Clergy Statement About the Diocese and the National Church
The recent departure of thirteen congregations from the Diocese of Virginia for Anglican provinces in Africa has provoked some speculation among parishioners at St. Matthew’s about what might lie ahead for this parish. Your clergy are writing this statement in an effort to clarify our position.
1. We are in total theological agreement with the departing churches with regard to their judgment that the Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Virginia included, has departed from the catholic and apostolic faith “once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). There is no question that for the past thirty years at least, the Episcopal Church has increasingly embraced a secular worldview and agenda based not on God’s redeeming power in Jesus Christ but on the potential of humanity to heal itself. We repudiate the actions of General Convention which stand in clear violation of the counsel of Scripture and historic Christianity.
2. However, neither our conscience nor our understanding of the Church dictates our joining our brothers and sisters in Christ in their departure from the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church. It seems clear to us, from both Scripture and Church history, that in some degree the people of God, whether Israel or the Church, have always included elements of spiritual and theological bankruptcy. We see our mission as clearly proclaiming the Gospel within the Episcopal Church. We believe this to be the place where God has called us to do his work. We are reminded of God’s word to the Kingdom of Judah through the prophet Micah, assuring them that through their captivity in a foreign land, they would be delivered by God himself: “You will go to Babylon; there you will be rescued. There the LORD will redeem you.” (Micah 4:10b NIV)
3. We understand that members of the congregation will feel anxiety over St. Matthew’s position in the Diocese with these departures, and that this anxiety will increase with the election of a new bishop who may not accommodate our theological position. As people feel this anxiety, they may strongly urge the leadership to adopt strategies to arrange the congregation’s finances or affiliations in such a way as to shield ourselves from possible adverse action from the Diocese in the future due to our theological position. We resist all such strategies. While they appear prudent from a worldly point of view, we believe that were we to implement them, we would not be acting in obedience to God’s call to us at this time. This is in keeping with Paul’s exhortation to the Romans: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) In short, we are willing to accept whatever consequences might ensue for our continuing to proclaim the gospel of Christ as part of the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church.
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. (Psalms 48:14 NIV)