NO HERESY IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

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May 15, 1996 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The Episcopal Church court announced its decision today that "church doctrine" does not bar ordination of practicing homosexuals. A charge of heresy had been brought against Episcopal Bishop Walter Righter for ordaining homosexual Barry Stopfel as a deacon in 1990. Stopfel, who has since been made a priest, lives with his "companion," Will Leckie, in the parish house of St. George's Episcopal Church in Maplewood, New Jersey. With this ruling, the heresy trial cannot proceed.

This is the first heresy trial in the Episcopal Church since 1924.

The court panel, composed of eight bishops (the ninth had been dismissed because he himself had ordained a homosexual!), has taken three months to make the decision on whether "church doctrine" barred ordination of "non-celebate homosexuals," and whether Righter had violated his vows in ordaining the homosexual Stopfel. One of the bishops participating on the court panel said, "No such written constraint is contained in the canon that forbids the ordination."

This is nonsense. The church's authority is not its own doctrine. The church's authority is the Holy Scriptures. The Bible's standards for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 plainly forbid the ordination of homosexuals or adulterers or fornicators of any type. The Bible says homosexual relations are an abomination before God. The Apostle Paul, writing under inspiration in Romans chapter one, describes same sex relations as "uncleanness" (v. 24), "dishonour" (v. 24), "vile affections" (v. 26), "against nature" (v. 26), "reprobate" (v. 28), "not convenient" (v. 28), and "unrighteousness" (v. 29). This is how the Holy Scripture describes homosexual relations: "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet" (Romans 1:26,27).

Of course, the Episcopal Church is not based squarely upon New Testament truth. It's priesthood is not in the New Testament. Neither are its rituals, its pomp and circumstance, its eucharist, its courts, its bishops (the bishops in the New Testament were elders and pastors of the local churches), its infant baptism, etc. Friends, beware of churchianity which is not founded solidly upon the authority of the Word of God.

The Episcopal Church has been ordaining homosexuals for many years, although officially it has said this is inappropriate. This is the typical style of church politics which is played by many of the denominations. The ecclesiastical leaders are adroit in speaking out of two sides of the mouth at the same time, at facing two directions at once. It is a marvelous sight to behold! In 1979 the Episcopal Church's General Convention passed a resolution saying that ordination of homosexuals was "not appropriate." However, that same year a group of 20 bishops signed a statement calling the church's position on gays "a cruel denial of the sexual being of homosexual persons" and a "condemnatory judgment" that made them second-class citizens in the church (Christian News, Sept. 23, 1985, p. 1). Also, prior to 1979 there had already been homosexuals ordained to the Episcopal ministry and nothing had been done to discipline those involved. In 1977 Bishop Paul Moore of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City ordained lesbian Ellen Barrett as a priest. Barrett told Time magazine that her lesbian love affairs gave her the "strength to serve God."

According to Integrity, a pro-homosexual Episcopal group, at least 50 practicing homosexuals had been ordained to the priesthood by 1991.

When Edmond Lee Browning was elected "presiding bishop" in September 1985, he "made it clear that he disagrees with the church's official opposition to the ordination of practicing homosexuals" (Religious News Service, Sept. 11, 1985). He stated, "I would sincerely hope the Episcopal Church can say that there are no outcasts, but embrace all people and all cultures." He was one of 20 bishops who signed a 1979 statement calling the church's position on gays "a cruel denial of the sexual being of homosexual persons" and a "condemnatory judgment" that made them second-class citizens in the church. Browning is one of the 20 bishops who signed the aforementioned statement in 1979.

On April 12, 1986, Episcopal Bishop George Hunt gave a public address in support of homosexual ordination and "declared his joy that the number of dioceses where those who are 'explicitly homosexual' are being ordained is increasing" (St. Michael's Wings, April 30, 1986, cited in Christian News, May 12, 1986, p. 3).

In 1988 Episcopal Bishop John Spong published his book Living in Sin: A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality. "Of course gay people should be considered without prejudice for the ordination process" (p. 87). "It contained these statements: If the Bible has nothing more than the letter of literalism to offer to our understanding of human sexuality today, then I must say that I stand ready to reject the Bible in favor of something that is more human, more humane, more life giving, and, dare I say, more godlike" (p. 133). "The time has surely come not just to tolerate, or even to accept, but to celebrate and welcome the presence among us of our gay and lesbian fellow human beings" (p. 199).

In 1989 Bishop John Spong ordained homosexual Robert Williams to the priesthood. Williams was later fired from his job at Oasis, a ministry program to homosexuals, though he remained a priest. His firing was not for his open moral perversion but because of public statements which embarrassed the Episcopal Church. He stated, for example, that Mother Teresa would be better off if she had a lesbian affair. Williams was diagnosed with AIDS in 1991.

In September 1990 Spong ordained another homosexual--Barry Stopfel--at the Church of the Atonement in Tenafly, New Jersey. The actual ordination was performed by Bishop Walter Righter. At the time, Righter, who was bishop of Iowa from 1972 to 1988, was assistant bishop to Spong. Stopfel was ordained to serve as assistant pastor for lesbian Episcopal priest Carter Heyward. During the ceremony, Stopfel's "lover" was introduced and the congregation of 450 applauded.

As an interesting side note, we would applaud Austin Menzies, who had the moral courage to stand and dissent to this wicked ordination. He said, "Priests are role models to all Christians, particularly the young. Ordination of this person will encourage children to believe there's nothing perverse or immoral about homosexuality, that two men showing their mutual affection by making genital contact is perfectly normal." Bravo, Austin, Bravo!

In 1991 an Episcopal Church commission ended a three-year study by recommending that bishops be allowed to ordain openly homosexual seminarians to the priesthood.

A survey of nearly 20,000 Episcopalians in 1993 showed that a whopping seventy percent believed "faithful Christians can be sexually active gays and lesbians" (Calvary Contender, Nov. 15, 1993). Seventh-five percent approved of living with someone of the opposite sex without marriage.

In October 1993, James Jelinek was consecrated Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota in spite of his open stand in favor of ordaining "qualified gay and lesbian persons." A majority of 112 bishops in charge of Minnesota dioseses and a majority of 117 standing committees had given their approval of Jelinek.

In 1994 a "pastoral letter" from the Episcopal bishops "suggested a moratorium on the ordination of gays" (Associated Press, July 27, 1994). In typical "facing two ways" fashion, the bishops, in the same letter, stated, "As it can be for heterosexual persons, the experience of steadfast love can be for homosexual persons an experience of God."

Also in 1994 seventy Episcopal bishops signed a statement written by John Spong which said, in part, "Our lives and our experience as bishops have convinced us that a wholesome example of the flock of Christ . . . does not exclude those homosexual persons who choose to live out their sexual orientation in a partnership that is marked by faithfulness and life-giving holiness."

In 1995 the controversy surrounding the ordination of homosexuals was brought to a head when a group of ten Episcopal bishops were successful in charging Bishop Righter with heresy for the 1990 ordination of practicing homosexual Barry Stopfel as a deacon.

Given the history of the Episcopal Church in this century, the outcome of this trial was certain from the outset. Though there are large numbers of Episcopal leaders who deny the deity and virgin birth and blood atonement and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; who deny the perfect inspiration of Holy Scripture; who believe same sex relations are natural and righteous; who have broken their own marriage vows by adultery, divorce, and remarriage--there is no heresy in the Episcopal Church of America.

David Cloud dcloud@wayoflife.org http://www.wayoflife.org/
1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277

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