.

We must now see if the Episcopal Church is going to be willing to fulfill the spirit and the specifics of our agreement. From the first indications, I am most ´concerned. We gave much time to producing a Communiqué which was unambiguous and straightforward. Tragically, in the Presiding Bishop’s remarks to the Church Center community just two days after the close of the meeting she misguidingly argues that there was agreement and understanding among the Primates that blessings of same-sex couples could continue as “pastoral care” as long as there was no official published liturgy for it. That assertion quite scandalously demonstrates the very concern that the Communiqué addresses in identifying this situation.

There appears to us to be an inconsistency between the position of General Convention and local pastoral provision. We recognise that the General Convention made no explicit resolution about such Rites and in fact declined to pursue resolutions which, if passed, could have led to the development and authorisation of them. However, we understand that local pastoral provision is made in some places for such blessings. It is the ambiguous stance of The Episcopal Church which causes concern among us.

It is alarmingly disingenuous to suggest that the Primates could adopt such an ambiguity after explicitly expressing such deep concern for the harm that this sort of action has caused.

At the close of the meeting, I said that what we had decided was “a way forward,” but not “the answer.” The answer for the communion is found in the Word of God and in the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus. It is a sufficiently robust message. It does not have to be replaced by another one. Indeed to attempt to do so would be to miss the whole point. In fact, there is no other message that can bring real hope to the souls of men and women. There is no other message that can bring salvation. It is to that proclamation that we remain committed together with many others.

May God richly bless you and grant you peace. And may God richly bless this wonderful province.

Your brother and servant in Christ,

+Gregory Venables

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RELIGION
 WITHOUT FOUNDATION

For those who are shocked by the crack-up of the Episcopal Church, let me explain: The answer was on a T-shirt I saw last month while traveling to the Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly in Birmingham and the Episcopal Church General Convention in Columbus. It read, "I'm Making It Up As I Go." Exactly.

IN COLUMBUS, when Katharine Jefferts Schori preached her first sermon to the Episcopal Church General Convention as presiding bishop-elect, she announced, "Our mother Jesus gives birth to a new creation and we are his children." No doubt many in attendance thought this was wonderfully profound--as undoubtedly Bishop Schori and her handlers did. The conservatives, however, heard this gibberish as, well . . . gibberish and heretical gibberish at that.
In contrast to Christians through the ages, the denominational left has substituted sentiments for facts, passions for authority, and subjectivity for reason. Their belief seems to be that if they "create space for dialogue" it will allow them to emote and vote with the result that a simple majority determines the new revised standard version of God's truth and will.

Source: The Weekly Standard - Religion Without Foundation, by Jim Tonkowich 7/26/06
To Read The Complete Article:http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/462drjbf.asp

STATEMENTS LIKE THESE ARE WHY WE AT ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH LEFT THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OVER 3 YEARS AGO.

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Moderator's Pastoral Letter for All the Churches
 
 

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul
25th January, A.D. 2005

TO ALL THE CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION NETWORK:

Beloved in the Lord,

It has been one year since the chartering of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, now commonly called the Anglican Communion Network.  What a year it has been!

I write as Moderator with a word of encouragement.  I know these are exceedingly anxious times.  Remember, no matter what the appearances, “[He] has overcome the world," (Jn 16.33) and his word to us is that we are to "Be of good cheer."  Jesus spoke these words to the first followers, just as He speaks them to us. To be sure…their challenges were no less daunting than ours. That the entire and undiminished Christian Faith has been passed to us has to do with their unflinching stand.  We can do no less in our day.

So much has happened in one year.  Be encouraged.  One layman in the Diocese of Pittsburgh is raising $100,000 to insure the work of the Convocations.  His efforts are a challenge to laity of the nine other Network dioceses.  We have only just begun to receive word of commitments from parish and diocesan budgets and the news is very good.  So far just nine congregations have pledged $155,436 to the Network’s 2005 budget, most of which will be matched by a 1:2 challenge grant from the American Anglican Council.  Having said this, another million dollars in commitments is urgently needed from Network parishes and dioceses.  Please, vestries and diocesan councils, act now.

This letter brings word that Mr. Wicks Stephens, formerly chief operating officer of Trinity School in Ambridge (and a litigator licensed before the California bar), has accepted full-time appointment as Development Director and Legal Advisor for the Network.  (The funding of this position was provided by a special and far-sighted gift of one Virginia parish, dollars additional to the budget figures above.)  Alongside of our Network Canon for Operations, Larry Crowell, and new staffing for the Ministry Development Program (the tested ordinations program pioneered by the AAC) the Network’s Pittsburgh office is gaining significance, structure and stability.  The AAC (from its new Atlanta office) continues to fund and provide services as Network secretariat, providing for public relations, communications, educational, accounting and secretarial needs.

Anglican Relief and Development has soared beyond our wildest hopes.  Announced at Michaelmas (September, 2004), we have thus far funded 13 development projects in 9 nations totaling $460,000.  We are targeting an additional $550,000 in grants for the next 6 months, in addition to our best guess of something like $250,000 of tsunami relief enabled by our one-time South Asia appeal in Christmastide.  Blessing upon blessing, we have also been notified by the Reformed Episcopal Church that they will consider action to make ARDF their relief and development arm as well.

Extraordinary talent has come forward as the Network"s needs have developed.  Six convocational deans - serving the vast areas of our country (including some 200 congregations and 300 clergy) that are in non-Network dioceses – have devoted much of their energies to what has become the creative engine of the Anglican Communion Network.  The deans are John Guernsey (Mid-Atlantic & Convenor), Bill Murdoch (New England), Jim McCaslin (Southeastern), Ron McCrary (Mid-Continental), Bill Thompson (Western), and Bill Ilgenfritz (Forward-in-Faith[acting]).  A Cabinet system has also emerged – alongside of the faithful weekly efforts of the Steering Committee – whose members are, in addition to the Moderator, Ed Salmon (Bishops), Martyn Minns (International Partnership), Kendall Harmon (Strategic Engagement), John Guernsey (Deans), Larry Crowell (Operations) and David Anderson (Network Secretary).  Mary Hays convenes a church-planting task force, with Tom Herrick as church-plant staff.  Sharon Stockdale Steinmiller presides over 15 missionary
organizations that have come together as Anglican Global Mission Partners.

Committed to "gathering the Anglican diaspora" from our chartering, I am privileged as Moderator to convene and chair a roundtable which brings together orthodox forces inside the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in Canada, as well as significant numbers of those who have moved outside.  Included, at this point, in this roundtable are the Network, the AAC, Forward in Faith, the Anglican Mission in America, the Reformed Episcopal Church, the Anglican Province of America, the Network in Canada, the Federation in Canada, and the Anglican Communion in Canada.  We are all one river - flowing at this point in different channels - whose source and end are together.

With this letter I am also able to announce "Hope and a Future," a first-ever national Network conference.  On November 10, 11, and 12, 2005, we intend to gather 2000-3000 souls in Pittsburgh to worship, to learn, to hear from our national and global leaders and partners, and to share our resolve to be agents of a renewed Biblical and missionary Anglicanism.

The upcoming Primates meeting in Ireland will have much to say (either in speaking or not speaking) about the future of Biblical, missionary Anglicanism in North America and around the globe.  Pray mightily.  Consider fasting through much of this season between now and Holy Week.  Whatever emerges from Ireland, do not lose hope.  God would not - for no purpose -- have given all the blessing to the Anglican Communion Network that this letter describes.  He does not waste His resources.  And He is faithful even when we are not (I Tim 2.13).  Besides, Jesus has overcome the world, so we really can be of good cheer.

Humbly and faithfully in Christ,

+ Bob Pittsburgh

Moderator, Anglican Communion Network
Bishop of Pittsburgh

LONDON  - An Anglican commission sharply criticized the U.S. Episcopal Church on Monday for consecrating a gay bishop and called on the Americans to apologize.

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church quickly expressed regret for the turmoil set off by the consecration of V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire but did not apologize for the church's decision to confirm the appointment.

The commission, led by Irish Anglican leader Robin Eames, stopped far short of demands from conservatives to expel the U.S. church and made no recommendations about whether Robinson should be removed.
It urged the Episcopal Church to refrain from promoting any other clergy living in a homosexual union and proposed that the 38 national churches constituting the Anglican Communion sign a covenant expressing their support for what it called current Anglican teachings.

The report also called on conservative bishops - including some from Africa - who have offered to forge relationships with disaffected Episcopal congregations to desist from such activities, apologize and affirm their desire to remain within the Anglican Communion.

It further urged those archbishops and bishops who have intervened with Episcopal churches to seek an accommodation with the Episcopal bishop or bishops involved.

In consecrating Robinson last November, the report said, the Episcopal bishops "acted in the full knowledge that very many people in the Anglican Communion could neither recognize nor receive the ministry as a bishop in the church of God of a person in an openly acknowledged same-gender union."

The report invited the Episcopal Church "to express its regret that the proper constraints of the bonds of affection were breached" in Robinson's election.

Until there is an apology, the report said, those who took part in consecrating Robinson - which would include Griswold - should consider whether to withdraw themselves from functions of the Anglican Communion.

It also invited the Episcopal Church to call a moratorium on promoting any other person living in a same-gender union to the bishopric "until some new consensus in the Anglican Communion emerges."

Griswold previously expressed regret for the turmoil and withdrew as co-chairman of an Anglican ecumenical body.

"We regret how difficult and painful actions of our church have been in many provinces of our communion, and the negative repercussions that have been felt by brother and sister Anglicans," Griswold said Monday.

But in a defiant note, Griswold said his church was seeking to live the gospel "in a society where homosexuality is openly discussed and increasingly acknowledged."

"Other provinces are also blessed by the lives and ministry of homosexual persons. I regret that there are places within our communion where it is unsafe for them to speak out of the truth of who they are," Griswold said.

Eames told a news conference that the report did not offer any easy solutions to the church's crisis and sought reconciliation rather than punishment."You cannot impose reconciliation," Eames said.

Archbishop Drexel Gomez (search) of the West Indies, a leader of the conservatives who opposed Robinson's appointment, said the report was unanimous and "represents the highest degree of consensus that was attainable."

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane (search), head of the Church of Southern Africa, who is among the more liberal Anglican leaders in Africa, said he thought the report was fair to gay clergy and their supporters and to conservatives who believe the Bible bans gay sex.

"What the report is emphasizing is that we are a communion and in spanning the complex modern ethical issues we need to act together, not unilaterally. We should work toward finding a consensus in dealing with these issues," he said in a phone interview from Virginia, where he is on sabbatical.

A spokesman for Robinson said the bishop would not comment until he and an executive committee of the Diocese of New Hampshire had a chance to read the full report. Robinson was expected to meet privately Monday with clergy from his diocese to discuss the findings.

The Lambeth Commission is dealing with a deep split among and within Anglican national churches caused by Robinson's election and the decision of the western Canadian diocese of New Westminster to bless gay relationships.

A coalition of conservative U.S. Episcopalians affirmed Saturday that it had split from the national church and formed four new congregations, partly because of last year's consecration of the gay bishop. They plan to align themselves with a foreign bishop and meet in private homes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Some conservative churches in Africa and elsewhere have refused to meet with Episcopal Church leaders, and the issue of homosexuality has threatened to undermine the long-term future of the 77-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, which has its roots in the Church of England.

"The Anglican Communion cannot again afford, in every sense, the crippling prospect of repeated worldwide inter-Anglican conflict such as that engendered by the current crisis," the commission said.
its report recommended the churches draft and sign an "Anglican Covenant" which would deal with relationships among the national churches and the extent of their autonomy. The report envisioned this as a long-term process which would be concluded with a formal signing by the national primates at a religious service. No date was set. The report said there is no consistency among the national churches on their position regarding relationships with other national churches.

The commission also said that, when electing bishops, national churches should consider whether that appointment would prejudice relations with other provinces and whether that individual would be recognized and received if he or she visited another province.

Worldwide, Anglican conservatives are heavily in the majority. A 1998 conference of all Anglican bishops declared gay practices "incompatible with Scripture" and opposed gay ordinations and same-sex blessings in a 526-70 vote with 45 abstentions.

The 17-member Lambeth Commission included senior church figures and theologians from Canada, South Africa, Britain, the United States, Nigeria, China, Kenya, central Africa, New Zealand and India. It was set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.

   One of the most outspoken critics of the Episcopal Church USA's 2003 ordination of an openly gay bishop visited the metro area Tuesday.

   The Most Rev. Peter J. Akinola, the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, gave a public talk acknowledging his support of Oklahoma’s orthodox Anglican congregations at Christ’s Ambassadors’ Anglican Church, now meeting at the Church of the Holy Cross, 10509 N Council Road.

   Akinola said he has gladly provided support to congregations seeking an "alternative spiritual home" other than the Episcopal Church USA. Christ's Ambassadors’, headed by the Rev. Nathan Kanu of Oklahoma City, is part of Akinola’s province.

   "The faith that we share is held in community," he said. "You need the support of your brothers and sisters to grow together."

   Akinola's Anglican Church of Nigeria-with 17 million members-has officially cut ties with Episcopal Church USA along with nine other Anglican provinces.

   He said the ordination of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire was "the straw that broke the camel's back" in terms of links with the Episcopal Church USA, but it was only a symptom of other problems.

   "ECSUA has been engaging in what is being called the revisionist agenda where the Scripture is not only doubted but flouted," Akinola said.

  "We say this is the faith of our fathers, the faith of peace, the faith of joy-anything else will do."

   Akinola said visiting with the Most Rev. Robert Moody, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, was not on his agenda.

   Moody was among those Episcopal bishops who voted in support of the openly gay Robinson's ordination.

   Canon Charles Woltz, spokesman for the Diocese of Oklahoma, confirmed Tuesday that Moody and Akinola had not discussed the Nigerian archbishop’s visit.

   "It’s customary and it’s good manners for another bishop to contact the diocesan bishop." Woltz said Tuesday. "As far I know, he (Akinola) has not contacted the bishop (Moody)."

   Kanu said Akinola visit emphasizes the importance of Scripture as the anchor of the Anglican church.

   Ray Clark, Christ’s Ambassador’s senior warden, said he was pleasantly surprised that Akinola would undertake the journey to Oklahoma.

 "The church right now is in so much bitter strife over the Bible and interpretations, I feel this is a good thing for those who are more of the orthodox thinking," said Clark, of Choctaw.

 "To have someone from halfway around the world come visit us and support us, clarifying the role of the church is great.'

 Meanwhile, Anglicans all over the world are awaiting the 2004 Windsor Report expected to be released Monday by the Lambeth Commission on Communion. The commission is chaired by the Most Rev. Robin Eames, Archbishop of Ireland.

The report, also called "the Eames' report," has been drafted at the request of the Archbishop of Canterbury and is to provide, among other things, the commission’s findings on the legal and theological implications of the ECUSA's decision to support Robinson as an openly gay bishop.

   Akinola declined to speculate Tuesday on what the commission's report would entail.

A majority of the congregation of a south Oklahoma City Episcopal church have left to form a new church that will not be tied to the Episcopal Church USA.

More than 100 members of St. James Episcopal Church decided to form St. James Anglican Church, said Don Gumm, a senior warden at the new church.

The church's creation represents the congregation's departure from the Episcopal Church USA, which has drawn widespread opposition from conservative Episcopalians due to the 2003 ordination of the denomination's first openly gay bishop. The Episcopal Church, with 2.3 million members, is the U.S. branch of the 77 million-member global Anglican Communion.

St. James Anglican held its first service May 2 in the Southern Hills Baptist Church chapel. The chapel, 8601 S Pennsylvania, is near the congregation's former church at 8400 S Pennsylvania. Gumm said the new church will continue to meet in the Baptist chapel on Sundays until a permanent location can be found.

Gumm called the decision to leave St. James Episcopal and create another church a "leap of faith by a church family that has been hurting for some time."

Gumm said 116 people, most of St. James Episcopal's former congregation, met for worship on the new church's first Sunday.

A spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma said a meeting will be held soon with the remaining members of the Episcopal church.

"Though we have not yet had a congregational meeting, it is probably accurate to say more left than stayed," said Canon Charles Woltz, director of communications for the Episcopal diocese.
Woltz said the Rt. Rev. Robert Moody, the diocese's bishop, was out of town and unavailable for comment.

"At this point, these are people who disagreed with a democratically, constitutionally elected body of people, and so they've chosen to disassociate themselves with the body," Woltz said.
The Rev. Richard Resler, rector at St. James Episcopal, expressed his sadness at the break in communion.

"We're sad that they have chosen to go, but we respect their decision," Resler said.

Gumm and many of the new church's members believe the Episcopal Church USA's ordination of the openly gay V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire was wrong. But he and other members of the new church said there is more to it than Robinson.

"This is not a 'gay' issue," St. James Anglican member Karen Campbell said.

Church member Angela Monlux said the real culprit behind the discontent and hurt that led her to leave St. James Episcopal boils down to her belief that the church has distanced itself from Scripture.

Therefore, some people have felt the need to distance themselves from the church. "It's because the Episcopal Church USA has declined to affirm holy Scripture as the basis for our faith," Monlux said.

Campbell said disbelief led to disquiet that ultimately led to a schism that could no longer be denied.

"I was confirmed at that church. My son was baptized at that church, and I felt like I grew closer to God at that church," Campbell said of St. James Episcopal.

But Campbell said after the convention in which Robinson's ordination was approved and a resolution affirming holy Scripture (Resolution B001) was voted down by bishops, "It felt like the Holy Spirit had completely left our church."

Many St. James Anglican members call themselves "cradle" Episcopalians, meaning they have been affiliated with the denomination all their lives.

One such person is Terry Seymour, who said he became disheartened by the recent actions of the Episcopal Church USA. "After 40 years of being taught that Scripture is the foundation of my beliefs, the church basically said, 'You're wrong. Everything we've taught you for 40 years is wrong. You're a bigot.'"

Tom Tritz said many people began leaving St. James Episcopal shortly after Christmas.

"I thought, 'If we don't do something, our congregation is just going to splinter,'" Tritz said.

He said many members of the congregation began meeting in the weeks before Easter. During a meeting where the creation of a new church was discussed, 71 of the 78 people gathered voiced support for the idea, Tritz said.

"We wanted to keep the family together," he said. "We're hoping to find more people that feel the way we do."
Campbell said she sees a positive future for the new church and holds no hard feelings against the Episcopal Church USA.
"We don't want to put down the Episcopal Church. It's just not working for us. It's unfortunate that they left. We wish them Godspeed."

Gumm said St. James Anglican is affiliated with the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes that was officially launched in January in Plano, Texas. He said the network has agreed to provide the new church oversight by an Anglican bishop.
He said all of the members of the new church feel a certain amount of sadness. After all, many have left a church they have attended for many years. Gumm said his family's history with St. James Episcopal dates to the 1930s.

He said the pain of leaving is outweighed by the sense that the new congregation is founded on God's word. Gumm said he is especially thankful for the graciousness of Southern Hills Baptist for the use of their building.

With the question of where to worship resolved, Gumm said the group has to tackle other issues involved with starting a church. But thus far, matters have gone smoothly.

"At every turn, the answers come," he said. "I really feel the Holy Spirit is with the group."

St. James Anglican Church
Sr. Warden
Mr. Don Gumm