The Anglican Church in North America

For my very first blog post, I will be writing about an issue that has given me a profound feeling of joy on a personal level; the formation of the Anglican Church in North America. For years, there has been a desire among many in the Episcopal Church to return to sound, Bible-based teaching and practices. I know this not just from reading stories in the news, but because I was once a member.

I was married in the Episcopal Church, and truly thought I had found a lifelong home. My children were both baptised in the Episcopal Church in 2001. In 2002, everything changed when a visiting priest was invited to our Bible study. We were reading a passage in the Bible that referenced the sinfulness of homosexual acts. The priest stated that "we should be open to all loving, committed relationships". When my wife objected, the priest responsed angrily that "You of all people [as an black woman] should understand. Your people endured slavery and are now free. How could you deny anyone the freedom to love whomever they choose?". Later in the conversation, this priest compared her stance to the stance of Nazi Germany in WWII.

We left at the end of the Bible study and were so upset that we didn't attend the church service that morning.

When the pastor returned from vacation, we told him what had happened. Instead of backing us up, he told us that while he didn't agree with the comparisons made by the visiting priest, he agreed with the conclusion; that the church SHOULD bless GAY UNIONS.

We couldn't believe what we were hearing from the pastor of our church. What he was saying was in direct contradiction to numerous passages in Scripture. I decided to do some research on the Episcopal Church as a whole, and discovered that the beliefs of my pastor was now the majority opinion of the leadership of the Episcopal Church.

"How could things have changed this drastically?", I asked myself, "and why didn't I see it coming?". My wife and I talked things over, and we made the decision to return to a church where teaching and doctrine are not subject to the vote of the majority, a spirit of "enlightenment", or popular cultural opinions; the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church's teaching on sexuality and issues of life have remained constant in the face of changing public opinion. I realize that there may be rogue priests or lay ministers who personally contradict the teaching of the Church, but I can be sure that official teaching will be based on what is contained in the Bible and not dictated by Hollywood.

So now that you have some insight as to why I feel the way I do, I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to all members of the new Anglican Church in North America, and say that my prayers will be with you. After reading some information on your website, about how correct teachings are being restored in many areas, I am confident that your denomination will prosper as more and more disaffected members of the Episcopal Church look for a new home.