Many of those who share your views have labeled a lot of God's people as robbers, who want to steal property from those who rightly own it, whom they call "mutineers".

Tom, I want to cut out the name calling, and tell you two true stories. First, it was a small diocese, with few resources and a host of mission congregations, and small struggling parishes.

Then a dynamic young priest arrived, filled with excitement, and a good dose of charismatic renewal and commitment to Mission. Yes, they were in a growing community, but they had the Godly wisdom to take advantage of it, and make a host disciples for Christ.

As a result, in several years, that little congregation had grown like a weed, had become the largest congregation in their diocese, and having begun with a tiny plant that they had more than overgrown, they with exceptional stewardship had built an enormous plant.

And then in the last few years, they became disenchanted with TEC, and they could no longer in good conscience accept the Episcopal and pastoral ministry of their bishop, and after a long and heartfelt period of prayer, they went to their bishop and offered him a "deal", and he accepted it.

They, for the love of the Lord, took on a mighty challenge, to raise and borrow about $1 million dollars, and pay it to the diocese for their property! The bishop could not resist that offer, and now has resources he never had before, to do mission in the rest of the diocese, and the congregation, that affiliated as an Anglican parish, under a Global South jurisdiction though struggling to keep up with their mortgage, is still a happy and growing congregation, and filled with the Spirit! I know because I have visited them.

A SECOND STORY

Tom, now this next story, or at least the beginning of it, has been repeated numerous times in recent years, that is until TEC made a flat dogmatic rule, I will guess coming down from the National Chancellor, that under no circumstances will any property in TEC be sold to one of these departing congregations, and that TEC will give financial backing to keep it from happening.

Please forgive me for saying so, but I regard this kind of closed mindedness, to be mean spirited.

Tom, I also know intimately, the story of two other congregations where the diocese backed by TEC, would not sell, and this story has been and is being duplicated in many places around the country.

The congregations walked out anyway, and began worshipping in schools, in community centers, and after a few years, struggled to begin building a far more modest plant. But slowly they are hanging in there, and still growing.

On the other hand the dioceses in both cases, have a parish on their hands, with a big plant, and with a minute congregation, comprised of the small remnant, who remained, having lost most of the congregation and their talented leadership. Tom, you know me well, so don't get me wrong. I love this Church, even though it is frustrating me to death. As I have told you before, I am staying, and if necessary will be the last man standing in TEC, and plan to die in and be buried in it. I grieve over every congregation and soul and crackerjack priest that I ordained, that has walked out of this jurisdiction.

BUT I understand why they have departed, because I feel the same way. And I believe that TEC has done a wretched job of dealing with this crisis. Why have we not gotten mediation teams to come in and help all parties to search for a reasonable equitable solutions. Where has there been the compassion, and patience?

After all we are "demanding" that TEC clergy and members abandon elements of Faith and Practice that have been believed and practiced for 2,000 years, and are still upheld by the rest of the Communion, and the Christian world, BECAUSE THE GC says we have to. And why resort to Depositions so quickly?

TEC must have deposed more clergy in the past few years, than we did in the last century. And I wish that all of us had seen this crisis more from an intensive pastoral standpoint, instead of a litigious and Canonical one, with all of us bishops, being pastors, 70 times 7, rather than so ready jump in litigiously. Those folks who no longer feel they can remain TEC, are not bad people, criminals, nor worse sinners than the rest of us.

They are, and were our brothers and sisters, and we need to let them go, and graciously. I may be wrong, but I believe, that reasonable and Godly folk, can find solutions to these problems, that are fair to TEC, to bishops and dioceses, and those who are leaving, and to those who are staying.

Tom, may God bless you, my brother,

Ben

---The Rt. Rev. Maurice "Ben" Benitez is the Bishop of Texas (ret.)