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LARGEST PARISH IN DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXAS FLEES ECUSA
By David W. Virtue
MIDLAND, TX--(5/3/2005)--The largest parish in the Diocese of Northwest Texas, St Nicholas Episcopal Church, an orthodox parish of some 500 members, will leave the Episcopal Church, citing the consecration of an avowed homosexual to the episcopacy as the reason.
Diocesan Bishop Wallis Ohl, who voted against the consecration of V. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, told the rector, the Rev. Jon Stasney that all who wanted to leave ECUSA must be off the property by June 1.
"We are deeply saddened by the bishop's attitude. He allowed no room for negotiation," said Stasney to VirtueOnline.
St. Nicholas is an orthodox parish of about 500 members with 400 active members and a budget of nearly $500,000. It has the highest average attendance of Sunday worshippers in the diocese. The apportionment to the diocese is over $100,000. Their five year old building is valued at $3.5 million. Last February, the vestry sent a letter to the bishop stating that the majority of the congregation was leaving the Episcopal Church in the near future because of the national church's stand on sexuality issues.
After a meeting with Bishop Ohl, he said he would continue to discuss the problem with us "for the time being."
The church took a vote and 251 (89%) said they were prepared to leave the Episcopal Church, with or without the property, with only 31 (11 %) opting to stay in ECUSA.
On Monday the rector and vestry leaders met with the bishop and he told them that all who wanted to leave ECUSA must be off the property by June 1, 2005. A layman wrote VirtueOnline to say that a new Anglican church in Midland will open June 1. "We have the support of most other churches in the city who plan to make a demonstration at our final service. (May 29) We expect a real celebration on that Sunday."
"As a culture, we're saying right and wrong is one person's definition against another. We've been captivated by the culture which is a moral free fall right now," said the Rev. Jon Stasney, St. Nicholas' rector or senior pastor.
"The battle in the Episcopal Church and other denominations is not just about homosexuality," Stasney said in a press release. "It's about whether or not we are going to remain true to the Biblical faith and 2000 years of apostolic teaching. The people of St. Nicholas' love all of God's people, no matter what their sexual preference. But the overwhelming majority at St. Nicholas' want to remain true to Biblical faith no matter what the cost -- even if means having to leave our church building"
The decision came after several negotiations between both portions of the parish and Bishop Wallis Ohl of the Diocese of Northwest Texas. The Rev. Jonathan Hartzer, associate rector, said St. Nicholas' property was built and paid for four years ago without help of the diocese or ECUSA.
"St. Nicholas' leaders asked Ohl for help in March because the congregation was losing income and members, indicating that most members no longer desired to be affiliated with the ECUSA. At the March meeting, St. Nicholas' representatives asked the Bishop to help work out a mutual solution that would keep the St. Nicholas' congregation together in its church. The title to the property is vested in St. Nicholas' church, but, according to the denomination, is held in trust for the diocese and the national Episcopal Church," Hartzer said.
Ohl could not be reached for comment, but in a May 4 letter to the congregation, Ohl finalized his decision asking those leaving the Episcopal Church to depart no later than May 31.
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