Dear Friends,
I write to inform you of a pending decision by St. Philip’s Church, Moon Twp (currently a member of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh (ACNA)) to negotiate an individual settlement with the Episcopal Church (TEC). St. Philip’s Sr. Pastor Eric Taylor, and vestry leadership have agreed to buy their way out of the pending lawsuit/appeal against our diocese by agreeing to pay a large sum of money to TEC in exchange for TEC quitting their claim against their property. In addition to the financial terms of the settlement, St Philip’s leadership has also agreed to abandon communion with the Anglican Church in North America and the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh and Archbishop Robert Duncan for a period of at least five years. I have been told that the stipulation to split with our diocese was a non-negotiable requirement by TEC and their attorneys. TEC is denying it.
The response of the diocese and our bishop is posted on this blog. You will note that he is gracious as usual even though this must feel to him like betrayal and a great personal loss.
My first instinct is to respond to this news in anger but that is rarely the wise response. I have, in fact, taken down an earlier post for that reason. St Philips action makes no sense to me. Perhaps in the days to come we will see some reasonable explanation for why St Philips has done what they have done but for now my prayer is that St Philip’s parishioners will decide against the split when they meet for the vote on Tuesday evening.
This negative news about St Philip’s is only half the story. Good things are happening in the Anglican Church in North America today. I have also posted a news release on the just completed Anglican 1000 Church Planting Event. Please note that after about eighteen months already 100 new churches have been planted by the ACNA and many, many more are in the works. So, while we mourn the loss of St Philips today we also give thanks for the blessing of new churches being born here in Pittsburgh and throughout the United States and Canada.
In Christ,
Scott+
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