Episcopal Priest in Maryland: 'I Can No Longer Submit to Our Bishops'

Agape Press ^ | Fred Jackson and Jody Brown

[xzins]

Episcopal Priest in Maryland: 'I Can No Longer Submit to Our Bishops'
Similar Discontent Reported in Texas, Colorado

By Fred Jackson and Jody Brown
August 11, 2003

(AgapePress) - An Episcopal pastor in Maryland is comparing his denomination to a "flying coffin doomed to destruction and despair" -- and says it will "carry more people to hell than it will save."

Steven Randall's comments came yesterday as he went before his congregation to denounce last week's decision by church leaders to endorse an openly homosexual bishop. The move has saddened, shocked, and angered many Episcopalians who believe their leaders have betrayed God's Word.

Randall, pastor of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Catonsville, Maryland, has decided to do more than just complain. The Washington Times reports his congregation gave him a standing ovation yesterday when he announced he would no longer obey his bishop, and that his church will cease sending its monthly $5,000 pledge to the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.

Randall says he is not resigning. But he knows his move will likely cost him his job -- and the pension and other benefits that go with it.

As he put it: "People will say I am just bailing out -- but I am following God's call as best I can."

Randall was not the only Episcopal priest registering his dismay from the pulpit yesterday. According to The New York Times, Rev. David Roseberry of Plano, Texas, delivered a "rousing" sermon that ended with a "thunderous" ovation from his congregants.

"There are things in the Bible that are not up for a vote," Roseberry is quoted as telling hundreds of worshippers at Christ Church Episcopal on Sunday morning. "In two days, in two votes by less than 600 people, 4,000 years of biblical teaching was overturned.

"We ought to be shocked -- but we are not surprised," he said, referring to the confirmation of open homosexual Gene Robinson as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire.

And in Colorado Springs, Rev. Donald Armstrong told his congregation they had the right to direct their financial contributions as a way to register their protest. Armstrong said parishioners looking for a way to express their discontent with their church leaders' decisions last week could restrict their gifts to the local parish and thereby withhold contributions to the national Episcopal Church or the Diocese of Colorado.

[JOHANNES801]

This is only the start of the backlash.

[Neever]

Excellent. Homosexuality is an abomination. Here's to the brave voices who are willing to stand by scripture.

[AGreatPer]

Its gonna be interisting. The backlash is gonna be Big Time.

[EdReform]

Bump & Ping

Choice4Truth

[loulou]

I did research today and left a message for an Anglican Priest....he called me back this evening and after speaking to him I have hope. He told me they left the Episcopal Church years ago, after seeing the direction they were going.

I am very hopeful and am going for a visit this Sunday.

When GOD closes a door -- HE opens a window.

[Amazed1953]

Bravo to Steven Randall. Maybe many more will follow his lead.

[xzins]

I'm sure the African prelates will continue to adopt these congregations.

[brbethke]

Another Episcopal apostasy ping.

[mariejlt]

We can all help him by supporting his philosophy, Episcopalians who agree ... all join forces and refuse to give money to the bishops ... stand up and be counted!! Do not leave your churches with out a fight!!!

[thoughtomator]

Amen!

[Deb]

Good for him.

One of the greatest sins is to cause another's foot to stumble. If that doesn't describe the potential of an openly "Gay" Bishop working with a confused young man or woman, I don't know what does.

This is absolutely nuts. A practicing homosexual cannot be allowed to council people on these issues. The leaders who voted to make Robinson a Bishop will have some 'splainin' to do.

[Destro]

and you did not have a problem with your creed being headed by a Queen?

[PleaseNoMore]

Praise God for these "men of another sort". Men who will not compromise the word of God to keep their jobs, their popularity etc. May a lot more like them begin to rise up in these days. They are sorely needed.

[ikka]

Question: who ends up with the property if there is a split?

[txzman]

"There are things in the Bible that are not up for a vote,"

Amen! This church is less than a mile from my house in Plano, Texas (bedroom community north of Dallas, home to EDS, JCPenney and Frito Lay) - and I am glad to see this pastor standing up for the truth.

[Cicero]

A friend of ours was booted out of the Episcopal Church by his bishop and subsequently became a priest in something called the Evangelical Episcopal Church. His offense was basically refusing to toe the politically correct line on certain feminist and homosexual issues.

Earlier, he got in big trouble up in Maine when he read the passage from Paul on marriage and neglected to omit the verse about wives obeying their husbands. It took him years to live it down. Tough times for orthodox priests in the Episcopal Church.

[jnarcus]

I guess I miss your point...are you trying to be amusing or just insulting?

[yoe]

"When GOD closes a door -- HE opens a window.

How very true...the effort to break all moral bonds with the belief in God, or some power, is the work of the left/communism through social engineering in this country. Now the Episcopal Church with its progressive doctrines has fallen into truly bad company, the Church of England and together they have thrown the baby out with the bath water. Since they no longer serve God, whom do they serve?

2020 is a movement in the Episcopal Church toward embracing fully the stated mission of the church: "to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ" (BCP p.855) and toward accepting the Great Commission: "Go therefore and make all nations my disciples" (Mt. 28:19). The goal that General Convention adopted in July 2000 that would hold the Church accountable to the movement is that by 2020 the Episcopal Church will have restored and discipled twice as many people as we can claim today.

"The Book of Common Prayer is one of the major works of English literature. Since its introduction in the mid-1500's it has exerted enormous influence on the religious and literary lives of all who speak the English language. The Book of Common Prayer has gone through a number of editions, not only in England where it originated, but in all the places where the various Churches of the Anglican communion are now active"

The prayers are truly beautiful – but – they were written by men who were breaking away from the Roman Church – for reasons other than faith. Now in order to gain a wider, more modern congregation, these ‘teachers’ have decided the Bible and word of God, have little place in their vision of Modern Christianity. Read Paul; read Deuteronomy for starters; God’s well deserved fear of what some of his children might do with their bodies for pleasure seems to have been over looked by the politically correct Episcopal Church; it would appear ‘they’ condone sins of the flesh. IMHO, I don’t believe the Lord was ever politically correct – certainly not by today’s meaning.

[scripter]

Ping

"There are things in the Bible that are not up for a vote," Roseberry is quoted as telling hundreds of worshippers at Christ Church Episcopal on Sunday morning

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 NLT.

It seems there will come a time not too far off, that remaining anonymous on the internet will prove beneficial for our safety.

Paul continues to tell us: "But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you."

I realize not everyone on this ping list is Christian or reads the New Testament. I just can't help but see history repeating itself from the New Testament times. It seems we're coming full circle.

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP

[Irene Adler]

Does anyone know if there is an Anglican Use Liturgy parish anywhere in Iowa or even close to Iowa? I would sure like to hook up with one even if I could manage to drive there only once a month or something. Also interested in any other Episcopal variation anywhere in Iowa or nearby. Thanks.

[txzman]

Great verse - how appropriate.

[EdReform]

Bump!

[altura]

As I understand it (and remember, I've only been an Episcopalian for 31 years), the diocese is the biggie.

All the dioceses are under the loose direction (pun intended) of the national church and the presiding Bishop, but they are (sort of) independent.

If an entire diocese should decide to withdraw from the current national church organization, all the churches within that diocese would have to go along, or lose all their church property.

I don't believe individual churches own a thing if they decide to leave ... even the dishtowels I recently gave to the Altar Guild.

Frankly, I am hoping that the Dallas Diocese does leave. The line has to be drawn somewhere.

[brbethke]

Nearest one I could find is in Moorhead, Minnesota.

[xzins]

I wasn't sure about the point either.

[Cronos]

Puhlease, don't refer to it as a kirk, call it the Episcopal Sorority.

[xzins]

Actually, it is not a sect founded by an adulterous murderer.

The Celtic (Anglican) Catholic church existed prior to its affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church.

If you read the history of the time, you'll see that they simply appealed to their status as an independent catholic body, the same as the orthodox, coptic, syriac, etc.

You'll need to check particularly the times of St Columba, St Aidan, St Patrick. Christianity had come to England separately through the efforts of Christian missionaries and they had established a separate catholic presence in England. It is interesting to read how Rome sent St Augustine to England to bring them into the Roman Catholic fold, but Augustine was rebuffed.

[Cronos]

After all it is a sect founded by a murderous adulterer crude but true.

[Destro]

ENGLAND WAS ORTHODOX and God willing will be so again. This Episcopal church is just a pale Norman-Latin imitation church THE FALL OF ORTHODOX ENGLAND

Orthodox England's saints are still remembered in the East.

[xzins]

It sounds like we are very nearly on the same page (albeit me from a Methodist look back at our Anglican founder, John Wesley.)

go to: anglican catholic church for a site that some anglicans might find interesting.

[Imagine]

Homosexuality:

Homosexuality is deviant sexual behavior and a mental illness.

Homosexuals: 1) subject their body parts to uses nature did not intend, such activities often presenting immediate risk to the participants; 2) are prone to greater suicide, depression and other mental disorders and deficiencies than the heterosexual population at large; 3) are prone to far greater sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, than the (normal) heterosexual population; 4) molest young people (pedophilia) at a far greater rate than heterosexuals; 5) engage in degrading sexual promiscuity, oftentimes engaging in risky sex with many partners during the same event; 6) are engaged in aggressive and widespread efforts to indoctrinate our children by introducing the homosexual lifestyle using public schools as the primary indoctrination “vehicle” and likewise, through the movie/music/TV industry, with the dual goals of gaining school-age acceptance of homosexuality and encouraging sexual activity among children, especially same-sex experimentation; 7) view most everything through a mindset heavily biased in favor of the homosexual lifestyle and culture, which renders them mostly useless when asked to opine on matters that normal heterosexuals better resolve.

The mental deficiencies described herein applying to homosexuals shall not be confused with the deficiencies associated with the left wing democrat/socialist/marxist/ feminist/environmentalist minds, etc., which have their own distinct set of mental disorders.

This doesn't even touch on what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.

[tracer]

This sorry episode brings to mind the parable of The Wheat and the Tares.....

[TonyRo76]

"There are things in the Bible that are not up for a vote..."

Amen! Preach it, Brother! :) Thank God there are guys in the Episcopal priesthood who are willing to stand under the authority of Scripture.

[TonyRo76]

BTW, Reverend Randall (from Maryland) was excellent on Hannity & Colmes last night. Did anybody see that?

[Honorary Serb]

Randall was not the only Episcopal priest registering his dismay from the pulpit yesterday. According to The New York Times, Rev. David Roseberry of Plano, Texas, delivered a "rousing" sermon that ended with a "thunderous" ovation from his congregants...... "There are things in the Bible that are not up for a vote," Roseberry is quoted as telling hundreds of worshippers at Christ Church Episcopal on Sunday morning. "In two days, in two votes by less than 600 people, 4,000 years of biblical teaching was overturned.

At least one pastor of a LARGE, and perhaps GROWING Episcopal church has the moral courage to oppose the heretical and schismatic gay agenda imposed on his church body by its mis-leaders!

Meanwhile, these same mis-leaders invite further shrinkage of the Episcopal Church, which will soon (barring a dramatic turnaround) consist entirely of gays/lesbians, church bureaucrats, "liberal" dupes, and poor souls who are too old and/or too set in their ways to move.