From the Chillicothe Gazette, a story about an Ohio parish whose “orthodox” members and priest split off in August over the gay-bishop issue:
Episcopalians from around southern Ohio flocked to Chillicothe Sunday evening to show support for a congregation torn apart.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church lost about half its flock when its former priest, the Rev. Richard Terry, left the church, said Paul Seufzer, who has been a member of St. Paul’s since 1954. Terry left in protest over the appointment of an openly gay bishop to the Diocese of New Hampshire after its convention in 2003.
But almost 300 Episcopalians, and more than 50 members of the clergy from around southern Ohio, filled St. Paul’s pews Sunday to support those who remain and to hear Bishop Herbert Thompson Jr. speak, said Richelle Thompson, communications director of the Diocese of Southern Ohio.
What I found fascinating is that the bishop, Herbert Thompson, apparently is quite orthodox in his views on homosexuality. The proximate cause of the parish’s schism was that the bishop refused to allow the parish to participate in the controversial Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes.
For more details, see an August 2004 write-up by perennial Anglican scold David Virtue, who quotes the bishop as saying:
“As Bishop for 16 years I have made it clear in the Diocese and the National Church, that I will not bless or countenance the blessing of same sex unions in the Diocese, nor ordain any person living in a sexual relationship with another person. I believe and have taught that, for those who have sworn allegiance to Christ, sexual relations are to take place only in the context of Holy Matrimony between a man and a woman,” said the exasperated bishop.
But the bishop also said, in an August 2003 pastoral letter quoted by Virtue:
I will not associate myself with those who seek to divide the Church over this matter. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I look forward to our continued conversation about this issue both within the House of Bishops and across the wider Church, including the Diocese of Southern Ohio. In the meantime, I also look forward to welcoming Bishop-elect Robinson as a colleague and to working with him for the mission that Christ has set before us.
Evidently that was not enough for St. Paul’s former rector, according to Virtue:
Fr. Terry said he seemed to be on the same page theologically as the bishop. “I personally have needed a very clear unequivocal statement from Bp Thompson as to his desire to lead the diocese in an orthodox biblical direction. Unfortunately that has never came forth. The tragedy is that Thompson is surrounded by liberals thus effectively cutting us off from a gospel mainstream.”
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