Spooky!
I do my best to prowl the blogosphere to see what horrors and evils are attempting to destroy The Episcopal Church. This one made my blood run cold. And it typifies what is at stake in the battle between the traditional, mainstream Episcopalians and those who want to take-over The Episcopal Church and re-shape it in some sort of fundamentalist image.
Brad Drell (a.k.a. the Knight of What It Means to Be Truly "Orthodox") posted a note which led to
this discussion. You should read through that whole tread, to catch its ebb and flow.
But this is the part that made my blood run cold. One of his conservative commenters said (with applause from her sideliners):
In the interest of “truth-in-advertising,” I sure hope her parish has a sign above its door, reading: “All words and thoughts uttered herein have been approved by The Southern Baptist Convention”!
Friends, these are not Episcopalians! Nor are they Anglicans.
Sheesh!
Brad Drell (a.k.a. the Knight of What It Means to Be Truly "Orthodox") posted a note which led to
this discussion. You should read through that whole tread, to catch its ebb and flow.
But this is the part that made my blood run cold. One of his conservative commenters said (with applause from her sideliners):
“Some parishes now simply no longer ‘receive transfer letters’ from otherWhat??? Her conservative parish does not accept transfer letters from other Episcopalians until her high-and-holy parish determines – in its sole discretion – that the newcomers are sufficiently “Christian” and “discipled”??? My friends, are we living in the 21st century or in the Reformation??
parishes until they are certain that the Episcopalian in question is a Christian
and is discipled.”
In the interest of “truth-in-advertising,” I sure hope her parish has a sign above its door, reading: “All words and thoughts uttered herein have been approved by The Southern Baptist Convention”!
Friends, these are not Episcopalians! Nor are they Anglicans.
Sheesh!
posted by Lisa Fox at 8/11/2006 01:07:00 AM
4 Comments:
Gee - we don't even require letters of transfer, if you attend and participate, and maybe are baptized, you are a member. We see it as a journey of faith and we are companions (bread sharers) on the Way.
Thanks, Ann, this post had left me initially flummoxed. When my partner and I decided to formally join the Episcopal church, no one did a background check. They asked if we'd been baptised or confirmed. I had been both baptised and confirmed in the Roman Catholic church, so I was received into the Episcopal Church as a confirmed member. My partner had not yet been confirmed, so his reception into the Episcopal Church came in the form of a confirmation.
But all that was required was our stated intent, not a signed letter of approval from someone else.
I would hope that we as Episcopalians will vehemently resist such facism from creeping into our beloved Communion. And any rector or congregation who would require some "letter of transfer" is NOT part of our Communion. Sure, I could see a letter of introduction from one's former parish, but this would merely be an introduction, not a qualification for entry.
I do wish the radically "conservative" element that is poisoning this Church would walk apart more quickly so as to do as little damage as possible on their way out. It is they who are destroying what is good and right about the Episcopal Church.
Letters of Transfer are formal papers from your former Episcopal Church (it is an inhouse thing) telling your status (baptized and/or confirmed) for the pupose of record keeping. There is even a form some place. I don't think many people use them any more - it was a bean counter sort of thing to keep track of how many Episcopalians and not count them twice. I am very sorry to see churches using them as a method of approval.
Back in the mid-90s, when I wished to pursue confirmation in TEC, I did have to get a certificate from my fundamentalist Protestant church (dating from back in the mid-1960s) showing that I had been baptized. Then, when I moved from that Episcopal parish to this one in the Midwest, my former priest informed me that, once I got settled, she would provide paperwork to this parish showing I had been confirmed and was a "member in good standing."
But my experience was like Ann & ToeWalker assume should be the norm: I showed up at this parish and was included. Nobody set up klieglights [sp?] or subjected to me an inquisition into the state of my immortal soul. They simply welcomed me as a fellow pilgrim on the Way.
For that is the Anglican way!
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