Better, yet - one from Our Lady of Sorrows Seminary, St. Louis.
DIOCESE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK: Dwindling Finances Force Staff Layoffs
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/17/2008
Citing declining income, the Bishop of the Diocese of Central New York, Gladstone "Skip" Adams has announced staff layoffs in a letter to his clergy, wardens and standing.
"It is clear that the financial realities of today's economy are creating challenges for our congregations in terms of assessment and investment revenue. Increased energy costs place additional pressures on already stretched budgets. These challenges obviously impact the financial resources available on the Diocesan level for staff, programming, and ministry," he wrote.
The diocese recently filed a lawsuit against the Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, New York, in an effort to seize the church building, the parish hall, and the rectory. This is the third church Adams has moved to seize since 2006, and the second church he has actually sued.
One other church, St. Andrew's Church in nearby Vestal, New York, surrendered its property to the bishop rather than face a lawsuit. That church building was taken over by the Episcopal diocese shortly before Christmas of 2007 and is now vacant and for sale. The congregation is worshiping elsewhere and thriving.
For the bishop's full statement click here:
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/content/dcny_staff_reorganization_memo.pdf
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GJ - The Episcopalians have lost 1/3 of their members since 1978. The foolish vindictiveness of filing suit against a congregation is apparent. The well-heeled members can find their own property. The confiscated property has little value, especially in today's market.
The Episcopalian bishops refused to stop illegal ordinations of women, supposedly to draw the line at women becoming bishops. Women's ordination was normalized. Next a thoroughly unqualified woman became a suffragan (assistant) bishop. They called her Bishop Babs. Still no action. Next women became bishops. The same rationale for ordaining women priests allowed for electing women bishops. Soon after, a woman bishop with very little pastoral or administrative experience, Katharine Jefferts-Schori, was elected Presiding Bishop. The lawsuits have multiplied since that time, not only at the national level, but also at the diocese (district) level.
Meanwhile, the new PB is seeing a vast exodus of Episcopalians from her organization. They are leaving by congregation, even by diocese. Her answer is to step up the lawsuits and deny there is any crisis.
Mutatis mutandis, the conservative Lutherans have pursued the same foolish course. Most pastors limited their criticism of blatant apostasy to a few quiet quips during the coffee break, assuming the position after the break was over. Now after 30 years of damage, they are willing to say a few mild things as a group. How brave of them. Maybe Church Growth is wrong after all. Sniffle, whimper (WELS). Save the radio station. Boo hoo (LCMS). After years of intense pressure and unlimited flattery from Paul McCain, DP Benke is willing to say Allah is not the true God. Who says diplomacy, greased with a book contract from CPH, does not work? Barry-McCain could have disciplined Benke instead of rewarding him with benign neglect. See footnote below.
The main difference is that the Episcopalian bishops are willing to face down the national leader and take their flocks out of her toxic shadow. These bishops have the option of joining with conservative Anglican confessions. They ask foreign bishops to come over and provide the leadership so lacking in America. Priests are taking their congregations out, often absent the property, and doing well, free of the baggage and issues of the apostate group.
FOOTNOTE: Howard Festerling (WELS) was making a brave stand for the efficacy of the Word. Bruce Becker, who recently called Kelm back to The Love Shack, got rid of Festerling. No one backed Festerling up. One WELS pastor answered, "Look what happened to you." Festerling had his mission taken away from him. He lived in the Toledo area later, but the ELS congregation he attended did not commune him. The ELS has no problem with Fuller doctrine, but affirming the efficacy of God's Word? That must be punished by excommunication.
The same dynamics were at work in Missouri. McCain-Barry did nothing about Benke, but Wally Schulz did, a few years later. McCain has a sinecure at CPH, promoting books. Schulz was fired from The Lutheran Hour. Missouri replaced Schulz with Ken Klaus (no relation to Santa), a man with a fake doctorate from the basement of a Methodist church.
