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I am one who decided along with 100 or so to leave church for St. Mathews Anglican church. Like many I am bothered by those who think this just an anti  homosexual issue rather the grate one of The authority of scripture, for example as expressed in the Nicene Creed and the Thirty Nine Article of Religion  

For example of the divide happened during the conversation on OPB’s Think Out Loud. One can hear the difference between FR. Humphrey expressing final authority and interpretation of scripture, allowing scripture to interpret itself to Bishop’s relativistic view of scripture. in interpretation through conversation and consensus within the human community. It not lost on me in Rt. Rev. Michael J. Hanley us in the word such as yours, as to discredit a believe of scripture is own authority but a matter of personal interpretation. This issue of Homosexuality is not the main issue but a symptom of a grater problem. 

I seen this shift form scripture being out final authority for over 20 years I am born, baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church and raised in an Episcopal family. Like many teens, I left the church feeling it was too boring but missed the important issue. I came to the knowledge of saving grace in Christ in 1981 and decide to attend a Cavalry Chapel rather than return to the Episcopal church. Again I saw the shift in 1985, while attached  to the 7^Th fleet with an Episcopal Chaplin. Finally, in 2008 I left the Baptist church and spent a few months on a “Walkabout” visiting various Episcopal parishes around where I live. 

Still, I did not see the changes in the Episcopal Church as a reason to leave, feeling ST Mathews should be the light of the Gospel for the Episcopal Church,   but unlike Rt. Rev. Dr. Johncy Itty, there was no guarantee the present bishop or Diocese of Oregon will leave St Mathews alone. My vote to leave was more of a vote of lack of confidence.

posted 3 years ago
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