ECUSA to Lose Its Largest Congregation

by Jim Brown and Jody Brown
July 3, 2006

(AgapePress) - - The largest congregation in the Episcopal Church USA is leaving the denomination over its support of homosexual ordination and its general disregard for scripture. Christ Church in Plano, Texas, says it will "disassociate with ECUSA as soon as possible."

Following decisions made during the ECUSA's General Convention last month, the leadership of Christ Church issued a statement explaining its decision. "The direction of the leadership of the Episcopal Church is different and we regret their departure from biblical truth and the historic faith of the Anglican Communion," it reads. "As the vestry of Christ Church, we declare our intention to disassociate from ECUSA as soon as possible."

Writing to his church members, Rector Canon David Roseberry said "the Episcopal Church has not only broken the faith and apostolic witness but appears determined to continue in that path. We cannot go with them."

Roseberry says it took two steps to see the Episcopal Church was out of touch with its heritage and biblical teaching. "The first step was what it did three years ago," he says, referring to the consecration of Gene Robinson, an open homosexual, as bishop of New Hampshire. "The Anglican Communion reacted: they proposed a series of recommendations that would show the [Episcopal Church USA] that they were stepping outside the family. Those recommendations were taken seriously, but they were never acted on in such a way that the Episcopal Church is pulling back from its step -- so it's effectively taken another step."

And says Roseberry, two steps indicates a walking away -- and the Episcopal Church, he says, is now walking away from the "proud heritage" of the Anglican Communion. The rector of Christ Church estimates ECUSA will be allowed to remain in the Anglican Communion for anywhere between three days and ten years.

"It's very clear that there are Episcopal congregations and dioceses that are packing their bags, getting ready to move out of ECUSA or create the energy and the effort to do it," he says. "And it's also clear from the most recent statements of the Archbishop of Canterbury that he doesn't see how the whole Communion can hold together."

Archbishop Rowan Williams has floated the idea of churches in the Anglican Communion having either a "constituent" membership or simply an "associated" membership, which denotes a familial rather than legal relationship.

Among other things, Roseberry has stated his opposition to the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop during the General Convention. "What has most distressed me is her revisionist theology," he wrote in one of his daily postings from the meeting. "She has strongly untraditional beliefs; she voted in favor of the election of a gay bishop three years ago; and she has allowed and encouraged the blessing of same-gender unions within her diocese." He referred to Schori's election as "another seismic event" in the denomination.

According to Roseberry, his bishop, the Rt. Rev. M. James Stanton, is aware of Christ Church's decision to leave the Episcopal Church USA and is "very supportive" of it. The church was founded in 1985, and with about 1,900 worshippers every weekend has become the most-attended Episcopal Church in the U.S. Roseberry is the founding pastor.