Ironically, all three--Rauschenbusch, Gladden, and Mathews--called themselves evangelicals. And all talked about having a personal relationship with Jesus.

This was pietism, the movement that proclaimed that the most important thing is knowing Jesus personally, and that after that doctrine is unimportant. It discounted theology.

"It's weird to see liberals thinking of leaving the communion because it is not liberal enough," a parishioner told VOL.

The small ultra-liberal diocese which is in deep financial and demographic trouble is currently sharing resources with the two other New England dioceses; Maine and New Hampshire.

In August of 2021, the bishop of Vermont, Shannon MacVean-Brown, wrote a letter revealing that the diocese faced a “financial cliff”.

Of course, it was hastened by former Nigerian primate Peter Akinola who wrote the book, Who Blinks First? Biblical Fidelity Against the Gay Agenda in the Global Anglican Communion. That book was a slam dunk at Rowan Williams who told the African primate he would blink first over the Anglican Communion's inevitable acceptance of homosexuality. It never happened. Both sides became more entrenched in their views.

Beach cited the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who encouraged a structure in North America so "we can keep these fellow Anglicans in the fold."

"We will continue to offer safe harbor for those in Provinces whose leaders walk away from the moral teaching of the New Testament, the Church Fathers, and our Anglican heritage."