In the current issue of "Episcopal Priests Gone Bad", we have a North Carolina rector cruising through Florida in his Corvette accused of pulling a handgun on someone in an apparent road rage incident.
To the uninitiated, "Welcoming and Affirming" means that they are all on board with the LGBT agenda. The consequence of this stance is falling attendance, and as the stats below show, the parish average Sunday attendance has dropped from approximately 210 in 2005 to approximately 140 in 2015.
"William Rian Adams was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon this past July 5th in Martin County.A look at Calvary Episcopal's web page shows that they are proudly "Welcoming and Affirming". Pointing a gun at another driver is neither welcoming or affirming.
Adams listed his occupation as a priest at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, North Carolina.
According to an FHP (Florida Highway Patrol) incident report, Adams was driving a newer model Corvette and attempted a brake check in front of the victim’s Silverado.
As the victims attempted to pass the Corvette, FHP says Adams pointed a semi-automatic hand gun at the victim." MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (CBS 12)
To the uninitiated, "Welcoming and Affirming" means that they are all on board with the LGBT agenda. The consequence of this stance is falling attendance, and as the stats below show, the parish average Sunday attendance has dropped from approximately 210 in 2005 to approximately 140 in 2015.
Such a precipitous decline should be enough to enrage anyone.
Still, it is a good sized parish by TEc standards, and it is doing well enough for the Rector to afford to drive a Corvette.
My advice to anyone visiting this church is to be sure to empty your wallet when the offering plate is passed around because the ushers might be packing heat, and the rector's discretionary fund is going to need more cash.
I wonder, how do they practice passing the peace?
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Hah, Pewster! That's it, he was just passing the peace.
ReplyDelete(You can't have any idea how much I enjoy NOT doing that in church these days. I had so many experiences in TEC churches of people wishing me peace in the ritual and then totally ignoring me after the dismissal.)
You may have missed my post from 2009 on passing the peace. If you haven't seen it, the song about Mrs. Beamish is hilarious.
DeleteOh, I just laughed myself silly! I am Mrs. Beamish, although my problem is more that I am introverted enough to be really uncomfortable about hugging anyone other than close family.
DeleteBut some of these lyrics speak directly to the "new church" and its excesses:
"Now the organ's gone for scrap, every vicar's got the clap ...
You'll go just one inch too far,
You'll end up wearing that guitar, "
A few years ago, when our Continuing bishop announced we'd all soon be Roman Catholic, we looked around, prayed a lot, and re-affiliated with the REC. The REC has just fully justified that move. At the most recent General Council, they unveiled a new hymnal, to replace the TEC 1940, which TEC refuses to authorize for new printings. According to our music people who have reviewed it, it's an excellent job, and contains some new material many of us wished were in the hymnal, while removing some less-used materials, and being revised in some useful ways. Wow! Imagine a church body doing something intended to help, and actually helping, local parishes!
I wonder what ACNA will do about a hymnal? Most churches I have visited use the Episcopal 1979 Hymnal. I am sure that TEc will be changing that in the not too distant future. Those same ACNA parishes are big on passing the peace. It makes me squeamish too.
DeleteOops I meant 1982 Hymnal
DeleteI asked my ACNA contemporary church friends what they will do when TEC stops printing the 1979 prayer book and the 1982 hymnal. I didn't get an answer. However, many of those parishes put the order of worship, which is "based on" the 1979 but not always closely following it, in the bulletin, and they put the words to their songs on screens on the wall. Fairly often those songs aren't in the 1982 hymnal anyhow.
DeleteIn addition to a great new hymnal, the REC has published a prayer book taking the 1928/1662 and putting them in modern language. I love the Elizabethan language, myself, but I can see that a somewhat more modern version could be useful.
I spoke with a priest who was on the committee making the ACNA prayer book. It is a work in progress. They have a lectionary as Fr. Dale can attest. I have not heard about a Hymnal. Maybe they should look at the REC Hymnal.
Deletehttp://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/03/robert-farago/episcopalians/
ReplyDeleteGood catch, Fr. Dale! This Episcopal priest shouldn't have a gun to wave at anyone, according to his church. Although responsible people use guns for self-defense, not for waving at people in traffic.
DeleteThey better frisk him if he gets called to 815 for a disciplinary hearing.
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