Praise the Lord! Someone has stood up and declared that they would rather be counted with Christ than stay in a religious club. When the Episcopal Church ceased to defend the divinity of Jesus, the inerrancy of the Bible and the pure and holy conduct that God requires of those who believe, they became a large and organized cult, no longer deserving of the name Christian. The persecution of the believers within the Episcopal church was shameless. The embarrassing spectacle of so many bishops who would rather wear colorful robes and headpieces and enjoy special greetings and Lambeth conferences than contend for the faith, was oppressive to the entire body of Christ. I, as a Pentecostal, am glad to see a little backbone displayed by the Pittsburgh diocese. May the Lord bless them mightily and add to them daily as they follow Jesus and His word.

So, TEC Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori stands ready to welcome the return of any who wish to rejoin this part of the Body of Christ. Unfortunately, the unrepentant heresy of TEC has forced many to reject the notion that TEC represents any part of the Body of Christ. No doubt the exodus from TEC's heretical positions -- from their false Gospel -- will continue.

My prayers are with the Episcopal church at this time.

"There is no greater love than he who would lay down his life for his friends". While Bob Duncan did not sacrifice his physical life (although I'm sure he shaved a few years off these last few weeks) for his congregation, he laid down the very things that he held most dear to protect them from the heresy of a church gone awry. And while I am pleased to hear that TEC is re-instating him, I am fairly certain it is to save face...not out of love or respect for Bishop Duncan and his conservative supporters. Looking back over the last 10 years of their behaviors, I am fairly certain that they can be summed up by the shortest verse in the bible..."jesus wept."

I am an Episcopalian and have a word for those posting comments who are members of other churches. You should mind your own business. The opinions of narrow-minded ignoramuses about how we Episcopalians are managing our Church are irrelevant. We have absolutely no interest in how your churches are run; you should stay out of controversies concerning our Church. And just for the record, the Episcopal Church affirms the divinity of Christ every single Sunday when we recite the Nicene Creed during services. Since you don't know what we are doing, and since it is none of your business anyway, then you should keep your noses out of this!

Michael, as an Episcopalian, you no doubt confess, Sunday by Sunday, that "we believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church". That confession gives every Christian the responsibility and the right to be concerned with and about the life and beliefs of the Christian Community worldwide. Unless, of course, you believe that the Episcopal Church in the USA is the only true representative on earth of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
Cool down, brother, for such you are to me and every Christian. Christ's business is yours and mine. Pray for me as I will for you.
Just in case you are interested, I regard myself by God's grace as a grateful Methodist, and a catholic Christian.

"As long expected, the exodus of conservatives from The Episcopal Church is gathering steam."...

How many dioceses have left the Episcopal Church in the last 5 years out of 110 dioceses total?

I am a Christian. God chose to put me in the Episcopal Church. I do believe and say the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds.

In my church there are many of varying opinions on theology, but we all come together to pray on our knees to God at His Holy Table for the Eucharist. Christ is present there.

Let us break bread together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us break bread together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us drink wine together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees, (on our knees)
Let us praise God together on our knees. (on our knees)
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

As a cradle Episcopalian I like all other Episcopalians pray in the manner of "To Whom It May Concern." We certainly do not know anything other than this church and all others were established to deal with social problems.
It gives me great joy to know that these so-called conservative Episcopalian's are leaving. Considering there are so few leaving it is amazing how much noise they are making.
Those few diocese that are leaving and going with the African or Southern group don't realize they are being ripped off. Africa wants the riches of THe Episcopal Church and nothing more. These people can not control their own churches and need money to support their style.
The same is true of the Southern groups.
Take a look at these countries and see for yourself.
The last time all this went on was many years ago when Barbara Smith was made a priest and bishop.
The real truth is that many of these men can't get over the fact the a WOMAN is head of the church. She is a brilliant woman and there is nothing these men are more afraid of than a strong woman. Too bad! She is here to stay. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori is far better educated than most of the men she leads. The Episcopal church is one that is inclusive and that means all are included, women, men,children, gays, lesbians, transgendered and those married and unmarried all sorts and conditions of people are considered the people of God.
They have the right to believe in whatever form they wish yet come under the aegis of one great church.
Perhaps those who find us in a state of turmoil (which we are not) should remember how this church was founded. When and where!
Those that don't agree that all are free and equal should leave and start their own churches. How do you think the Methodists got here as well as Baptists, Ana-Baptists etc.
WE accept love and accept our church with all its greatness and all its warts.
WE are entering a grand new era...enjoy!
kilty (kiltyone@dslextreme.com)

Don't forget Kitty Resolution 26 of the 1988 Lambeth Conference that was done for the ease of the African dioceses. No, I don't mean to tar all of the African dioceses with the same brush.
Yes, they have to compete with Islam, but they don't have to go against the Gospel to do it, but that is what they have done in allowing practicing polygamists to be baptized into Christ's body the Church and keep all their extra "wives".
The Muslims know that polygamy is not consistent with the teachings of Christ and thus they know that the African dioceses that allow such things are not acting as Christ would.

Resolutions from 1988

Resolution 26

Church and Polygamy

This Conference upholds monogamy as God's plan, and as the ideal relationship of love between husband and wife; nevertheless recommends that a polygamist who responds to the Gospel and wishes to join the Anglican Church may be baptized and confirmed with his believing wives and children on the following conditions:

(1) that the polygamist shall promise not to marry again as long as any of his wives at the time of his conversion are alive;

(2) that the receiving of such a polygamist has the consent of the local Anglican community;

(3) that such a polygamist shall not be compelled to put away any of his wives, on account of the social deprivation they would suffer;

(4) and recommends that provinces where the Churches face problems of polygamy are encouraged to share information of their pastoral approach to Christians who become polygamists so that the most appropriate way of disciplining and pastoring them can be found, and that the ACC be requested to facilitate the sharing of that information.

Published in association with the Lambeth Conference © 2008 Anglican Communion Office
The Lambeth Conference is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England, number 5985741. The Lambeth Conference is a registered charity number 1121679

kilty's contribution is so sad. I tried to come up with some righteous smart-ass retorts to what cannot be typical Episcopalian attitudes, and assuredly are not Christlike. It's just so sad, so sad.
Prayer addressed "to whom it may concern"! And then there's more than just a hint of racism and wealthy American superiority about attributing African and Southern American Diocese's willingness to welcome unhappy Episcopalian Diocese and Churches to greed for Episcopalian money. Shame on you, kilty! For your information the Ana-Baptists pre-dated the English Reformation and had greater theological integrity than did Henry 8, whose main goal was political power. The Methodists broke away because they were then more concerned about saving souls than remaining in the comfortable cradle many of their contemporary Anglicans were determined to maintain. Its the sinners who need a Saviour, not the comfortably self-righteous.

This is from the Wikipedia article on John Wesley.

When he had waited long enough, but the Bishop of London still refused to ordain a minister for the American Methodists who were without the sacraments, in 1784 Wesley ordained preachers for Scotland and England and America, with power to administer the sacraments. Though Thomas Coke was already a presbyter in the Church of England, Wesley consecrated, by laying on of hands, Dr. Thomas Coke to be superintendent in America. He also ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey as presbyters. He intended that Coke, and Asbury (who Coke would subsequently consecrate in America) should ordain others in the newly founded Methodist Episcopal Church. This alarmed his brother Charles, who begged him to stop before he had "quite broken down the bridge," and not embitter his [Charles'] last moments on earth, nor "leave an indelible blot on our memory." Wesley replied that he had not separated from the church, nor did he intend to, but he must and would save as many souls as he could while alive, "without being careful about what may possibly be when I die." Although he rejoiced that the Methodists in America were free, he advised his English followers to remain in the established church; and he himself died within it.

Kitty:
"Africa wants the riches of THe Episcopal Church and nothing more. These people can not control their own churches and need money to support their style.
The same is true of the Southern groups.
Take a look at these countries and see for yourself."

I agree with John Lewis--these comments hint of racism and American superiority.

Subject: Comments by "Kitty"

The statement by Kitty that the Episcopal Church and all other churches "were established to deal with social problems" is symptomatic of the disease that afflicts the Episcopal Church. The churches of the Christian religion were established to WORSHIP GOD.

Social problems are taken care of by the government. That is why we pay taxes. Christians are supposed to WORSHIP GOD. That is infinitely more important than playing "social worker" could ever be.

I am an Episcopalian and attend church on Sunday because I understand how important it is to worship God in a proper manner. I also understand what morality is and the kind of relationships people are supposed to have with each other. Homosexuality is not only a sin against God but it is also a crime against nature.

Marriage is clearly the union between a man and a women. Gay marriage is nothing less than spitting in the eyes of GOD. HE has never ordained it. HE never joined a man with a man's soul.

Perhaps the Episcopal Church is proving that ordaining women and gays and promoting them to positions of authority is the mistake that many thought it was. That only disaster can come from radical moves that have no support in scripture and are prohibited by the bible. That the church is continually destroying itself and the faith of many Christians the process.

For a church that considers itself Catholic, why would it take a path that is clearly against biblical teaching. Why would Episcopalians be so arrogant as to make choices that God did not allow them the right to make?

I have heard sermons that sound like political convention speeches by hardliners in political speeches while sitting in the pews on Sunday in the Episcopal church. Speeches on abortion on demand. Gay marriage in the church. I never hear the same enthusiasm given to repentance.

I feel strongly that the USA Episcopal Church is becoming a lost sheep with no purpose or meaning except self destruction of itself and possibly all of Christianity.

The sermon this week here, prodded us to consider the brave new world we are entering and seeking. Does this sound like an unchangeable and eternal God? Or are we again building a Golden Calf of our own liking.

I don't know what flabbergasts me more - the attitude that modern Episcopal church leaders know the mind of God better than the theologians over the course of 2,000 years or that conservative Episcopalians who choose to leave the church are committing some kind of transgression.

I have nothing against gay people, but I will say this - the Bible makes it clear that acceptable sexual behavior is what goes on between a man and his wife. Everything else -- adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest - is forbidden. If gays must remain celibate, well, then the rules are the same for them as they are for single people like me.

I read the statements from some of these church leaders, like Bishop Jefferts Schori, and they sound to me like sanctimonious psychobabble. They can talk all they want about "reconciliation," but it is clear by their words - and even more clear from the liberal Episcopalians posting comments here - that the real message to conservatives is: goodbye, good riddance, and don't let the door hit you on the behind while you go. I have lost all confidence in the moral authority of the Episcopal church these liberal bishops are creating, and I am not investing any more of my God-given time and money in it. Thank God, we do indeed have options.

I consider myself an Episcopal. I was confirmed in the Episcopal Church. Unfortunately when I see on a church site statements about social and economic justice, along with associations with the ACLU, and other liberal groups I had to reconsider attending church in that Episcopal Church. God's word does not evolve or change. Secular humanism is not biblical. the faith of such a church is dead. The ordination of women and of open homosexuals as priests mark a sharp departure from christian faith along with sactioning such relationships in marriage. Schism is the only response left for those who hold to the true faith and to Christ. Like Luther I would rather stand under the sky then to attend such a church. I will keep an eye out for a conservative Episcopal Church but will sever all ties with the apostate Episcopal Church which has departed from the teachings of Christ.