St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Modesto officially returns to the folds of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin on Sunday.
St. Paul’s, under its previous pastor, the Rev. Michael McClenaghan, had separated from the Episcopal Church to join the Anglican Mission in America, an organization associated with the Anglican Province of Rwanda. It did not join former bishop John-David Schofield in a move into the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, based in Argentina, as did other Episcopal churches in the Central Valley.
Mr. McClenaghan and a part of his congregation decided to form Wellsprings Anglican Church and vacate the St. Paul’s site after realizing that recent court decisions favored the Episcopal Church’s claim to their buildings, says the Episcopal diocese.
The transition has been very smooth, according to the Rt. Rev. Jerry Lamb, bishop of the diocese.
Mr. Lamb says the breakaway group has been “most gracious and helpful in the transfer of property. We, in turn, have given them all the equipment and furnishings they requested to start up at their new location. We look forward to partnering with them in Christian ministry in Modesto.”
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin will relocate their offices from Stockton to St. Paul’s this month.
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=12416
No comments:
Post a Comment