Grace Church Stands Alone

Episcopalians split over consecration of gay bishop

By Jackie Russell

On Sunday, at 9 a.m., singing voices fill Grace Church on North Tejon Street as churchgoers welcome the opening procession. As the cross, the Holy Bible, and Reverend Donald Armstrong pass by, the strong smell of incense fill the pews.

While people chant in unison, their devotion to both God and community is evident. Although this is apparent at Grace now, it wasn’t on November 2, 2003.

That’s when Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, was consecrated as the Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire and the Episcopal Church of the United States faced the threat of division.

Conservative Episcopalians argue that homosexuality is against Christian scripture while liberal Episcopalians say God loves and reaches out to all people.

Now, because of theological differences, Episcopal churches around the country are declaring themselves independent from the Anglican Communion until their opposition back down.

Grace Church is one parish in which most members find the consecration of Robinson unacceptable. “It is not appropriate for the church to bless homosexual relationships,” says Reverend Donald Armstrong, the rector of Grace Church. “To bless something that scripture says is inappropriate is in itself inappropriate. It is simply against God’s will.”

Reverend Armstrong and other conservative Anglicans around the world believe that homosexual practice is a clear rebellion against God’s created purpose. According to the conservative side, God created man and woman to procreate, and therefore homosexuality is against God’s will.

“We live in God’s world and thus live under God’s terms,” says Armstrong. God created human kind for a purpose, and because God is humanity’s creator, humans must follow through with His purpose, Armstrong says.

Armstrong and conservative Episcopalians believe that the consecration of Robinson was an act of disregard for the Anglican Communion. “Members of all 38 Anglican provinces said no to the election, but the Episcopal Church of the United States still did it,” says Armstrong. “They have disobeyed the larger church and have therefore left the larger church.”

Armstrong and other conservatives want liberal Episcopalians to realize that “they have adopted a new theology and have changed their teaching.” Therefore, they are no longer true Episcopalians part of the Anglican Communion, he argues.

The liberals can continue being religious, according to conservatives; however they can no longer consider themselves part of the Anglican Communion because they have denied part of the most holy scripture, the Bible.

“Our religion is over 2,000 years old,” says Angela Terry, a member of Grace Church. “If people want to accept a gay man as bishop, fine. But they have to realize that their decision breaks the Episcopal religion and consequently breaks them from the Episcopal religion.”

Terry and many other members of Grace support the stance of their rector. “We know that our decision angers a lot of people. But they have to realize that their decision angers many, many more people,” says Terry, referring to the worldwide Anglican Communion.

But not all members of Grace Episcopal agree.

About 45 families have already left Grace Church in Colorado Springs because of its stance on the issue of a homosexual bishop. “My political views are very different from my rector’s,” says Carol Neel, a member of Grace Church who is considering leaving. “Since the 1600s we in the Anglican Communion have listened to all points of view. Right now, some of our members are excluding points of view, and that goes against the church.”

Liberal Episcopalians do recognize that the Bible condemns homosexuality, however they believe that “if you want to take the Bible literally, take it literally all the way,” says James Newsom, a seminary student at the Memphis Theological Center.

Newsom believes that if members of the church are going to be literal about homosexuality in the Bible, they must literally interpret all parts of the Bible; including writings prohibiting man from touching the skin of a pig, prohibiting the ingestion of shrimp, forbidding males to wear skirts and females to wear pants. Liberals argue that if these abominations are allowed, why isn’t the abomination of homosexuality?

Mary Moore, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in San Francisco, agrees that conservatives cannot choose which parts of the Bible they take literally.

“If you are a literalist, parts of the Old Testament specifically reject homosexuality,” says Moore. “The non-literalists say the foremost command in the Bible is love. Love your neighbor, love God, and love yourself.”

Moore and other liberals say that regardless of what the Bible says about homosexuality, the main message of Christianity is to love. Therefore, they believe, it is wrong to reject homosexuals because it is denying them of love.

“We have to remember what Jesus Christ did,” says Newsom. “Jesus came to erase all the lines between people. He touched the outcasts and the oppressed. In our current society, homosexuals are the outcasts and the oppressed.”

But conservative Episcopalians aren’t reaching out to them, liberals say. Thus they state that conservatives are not following the message Jesus sent which is ultimately the teaching of God.

During the 2000 years of Anglican existence, advances have been made and society has changed; liberals believe that this should have an effect in the Anglican Communion. They believe that the church needs to be compatible with current times and cater to the needs of people.

“I am going to do what I am going to do,” says Newsom. “If that splits the church, so what.”

Father Armstrong believes that he and other conservative Episcopalians are aware that everyday life is different now than if was 2,000 years ago. However, he says they still hold to God’s teachings in the Bible about serious subjects such as homosexuality.

Additionally, they believe that homosexuality is dangerous to present-day society. “Not only is homosexuality against God’s will,” says Armstrong, “but it is also proven that homosexual unions result in promiscuity, disease, and an increased rate in alcoholism.”

To conservative Episcopalians, homosexuality is just plain wrong. “For the Church to say that homosexuality is OK is like to say that it is OK for little kids to play in the middle of a [busy] street,” says Armstrong.

Armstrong believes that the qualifications of Robinson are irrelevant because how the Bishop of New Hampshire is defining himself as a person is unacceptable within the Episcopal Church.

“Gene Robinson presented himself as a qualified model of holiness,” says Armstrong. “But don’t forget that he divorced his wife, abandoned his kids, and is now in a sexual relationship with a man.”

Robinson’s ex-wife, children, and partner were all present and standing by his side at the consecration ceremony.

Moore, however, thinks that the consecration is “a very, very important step for the Episcopal Church.” She believes that it brings the church into modern times and shows that God and the church love everyone regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.

“Everyone who I have talked to who knows Gene Robinson says that he is the most compassionate and pastoral person they know,” says Newsom. “That is what a bishop should be.”

In the meantime, Father Armstrong has ceased affiliation with the Bishop of Colorado. "How do I follow my bishop when my bishop is disobedient?" asks Armstrong, who has also asked that the members of his church withdraw contributions from the Episcopal Church of the United States and direct their contributions solely to Grace until consensus is reached.

Like many other long-time members of Grace, Neel is unsure how to react to the rector’s reaction. “Father Armstrong has acted independently,” says Neel. “He has presented his opinion as the opinion of the whole Grace community.”

While she doesn’t agree with Armstrong’s actions, “It is hard to leave. My kids were baptized at Grace.”

Although Neel remains a member of Grace, she has withdrawn her contributions to Grace and donates to liberal Episcopal churches in Colorado Springs such as Chapel of Our Savior Episcopal Church. She predicts she will leave after 15 years of being a member.

“Father Armstrong is a powerful and lovely man, he’s just wrong about this,” she said.

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