First, what are some of the qualities of those in the pews? I believe for the most part these persons and families are:
1, hard working;
2, wish to serve God
3, conservative (moderately to extremely so) in their politics;
4, truly HATE sin;
5, want all this sex stuff to go back into the closet;
6, are middle to upper middle class white men who expect give loyalty to their bishop and expect it from their wives and girlfriends;
7, REALLY do not want to lose their ties with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion.
Got some news for your folks in south Carolina and in the other four diocese here in the United States.
THE ONLY REAL ANGLICANS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE THOSE PERSONS WHO BELONG TO MISSIONS AND PARISHES THAT ARE CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES.
To all you who have left you are not ANGLICANS. Wake up! Write the Archbishop of Canterbury and explain your current position and ask him. There is no document from him or from anyone directly in Canterbury that says that you are members of the Anglican Communion. Don't believe me do you? Ask your bishop to show you a letter written BY Archbishop Rowan Williams that says simply, yes the ACNA is a member of the Anglican Communion (not becoming, not will be some day, not maybe if the creek don't rise, but honest to pete homespun, hardcore Anglican). While you are at it, ask the Archbishop of Canterbury whether, he, as the titular head of the Anglican Communion, recognizes your bishops as anything other than DEPOSED!? Please, write to him as fast as you can because, you see, you are not Anglicans and as of right now, unless you rejoin the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, you may never be in Anglican Communion, at least as long as you are alive. So really, ask Mr. Schofield to produce a letter from the Archbishop (not the person in South America, he cannot speak for the Archbishop of Canterbury). And while you are at it, I do not think Mr. Robert Duncan can speak for the Archbishop of Canterbury either. Ask Mr. Duncan to produce a letter from Archbishop Williams saying "ollie ollie oxen, everyone home free!". No really, do not let yourselves be fooled any longer by promises and letters from guys who say that ++Williams said you get to be Anglicans, do not be fooled by these impostors. Tell 'em if you wanted "pie in the sky in the by and by" you would have joined Rev. Ike's church in Los Angeles a long time ago. Tell these wannabes you want real proof and you want it now! Should be simple, right? Either you are a member and you can get a letter from the titular head of the Anglican communion or you are not. Nothing terribly complex or complicated. Do not take no for an answer. You moved with these deposed bishops for a reason, did you not? Make them demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt you are in the Anglican Communion.
In the meantime fellow travellers, keep St. Mark's in South Carolina in your prayers and keep writing to Bishop Lawrence. Share with him your thoughts on his idea that Anglicans ought to be allowed alternative oversight but apparently not Episcopalians. Ask him how is that even logical let alone just or merciful. Do not let him bury St. Mark's Chapel Beaufort,SC in a sea of pseudo-Anglicanism.
(Tip of the hat to Lynn.)
