A Statement from the Vestry of St. Michael's of the Valley Episcopal Church
Ligonier, PA
Ligonier, PA
The Rector, Wardens, and Vestry of St. Michael's of the Valley Episcopal Church in Ligonier Pennsylvania, are aware that at the upcoming 143rd annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, resolutions will be considered that will attempt to remove the Diocese from the The Episcopal Church of America and realign it with the Province of the Southern Cone.
We do not support passage of these resolutions and wish to affirm that if they should pass that we will continue to consider ourselves to be a part of the Episcopal Church of America in accordance with our by-laws.
We also wish to affirm our commitment to Christian orthodoxy as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, the Apostle's and Nicene Creed and the thirty-nine articles. As leadership of the parish we reject any teaching or doctrine contrary to this historic faith that may be proclaimed by any national leader or the leadership of other parishes and dioceses. We will continue the Gospel ministry we have been engaged in for nearly sixty years, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Feast of St. Matthew
22 September 2008
Note: passed by the vestry with two votes in the negative
1 comment:
Thanks especially, vestry of St. Michael's, for that last paragraph. Comment: I'm afraid that if TEC as represented by General Convention wanted to, it could make an amendment to the constitution of the church that would change the present definition of church doctrine, which now includes the creeds and Holy Scripture (although not the 39 articles), as mentioned by the vestry. To keep that from happening, it would be important either for large numbers of dioceses to be careful not to elect deputies who would do so--OR for there to be a change in the TEC constitution that would make it more difficult to make such sweeping changes. In my opinion, changes to the constitution of TEC ought to be as difficult to make as amendments to the US Constitution: that is, it shouldn't be enough for GC to make them, anymore than it is enough for Congress to make them without approval of a large majority of the states. Such changes ought to have to be approved by a large majority of the dioceses. That would make the church, I think, less open to the charge of acting without consensus.
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