A Layman Laments his Church’s Departure from the Faith

May 2024

Dear [Rector, Deacon},

I’ve attended St. Paul’s since 2007. Last Pentecost Sunday was the first time I didn’t want to be there. Saturday evening I read the draft of the new St. Paul’s website that may be launched this Friday. I was impressed by the new look, and then I found the phrases listed below that were scattered throughout the site. It was like a slap in the face. I didn’t sleep at all Saturday evening and have been in turmoil since then.

The past two years have been ones of severe spiritual anxiety since I read former Bishop Wolfe’s statements in June 2022 concerning the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion and my subsequent exploration of the St. Bart’s website and its lauding of people’s sinful choices. My faith has never wavered but has become much more emboldened and deepened as I have suffered great mental anguish—I’m not being hyperbolic—about the Council of Trustees and now the proposed St. Paul’s website.

The Episcopal Church, the Church of England, and other progressive denominations have compromised Biblical principles in response to pagan worldly pressure. I have slowly but surely turned against the CofE, the national Episcopal Church, and my Diocese. I had looked forward to serving on the Council of Trustees, but the experience began to sour in December 2022 when the president gave the Council a document as a springboard for an action plan. I responded to the president with several objections. I could have lived with the initial proposals and tried to ignore them, but then I began finding subsequent portions accepting homosexuality and the promotion of transgender issues. Once again I wrote her a lengthy letter (always copied to the Bishop and to the Canon for the Ordinary) about how upset I was and my Scriptural reasons for my ideas.

The spring of 2023 was a roller coaster of emotions as I tried to understand how the Episcopal Church could promote teachings that were in clear violation of numerous Biblical passages throughout the Old and New Testaments. I even wept for ten minutes during a Council of Trustees meeting, much to my embarrassment, because I was so distraught. Finally I could no longer be a part of a body that overwhelmingly (probably 100%) supported all that I was against, so I resigned my post in July 2023. I thought that all would be better in my life, but that was not to be.

I am embarrassed that St. Paul’s actively supports pride parade and pride month, and even has a booth at the parade. We can surmise that most of the people in attendance are not living celibate lives and, therefore, are engaged enthusiastically in sexual immorality. Heterosexuals are guilty of the same sins if the man and woman aren’t married to each other. Sexual sin is an equal opportunity employer. How can St. Paul’s be part of an event that might have a drag queen show, and especially in front of children?

My great dissatisfaction with the Episcopal Church at large began even earlier when I enrolled in Education for Ministry in Fall 2018. In August 2023, the facilitator and I thought it best that I do not enroll in the third year for two reasons: [1] I had stated in class that transgender ideology was a great danger; [2] a book we were to read in Fall 2023, Beyond a Non-Binary God: A theology for Trans Allies. That such a book would be adopted by EfM for supplementary reading and discussion grieved my spirit and angered me. It is no surprise that EfM and the Episcopal Church have embraced a liberal political bent that runs counter to many Biblical teachings. It appears to me that in a desperate chase for increasing attendance, the church has turned to politics and worldly views over the Word of God. These are wrong priorities. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.” (1 John 2:15).

I purposely have not quoted Bible passages about these sexual behaviors in this letter. You know quite well what they are. St. Paul was clear and direct. Romans 1:16—32 is my touchstone (one of many) that describes the descent of people into utter wickedness because they have rejected God and followed their own desires. Clergy and others who explain away this passage will one day stand before God for “approving of those who practice them” (evil things just listed) and will be liable for leading people astray. I’d like to hear what exactly God got wrong in his word transmitted through St. Paul in Romans 1. What did Jesus misunderstand about marriage between a man and woman when he referenced Genesis in Matthew 19?

I can say with certainty that if the new website appears and includes the statements below, then I will immediately take a sabbatical from attending St. Paul’s beginning today and continuing through the month of June. This will allow me to avoid any reference in church to pride month. That means that I will obviously not fulfill any verger or lector duties, will not sign checks, and will not step foot in the church. After a lot more prayer during June, I will then decide what path to take.

I’m sorry that it has come to this. I was hoping against hope that a blatant acceptance of the homosexual agenda in a public way would not appear at St. Paul’s.

Sincerely,

David Littrell

Postscript April 2025: I left the Episcopal Church on April 11, 2025, the day before St. Paul’s was once again participating in the gay pride parade, which was held during the holy season of Lent and the day before Palm Sunday.

From the Proposed Website (for our local church)

In All are Welcome “all sexualities”   (There are two sexes: male and female, as is evident all throughout the extent of flora and fauna. Gender is a grammatical term. “Gender” as a replacement of sorts for sex is a relatively new concept that no one thought of for 99.99+% of human history.)

What We Believe     

“We believe that God loves you—no exceptions.”      (This is code implying that you can continue to live a life of sin and not change your behavior. God is going to love you anyway “just the way you are.”  Jesus told people all the time that they needed to repent and turn away from their sins and follow him. He doesn’t want us to remain as we are but rather to become a new creation as a child of God, which implies a belief in God, which mean you follow God’s commands. As you know, the meaning of “repent” implies turning around and going another direction.)

“people of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church.”

Baptismal Covenant   “Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?”     (apparently not)

Weddings at St. Paul’s

“Same gender couples are welcome.”        (That was not and is not God’s intention nor definition of what constitutes a marriage.)

David Littrell is a retired university professor from the Midwest.