Two Fayette County churches are dropping the word “Episcopal” from common use of their names as they distance themselves from the national Episcopal Church amid controversy over the appointment of an openly gay bishop.
The churches now refer to themselves as St. Peter’s Church in Uniontown and Christ Church in Brownsville. After their names, both add they are “a parish of the Anglican communion.”
“This is done as a protest,” said the Rev. Thomas R. Finnie, pastor of St. Peter’s Church. “We do not accept national church policies on a number of issues regarding how they read the Bible and apply it. We believe in the traditional, fundamental doctrine of the church.”
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One thing I have noticed in articles and in discussion on the radio about the turmoil in the Anglican communion is the increasing use of the word traditional by those conservative who disagree with the road the Episcopal church in America has taken. Sometimes they will use the word historical instead but it seems that using the word traditional is become less toxic to some Protestants. When Sola Scriptura falls on it’s face when two Bible believing groups come to different interpretations, the conservative will start to appeal to the difference between their interpretation and historical Christianity.
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I know that the ECUSA is vastly different from the Anglican church in Oz, but here amongst the Aussie Anglicans at least, ‘tradition’ has not been a dirty word. And we still get Carnley and Jensen.
I’d love to see these guys get *really* traditional: see the sin of contraception and abortion, subjection to the Roman Pontiff, seven sacraments, etc.
If the Anglican Communion is the true “traditional” Church of Christ, why does it mirror Cranmerian/Lutheran theology and Elizabethan ecclesiology, and ignore everything from Scholasiticism, even Patristics, and the ecnumenical councils?
stupid!!!!!