NOTES,  21 JUNE 2021

Greetings, blog reader, on this Monday, June 21, 2021. I hope all the Dads out there had a good Father's Day. I did. My twin daughters remembered me well. Let's check in on the crises we have been tracking.

PANDEMIC. America continues to inch toward "normalcy" as rates go on declining and vaccinations arising, however slowly. The pandemic definitely is not over as cases and deaths continue to occur at stubborn rates. In the last month, SC added some 7,000 new cases of COVID-19, and 150 deaths. At the same time, Alabama added 8,000 new cases and 300 deaths. The U.S. as a whole saw 700,000 new cases, and 17,000 deaths in the past 30 days. The plague is not over and no one should jump to that conclusion. 

Vaccinations are rising, however slowly. As of yesterday, the U.S. reported 45.6% of the population to be fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, our southern states continue to lag far behind. In South Carolina, only 36.9% of the people are fully inoculated. As always, Alabama and Mississippi are at the bottom. AL is listing 31.9% and MS, 28.9%. Experts are saying this highly contagious disease will continue to spread widely in the states with low vaccination rates. This stands to reason. With more than two-thirds of the people around us not vaccinated, we southerners need to remain vigilant when we go out in public.

SCHISM IN SC. I know of nothing new to report.

THE ADVENT. Last week, the lay leadership of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham AL, released the names of the search committee tasked with selecting the next dean/rector. 

I have reason to believe that soon, perhaps this week, the leadership will release important new decisions about the life of the parish. Keep an eye out in the next few days for big announcements. I do not want to say more about this now. I will return with commentary if and when the announcements are made publicly.

On a very sad note, the state of Alabama is in shock and grief today with the news of an horrific highway crash last Saturday. The pictures are too awful to post here. One may Google the topic to find articles and pictures. 

The wreck occurred in the midst of bad weather, storm Claudette moving northward with heavy rains. It happened at mile marker 138 on I-65 near Greenville AL. I know that very spot well as I have traveled that highway countless times to and from Pensacola in the past 50 years. 

Ten people were killed in the fiery 18 vehicle pile-up. One of the 18 was a van loaded with girls from the Alabama Sheriffs' Girls Ranch at Camp Hill AL. Passers-by pulled the driver out of the mangled and burning wreckage, unconscious (she survived), but could not reach the girls engulfed in the flames. All eight girls aboard burned to death. Two other people also died in the massive wreck.

Some of the girls who died were at-risk youngsters, from abused, neglected, abandoned backgrounds. The Christian girls' ranch was their only chance at a "normal" life. No doubt, the little time they had at the ranch were the best days of their short lives. How cruel life can be sometimes.

Right now, the ranch is raising money for eight funerals. One can find more info on their Facebook page here . They also have a Gofundme page, here .

Like Job, we cannot always know the reasons why bad things happen to good people. Sometimes events just do not make any sense and seem profoundly unfair. The  mind of God is beyond human understanding. What we can know is that God is present with us in the suffering and that, like Job, we must go on being God's people in the world. Through thick and thin, it is our calling, our mission. Peace.

THE ADVENT ANNOUNCES

SEARCH COMMITTEE

At long last, we have news (and good news it is) from the lay leadership of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham AL. Today, they announced the names of the search committee members. The committee is tasked with selecting the next dean and rector of the Advent. The previous dean, Andrew Pearson resigned nearly two months ago. Today's announcement came in a letter from the Chair of the search committee, Don Menendez and the two wardens, John Hargrove and Jay Ezelle. 

Find the announcement here .

The committee has nine members counting the chair. The odd number means there can be no tie votes. Also, as far as I can tell, it is about evenly split among men and women (a good sign).

Also, the Advent website now has a special page devoted to the search where readers may keep abreast of the latest developments. Find it here . This is another good sign that shows improving communications between leaders and ordinary parishioners. 

So, now the search for the next dean and rector of the Advent can get underway. We should all admire the committee members who volunteered to take on this formidable task. They will have a great deal of work to do as those who have been on search committees will know.

One should not expect this search to be quick or easy. Dean and rector of this size church is a big job that calls for an outstanding candidate with certain education and experience. There is a large parish, a clergy staff, and a sizable lay staff as well as the day school. Most of all, this is a parish now seeking to define its identity and correlation with its larger denomination. In short, there is a lot to be considered.

(I suppose the only thing we know for sure is that the pipeline from St. Helena's of Beaufort SC has been closed. The next dean of the Advent definitely will not be coming from St. Helena's.) 

Surely, everyone will agree to offer generous thoughts and prayers in support of the new search committee.  

NOTES,  17 JUNE 2021

Welcome to my blog, reader, on this Thursday, June 17, 2021. Nothing much new to report today, but it is time for a regular check-in on the crises we have been following for a long time.

PANDEMIC. Numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decline as they have for the past few months. At the same time, vaccinations are increasing. As of 15 June, 44.4% of Americans are fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, our southern states are lagging way behind the national rate. In SC, 36.3% of the residents are vaccinated. Alabama (30.8%) and Mississippi (28.5%) continue to occupy the bottom slots. This means that the vast majority of people in these states have refused to be vaccinated.

It is difficult to understand why most people in our local states are avoiding inoculations. It is not from lack of supply. There is an abundance of vaccine available and many places in which to get the shots. I expect part of it is political. Unfortunately, the pandemic became a national political issue at the start and remains such. So, the "redder" the state, the lower the vaccination rates. Still, it makes no sense that people would rather die of this horrible disease than to get the shots to be protected against it. I am at a loss.

Of course, vaccination does not prevent contracting COVID-19. There are people who had both shots and still fell ill with the disease. However, their cases were relatively light. This is why we need to remain vigilant, wear masks in public, and keep our distances. We are still in the worst pandemic in a century and are likely to remain in it for months to come.   

SCHISM IN SC.  Still waiting on word from the SC Supreme Court on the appeal of the Episcopal Church side of Judge Edgar Dickson's 2020 order consigning all to the new Anglican diocese. I have a feeling we had better settle in for a long wait. We should be used to that by now. One reason is that two of the four justices considering this appeal are new to this exceedingly large case. 

On a sad note, it occurred to me a few days ago that exactly six years ago, the legal war between these bitter adversaries could have been settled once and for all. In June of 2015, the Episcopal Church made an offer of settlement to the breakaway contingent. The Church offered to hand over claim to all of the 36 parishes in question in return for the entity of the old diocese. The secessionists flatly refused the offer and ridiculed the Church side to boot for making it, questioning their motives. The possibility of peace collapsed. Just think of what we could have been spared. 

Ironically, that is essentially where the two sides are today. The breakaways have the 36 parishes and the Episcopal Church has the entity of the old diocese. One big caveat to this is that the Anglicans have refused to accept the federal court ruling on the diocese and have appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, the Anglicans are holding the assets of the pre-schism diocese even though they are under Injunction of the federal district court to refrain from claiming to be in any way the historic diocese. So, it is not quite true that the Church has the diocese and the schismatics have the parishes. The Church has the legal right to the old diocese but it has not yet received its assets. 

If the SC Supreme Court comes down on the side of Dickson, the breakaways will finally have clear legal possession of the 36 parishes. If the federal appeals court comes down on the side of the Church, the Episcopal diocese will own the entity of the historic diocese and its assets. However, the Church side will still have to take some kind of action to gain possession of the assets unless the schismatics voluntarily turn them over which I certainly would not expect. Deny and delay has been the modus operandi of the Anglican side all along. No one should expect them to change now.

I'm just wondering what might have been saved if the two sides had agreed to the compromise offer in June of 2015. We know that the Anglican diocese has been budgeting $.5m/yr for legal costs, no doubt a far too conservative estimate. Yet, if we take even this modest figure and double it for both sides, we come up with $6m spent since the spurned offer of 2015. Of course, the human cost of six years of legal warfare is incalculable. What a shame. What a scandal. What a violation of the Scriptures by the very people who want everyone else to live by them, particularly when it comes to sexual orientation and gender.

Do not get me wrong on this. I am not predicting that the SCSC will side with the breakaways. It is inconceivable to me that the justices would overthrow a previous majority decision of their court in favor of a lowly circuit judge's opinion. If justice, law, and reason prevail, the SCSC will uphold its 2017 decision and order the hand over of the 29 parishes in question.

THE ADVENT.  The vestry of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham AL, met last week and discussed terms of a Covenant with the bishop. Apparently, they did not finalize a deal because, to my knowledge, there has been no public announcement of such. If there is a snag, I have no idea what is is.

A big part of the problem at the Advent is poor communication. It has been almost two months since the two wardens sent a letter to the parish announcing the resignation of the dean, Andrew Pearson. Since then, there has been virtually no communication from the clerical and lay leadership of the Advent about the dramatic events going on in the parish or the trajectory into the future. There is a newsletter available on the parish website. It has said very little about what has happened and what is likely to happen at the Advent. Meanwhile, Pearson left and called on his "Friends" to follow him out to form a new church, and his ally, Zac Hicks, posted a video calling Rite I "anti-Christ." The response from the leadership to the people--- crickets. Meanwhile, people are flocking to this blog for information. In the last 30 days, there have been 17,900 hits on this blog, the vast majority on the entries concerning the Advent, the most popular ones getting 1,000 hits each. Really, this blog should not be the source of information about the happenings of the Advent, although I am happy to oblige. The church leadership should be the ones talking to the people. Why they are not is a mystery to me.

(BTW, Zac Hicks is still listed among the Advent's clergy. He has not publicly explained, let alone apologized for, his shocking defamation of Rite I. According to the newsletter, he is going on sabbatical from June 20 to July 31. I wonder whether the hootenanny band will go away too.)

We know the vestry and bishop are working on a "Covenant," but, evidently, no word of this has leaked to the public. At the very least, the Advent leadership could tell the people that something is going on that will address the dramatic events occurring in the church. A church leadership operating in secrecy on and on is unhealthy for any parish. The people of the Advent are entitled to know what is happening in their own church. After all, they are the ones who pay the bills. At the very least, parishioners can contact their vestry members. The list of the vestry membership is posted on the Advent website. Find it here . 

I am sure we all wish these crises would just disappear, go away and leave us alone. Alas, that is not our choice to make. Our choice is to do our best to live through these difficult days as the Christians we claim to be. When it is over, and all is said and done, we can look back with satisfaction that we did all we could to carry out our mission of being God's people in a world of hurt. Peace.

_________________________________

UPDATE on the Advent. 2:00 p.m.  I have reason to believe important decisions have been made by the leadership of the parish and these will be conveyed to the parish soon (let's hope very soon). Presumably these will relate at least to the Covenant that has been under discussion between the parish and the bishop. I would guess the others would have to do with the search for the new dean and forms of corporate worship (as what to do about the hootenanny band). I will relay information as I receive it.

  

NOTES,  10 JUNE 2021

Welcome, blog reader. It is Thursday, June 10, 2021 and time to check in on the crises we have been tracking for a long time. There really is not much new to report, so this is just a reminder that I am here and keeping an eye on the matters at hand. 

PANDEMIC. Signs show improving data in most countries, as America. New cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have declined steadily since the winter surge. Vaccinations are continuing although they have slowed a bit. As of June 8, 42.3% of all Americans are fully vaccinated while more than half had had one shot. Sadly, our southern states are bringing up the rear, as usual. Of the 50 states and D.C., South Carolina is #40, at 35.16% vaccinated. Not surprisingly, Alabama is #50 at 29.48%, and Mississippi is dead last, at 27.95%. In most places, restrictions have been removed or lessened. Many people are out and about now as summer arrives.

SCHISM IN SC. Crickets. As usual, still waiting on the courts to act, this time the SC Supreme Court. Sooner or later, and it looks like later, the SCSC will have to render a judgment. The Episcopal diocese is appealing Judge Dickson's decision of 2020 that rejected the SCSC decision of 2017 and awarded all to the breakaway faction. The SCSC has two choices: uphold its 2017 decision and reject Dickson, or, affirm Dickson and reject its 2017 decision. Common sense dictates the former, but no one should jump to the conclusion that this will be the outcome.

THE ADVENT. After the dramatic events in May, the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham, is in the process of finding its way to a new order and stability. The last time I checked, the Rev. Zac Hicks was still on the payroll. He is the canon for worship who, last month, declared publicly the Episcopal Prayer Book to be anti-Christ (specifically the gap in the Rite I communion liturgy). I watched the two morning services on YouTube last Sunday. There were more traditional Episcopal worship forms in both. However, the "praise band" (what I call the hootenanny band) was still making noise in the early service. The Chancel Lamp was still out, meaning there was no reserve sacrament in the Ambry. I may have missed it, but I did not see an Episcopal Church flag although the U.S. flag was clearly visible.

The vestry and the bishop have been busy working on a "Covenant" to settle tensions between the parish and the diocese. I do not want to say more about this now just to say I believe it likely the Covenant to be finished soon and released to the public. I will post it when I receive it. I think most people will be pleased with the settlement. 

POLITICAL CRISIS. After last fall's election, I thought the political situation in the U.S. had calmed down. Not so. It has worsened. There is a giant clash between pro-democratic revolutionary forces and anti-democratic forces. Unfortunately, the two big parties have become polarized around this. This has become critical for the continuation of the United States as a democratic society. The forces of one party tried to overthrow the government last January 6 and since then have denied and protected this attempted coup. That party has turned against the principles of democracy. Democracy rests on two great principles: equal rights for all people, and majority rule. One party is now defending these and the other party is struggling to build a political system in defiance of them. This is the most serious political crisis in America since the Civil War. The upcoming elections, in 2022 and 2024 will be a test of wills between the pro and anti democratic forces in America.

Finally, my usual sign-off: no one asked for all of this. We did not have a choice. These crises were given to us for the time of our lives. We also have a mission, to be God's people in the world and we must treat these crises in terms of our mission. Peace.

____________________________

If anyone is wondering what is going on with my garden these days, I will offer a few photos made this week. We had a warm winter and have had copious amounts of rain since then. The result is a lush garden, weeds and all (a garden that will not grow good weeds is not much of a garden).

Most hydrangeas are coming out into full bloom now. Here, Nikko Blue stands before Oak Leaf. There are several kinds of hydrangeas in this shady area. They expect lots of water. 

Nikko Blue is popular in southern yards and gardens and for good reason. In fact, hydrangeas are native to the south. At this time of the year, Oak Leaf hydrangeas, with their long white flower spikes, can be seen growing in abundance in the natural woodlands of Alabama.

Being a native Floridian, I am fond of tropical plants. No plants love lots of rain more than banana trees, and they show it in their exuberance. The ginger to the left will provide aroma to this seating area in the fall.

Looking from the other side, one sees Sabal minor (Louisiana palmetto) and perennials. The seating area is hidden behind these. 

Japanese Pea Shrub (Lespedeza thurnbergii) is an excellent and much under-used deciduous bush for a sunny spot. This one is full grown at six feet across.

Spiraea is one of the best families of shrubs for the garden. I have numerous examples. A common form is Anthony Waterer Spiraea. It makes a small bush and can be tucked into a sunny spot to add color.

For a conversation plant, try this one, Giant Cone Flower (Rudbeckia maxima). It grows six feet tall and puts out these large "cones" of seeds. Likes sun but tolerates some shade. Birds greatly enjoy the seeds. I am sure I have the happiest birds in the county. I give them plenty of natural food, water, and nesting places, and they reward me with their beauty and song. It's a win-win.

 

 

AN UPDATE ON THE SC SUPREME COURT

The South Carolina Supreme Court has before it the Episcopal Church case, to be specific the appeal of the Episcopal Church and diocese of Judge Edgar Dickson's 2020 order reversing the SCSC decision of Aug. 2, 2017. This is an opportune moment to review the matter now before the SCSC.

First a brief chronology:

---July 13, 2020. Notice of Appeal. The SCSC agreed to accept the appeal of Dickson's order of June 19, 2020.

---Nov. 12, 2020. Appellants' Initial Brief. Appellants are the Episcopal Church and the church diocese.

---Feb. 12, 2021. Respondents' Initial Brief. Respondents are the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina using old title of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina and the individual parishes aligned.

---Mar. 4, 2021. Appellants' Reply to Respondents' Initial Brief.

---Apr. 22, 2021. Respondents' Final Brief.

---Apr. 26, 2021. Appellants' Final Brief.

---Apr. 26, 2021. Appellants' Record of the Case. 19 volumes, 9,016 pages.

---May 3, 2021. Briefing and Record Complete.

All of these documents may be found on the SC courts website here .

Now we know that all of the papers have been submitted to the state supreme court. The full case is before the justices in Columbia. 

The court must make two decisions soon. One is whether to engage an acting justice. Of the five sitting justices, one has recused herself, leaving four. In the past, the court has often used a temporary justice to fill out the full bench. They could do the same now.

The other decision is whether to hold a public hearing or go straight to a written decision. Since two of the four justices are new to the case, it would make sense to hold a hearing so that these justices could question the attorneys on both sides as to the details of the case. The longer the justices go without announcing a hearing, the greater the likelihood they will go straight to a written opinion.

On one hand, this case is exceedingly complex and complicated. The full case record mentioned above is mountainous---over 9,000 pages. Imagine the justices, or their poor clerks, having to wade through and make sense of all that.

On the other hand, the matter before the justices is simple. In all of the back-and-forth of the five briefs listed above, there is really one major point. It is the Dennis Canon. 

The SCSC decision of Aug. 2, 2017 ruled in a majority opinion that 28 (actually 29) of the 36 parishes in question had in fact acceded to the Dennis Canon; and therefore the congregations forfeited the property to the trustee, the Episcopal Church, when they declared separation from the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church is now the owner of the 28 (29) parish properties. The same for the Camp which is now property of the Episcopal diocesan trustees. 

Judge Dickson declared in his June 19, 2020 order that the parishes had not acceded to the Dennis Canon and they, and the Camp, remain in local hands. In other words, the Episcopal Church did not own the properties.

So, the decision before the justices is really rather simple. It is whether to defend the SCSC decision or to affirm Dickson's order. They must choose one or the other since the two are diametrically opposed. If they choose the SCSC decision, the Episcopal side gets the properties. If they affirm Dickson, the Anglican side gets the properties.

Although I am not a lawyer or legal expert, I just cannot imagine how the justices could justify overturning a SCSC decision that had become the law of the land in favor of a circuit court judge who decided on his own to reverse the state supreme court and to ignore the Remittitur that the SCSC has delivered to him at the start. A Remittitur is an official order to a lower court to implement a higher court decision.

Upholding the SCSC decision would be upholding the law. Affirming Dickson would be throwing into chaos the entire legal system of the state. If a circuit judge is allowed to overrule a state supreme court decision, there would never be order or finality in court decisions. Court rulings would become only suggestions. The supreme court would no longer be supreme. Why have courts at all if that becomes the case?

The matter before the SCSC now is really rather simple, but is far, very far, from being insignificant. 

 

NOTES,  3 JUNE 2021

Welcome, blog reader. It is Thursday, June 3, 2021 and time to check in on the crises we have been following for more than a year. Here is how they appear today:

PANDEMIC. The plague of the coronavirus is still ongoing. However, the signs in many countries, as the U.S., are encouraging. New cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are declining across the board in America. Some countries, as India, are still enduring surges. The pandemic is far from over, but it has abated enough in the U.S. for the authorities to ease almost all the restrictions. In general, Americans are anxious to get out and about. It is called "revenge travel."  

The best news in the U.S. is the spread of vaccinations. As of June 1, 40.9% of all Americans have been fully vaccinated and 50.8% have had at least one shot of a vaccine. The country is well on the way to "herd immunity." The president has set July 4 as the goal for this. Unfortunately, our southern states are at or near the bottom of the list in vaccinations. Of the 50 states plus D.C., SC is #41, at 33.83% fully vaccinated. As usual the bottom two states are Alabama (29.23%) and Mississippi (27.13%). The unofficial state motto of Alabama has always been "Thank God for Mississippi."

SCHISM IN SC. Nothing new. We are still waiting on the South Carolina Supreme Court to act on the Episcopal Church's appeal of Judge Dickson's ruling. The last papers were submitted to the SCSC in May. Since then, crickets. As far as I know, no one has any idea of when the justices will act. They can take as long as they wish; and as we know, this court is not known for expediency. It will soon be nine years since the schism of 2012. We are all growing old waiting for closure. Meanwhile, we have no choice but to bide time until the justices hand down their decision. Considering the amount of time that has elapsed in this appeal, my guess is the court will not hold a hearing but will go straight to a written decision on Dickson's order, but this is just speculation.

THE ADVENT. To put it mildly, the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham AL is in transition. We have been following what has been going on there since May 1 when news broke that Dean Andrew Pearson had submitted his resignation. Considering that 15,200 hits have been made on this  modest blog and its posts on the Advent in the last 30 days, I would say people of that parish are starving for information on what is going on and looking for a little encouragement that matters are improving. I am happy to provide a bit of both although as an outsider, what I know comes from a handful of sources, albeit well-placed and impeccable ones. As I see it, here are the main issues in the Advent today:

---Zac Hicks. On May 19, Hicks posted on the Internet, a 26-minute video of himself talking into the camera arguing to keep Pearson's "Our Liturgy." He trashed Rite I in the prayer book as "anti-Christ," anti-the Gospel," and liturgically against the Gospel. Although meant for the vestry, the video circulated as wildfire in the parish. Explosion. Hicks soon deleted the video from the Internet. He has not offered a public explanation for his shocking remarks let alone an apology. 

Hicks's future at the Advent really is a  matter for the authorities of the parish to handle; and I do not want to say anything more that might impact on this one way or another. I will say that if his video was meant to bolster Pearson's "Our Liturgy," it backfired.

---Covenant. For some weeks now, the vestry has been working on an agreement with the bishop to strengthen relations between the Advent and the Diocese, and by extension the Episcopal Church. Apparently this process is nearing a conclusion and we may expect some news about this later this month. I do not want to say more about this at this  moment lest I jeopardize sensitive issues. I expect we will have big news soon.

---Worship services. Now that covid has declined, all churches are easing back toward "normal" services and programs. The clergy and staff at the Advent are working on restoring as much pre-covid "normality" as they can. At the Advent, I expect one will see less of the camp meeting and more of the formal prayer book liturgy. Personally, I am looking at what will happen to two important symbols: the hootenanny band and the Chancel Lamp (aka Sanctuary Lamp). (Personally I would like to see the band turned off and the the lamp turned on.)

---Search for the new dean. A search committee is being formed to find a new permanent dean to replace Pearson. The Rev. Canon Craig Smalley is the interim dean. This is likely to be a long and difficult search that will go on for months. The understandably unsettled parishioners of the Advent should be patient. If and when I get the list of the search committee, I will post it. Then, parishioners will know whom to contact with their views of the search process.

If last month was the time of problems, this month may well see the beginnings of the solutions of those problems at the Advent. I know for a fact that the clergy and staff of the parish are working as best they can to solve the problems. My view is that everyone has to give them room to do what they think God's will to be for the church. I feel certain that matters will be clearer to everyone before the month is out.

Meanwhile, this is a moment for looking up. The pandemic is easing and life is slowly but surely inching back to "normal." As for SC, "normal" is waiting on the courts to act. I know it seems that there will never be closure in the schism, but we have to know that it will arrive in God's own time which we do not, cannot, understand at the moment. As for the Advent, "normal" means finding its comfortable identity and settling down into the confidence that it too is God's will. 

As always, none of us asked for these difficulties. None of us wanted these crises that were thrust upon us. Yet, here we are for the living of this hour. We must do our best for our mission. Peace.  

A MONTH IN THE LIFE OF THE ADVENT

The month of May is coming to an end. And, what a month it has been at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham AL. Fatigue might be the best word to describe the state of affairs there now. 

But then, fatigue might be the best word to describe all of our lives after more than a year of the worst pandemic in a century. We are all exhausted and ever so strongly yearning for a return to normality. First, we mourn the 600,000 Americans, and the millions beyond, who have perished in the plague and we weep with their heartbroken survivors. I think most of all we miss being with one another.

Humans are social animals, not meant to live in isolation. A few days ago, a much beloved family in my little town celebrated a high school graduation and invited everyone to their house. Well, just about everyone showed up. It was the first social occasion here in over a year. Once there, no one wanted to leave such was the joy of long-missed fellowship.

So, on top of the pandemic and its dreadful effects, the good people of the Advent have endured a hard month. A brief summary:

---1 May. News broke in public that Andrew Pearson, the dean and rector since 2014 had suddenly resigned. The two wardens sent a letter to the parish in late April announcing the resignation by mutual agreement of the dean and vestry. Pearson was not fired; he left of this own accord.

---16 May. In his last day the Advent, Pearson preached a sermon with a scarcely veiled, if slight, swipe at the bishop, Glenda Curry. Otherwise, Pearson left on pleasant terms.

---17 May. Pearson sent a letter to a select group of people at the Advent inviting them to follow him out to form a new church.

---17 May. Pearson asked Bishop Curry for a Release and Removal from Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church.

---17 May. Pearson was received as a priest in the Anglican Church in North America, by the archbishop, Foley Beach.

---19 May. Bishop Curry granted the Release and Removal to Pearson.

---19 May. The Rev. Zac Hicks, canon for worship, distributed a 26-minute video he made to the vestry, clergy and a few others, arguing to keep Pearson's "Our Liturgy." He denounced Rite I in the Book of Common Prayer as anti-Christ. The video soon spread widely. I obtained a copy.

---23 May. Bishop Glenda Curry presided at the Advent for Confirmation. Her presence and sermon reminded the parish of its Episcopalian nature.

---28 May. Hicks deleted his video of 19 May from the Internet.

Meanwhile, two important movements continue in May. In one, the vestry is working with the bishop toward a covenant between parish and diocese that would restore good relations with the diocese while keeping an evangelical identity at the Advent. The covenant is still in the works but reportedly may contain a return to corporate worship in the Book of Common Prayer (rather than Pearson's Our Liturgy), and restoration of normal financial arrangements between parish and diocese.

The other movement is internal. Reportedly, the clergy, staff, and vestry are working to define an evangelical identity for the parish while restoring some common norms of Episcopalian worship.

So, to describe the state of the Advent his month, the word unsettled would too mild and chaos would be too strong. Things are in flux but the clerical and lay leadership in the parish is working hard to steer this big ship through the stormy and perilous seas toward home. Things are looking up.

Now, a couple of prayers for the Advent from the BCP.

For the Parish, paraphrased (p. 817):

Almighty and everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for the parish family of the Advent. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant them all things necessary for their common life, and bring them all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Unity of the Church (p. 818):

O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My interest in the Advent stemmed from my study of the schism in South Carolina. In 2017, after four years' work, I published a long and detailed scholarly study of what happened in the Diocese of South Carolina. What led me to the Advent were the ties between each of the last three deans and the anti-Episcopal movement in the lowcountry. The last dean, Pearson, came straight from St. Helena's, of Beaufort, a hotbed of schism. In fact, a year after Pearson moved to Birmingham, St. Helena's helped lead the break from the Episcopal Church. My fear was that Pearson, and others, might foment a schismatic movement in the Advent that could potentially tear up the Diocese of Alabama. A repeat of what had happened in South Carolina would be the worst nightmare imaginable for the Diocese of Alabama. 

We now see that the anti-Episcopal Church movement over the years at the Advent failed to gain a strong enough momentum. It seems to me that after years of going along with radical changes at the Advent, the lay leadership finally decided these changes were too much and they agreed with the dean to part ways. Pearson's failure was the failure of the likelihood of schism in Alabama. Hicks's video was the parting shot in the retreat of the anti-Episcopal Church forces. 

Now, reports I am hearing say the vestry has rejected Hicks's video plea to keep Our Liturgy. The lay leadership is ready to re-embrace the church's Episcopalian nature while keeping an evangelical identity. In my view, this removes the possibility of a schism developing in Alabama. As far as I am concerned, this is an enormous relief. Schism would have decimated this diocese, the way it did South Carolina's.

It is a holiday weekend. I suggest we remember the people who gave their lives for their fellow human beings. You might want to revisit my blog piece of two years ago about Memorial Day. Find it here  . 

Finally, whatever is happening in our lives, we must go forward with confidence and optimism. I try. A few days ago, I had a new roof put on my house. In dealing with the roofer beforehand, I splurged and chose a roof guaranteed for 50 years. At the age of 77, I bought a roof to last 50 years. How is that for optimism?

As always, remember we are here for a purpose. It is to be God's people in the world whatever awful and unwelcomed events are happening around us. Peace.

 

IS RITE I "ANTI-CHRIST"?

In the recent 26-minute video that he distributed to the vestry of the Cathedral Church of the Advent, and to some dozen others, the Rev. Canon Zac Hicks makes the shocking claim that part of Rite I in The Book of Common Prayer is anti-Christ and against the Gospel. He argues that the parish should retain its in-house "Our Liturgy" instead of returning to the BCP Rite I. He claims that Our Liturgy corrects the errors of Rite I. It was introduced several years ago under Dean Andrew Pearson in a sweep to move the church far into the realm of evangelical religion. It has been the standard liturgy at the Advent for the past several years in place of the BCP.

The issue now in the Advent is whether to keep Our Liturgy or return entirely to the BCP.

Hicks offers his video in an effort to preserve Our Liturgy in the Advent. Specifically, he argues that Our Liturgy rightfully moves immediately from the institution of the communion to the reception of the bread and wine while Rite I makes an enormous gap and inserts man into the gap with "our prayers" and "our works." He says there should be no distance between institution and communion because our communion is by faith alone. [Actually, Hicks is not correct to say that Our Liturgy moves immediately from institution to reception; it has the Lord's Prayer and the Prayer of Humble Access between the two.]

So, I went back and examined the differences between Rite I and Our Liturgy (available on the Advent website) on the parallel parts between the institution and the distribution of the bread and wine. How wide is the gap that Hicks claims in Rite I? What are the words and prayers in the gap? Is the gap filled with man-centered thoughts? Finally, is the gap anti-Christ and anti-Gospel as Hicks said? This is serious stuff that calls for serious examination.

In Rite I, the institution starts on p. 334 with "For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread...Likewise after supper, he took the cup..." Our Liturgy has this, then jumps to the Lord's Prayer, the Prayer of Humble Access, and the distribution. So, what Hicks called the gap is the space between the institution and the Lord's Prayer. Here is what Rite I provides in the "gap" that Our Liturgy omits:

Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before they divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial they Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.

And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to here us; and, of they almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood. [underlined part is transferred in Our Liturgy to immediately before the institution]

And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of the Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.

And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of they Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him.

And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounded duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord;

By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. AMEN.

Rite I then follows with the Lord's Prayer, The Breaking of the Bread, the Prayer of Humble Access, and the distribution.

Our Liturgy jumps from institution, to Lord's Prayer, the Prayer of Humble Access, and the distribution. It leaves out all of the italicized text which I have given above. 

We may call the italicized text above "the gap" to use Hick's term. He claims that this gap is the part that is anti-Christ and anti the Gospel and therefore Our Liturgy was right to remove it in order to restore a Gospel-centered ceremony.

So, the question before us: Is Hicks right? Is the gap anti-Christ? Does it put man in the place of Christ? is it anathema to the Gospel?

Just speaking for myself, of course, I must confess I have no idea what Hicks is talking about. "The gap" is all about man receiving the Christ. There is nothing anti-Christ. There is nothing anti-Gospel here. He made these sweeping assertions without offering any specific evidence. He offers no evidence because there is no evidence. His claims have nothing to back them up. This is the way I see it. 

I ask you, dear reader, what do you think? Reading over "the gap" do you see anything to substantiate Hicks's assertions? Do you think Rite I is anti-Christ and anti-Gospel?

My conclusion is that Hicks's outrageous claim that Rite I is against the Gospel of Jesus Christ is false. The gap in no way puts man in the place of God. It does not separate us from the communion. 

In short, Hicks's claims in his video should be discarded as groundless nonsense. 

In fact, Rite I is the result of centuries of Anglican theology and scholarship. It comes with the collective wisdom and validity of history. It is the liturgy of the church. Any assertion that this liturgy is against the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be repelled forthwith. 

   

 

THE ADVENT AND THE PRAYER BOOK

The Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent is in something of a quandary right now. Should the parish keep former dean Andrew Pearson's "Our Liturgy" for Morning Prayer and Holy Communion or should it go back solely to The Book of Common Prayer? Pearson himself is gone, but the controversial changes he made linger on at the Advent and apparently are now being promoted chiefly by another clergyman on staff, the Rev. Canon Zac Hicks, Canon for Liturgy and Worship. He came from a Presbyterian background, and as far as I know does not hold Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. Putting a non-Episcopal clergyperson in charge of worship at an Episcopal cathedral church... well that is another issue.

A few days after Pearson's departure (May 16 was his last day), Hicks distributed a 26-minute video, via computer file, to the vestry, clergy, and a few others at the Advent. He must have sent it to a couple of dozen people altogether. It was directed at the vestry, and apparently meant for them alone. But, of course, being sent to so many people it has leaked to the public. I obtained a copy of it. I have watched the video. I must say that as a longtime student of the nightmarish schism in South Carolina nothing much about the church shocks me any more, but I have to confess, I am shocked.

What is shocking? Hicks says that Rite I in the BCP  is "anti-Christ," "anti-Gospel," and "opposite the Gospel." He asserts, "It's in the structure of the liturgy." The problem, for Hicks, is centered in the moment between the institution and the reception of the Communion. He holds that at this critical point, Rite I focuses in on human beings while the Gospel would focus on Christ.

In denouncing Rite I, by extension, he is denouncing the BCP, and by extension of this, the Episcopal Church. Every Episcopalians knows that "the prayer book" is the essential core of this denomination, only slightly below the Bible in importance. It defines every element of the faith and practice of the Episcopal Church. It is the collective wisdom of four and a half centuries of Anglican and Episcopal religion. For an Episcopal church to discard the BCP and substitute something it deems superior is not only arrogant, but anti-historical. In my opinion, it is intolerable.

As I see it, Hicks is criticizing the whole notion of sacramental worship. In his warm-up to his final denunciation of Rite I as anti-Christ, he charged that the pre-Our Liturgy communion at the Advent was "element centered" and made people "fixate on the elements" rather than on the Gospel. "Roman Catholic theology" he proclaimed is not Gospel centered theology. As a result, he asserted, the Advent had developed a "culture of anxiety" in which fear swept communicants. Returning to Rite I would return to this culture of fear, he assured the listener. (I suppose the Chancel lamp would never be relit.)

It seems to me, Hicks would have the Advent do away with sacraments altogether. If all we need is to "receive the Gospel" for salvation, who needs anything else? Why bother with all the rigamarole of liturgies? Just go straight to the Bible and have nothing else in church but Bible reading and Sin/Salvation sermons (and maybe hootenanny bands). Taking this logic farther, why have the prayer book? What good is it? According to him, even the most conservative and vertical part of the BCP, Rite I, is still too harmful to keep.

So, as I see it, the Advent leadership must decide whether it wants to be an Episcopal Church in the tradition and form of the historic expression of American Anglicanism, or to be an independent self-defined religion only nominally attached to the Episcopal Church. It seems to me that Hicks has thrown down the gauntlet. He has challenged the parish to accept or reject Rite I (and by extension the BCP). If it chooses the BCP, it moves back toward the mainstream of the Episcopal Church. If it opts to keep Our Liturgy, it continues on its path of differentiation from the mainstream of the Episcopal Church.

Hicks has made his case clear in his video. Agree with him or not, one must admire his frankness, stunning though it may be. He has given the Advent an offer it cannot ignore. I do not know how the vestry, and the other recipients, reacted to Hick's presentation. We will find out in due course.

 

A WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF THE ADVENT

This is a difficult moment in the life of the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham, Alabama. Times of change, times of transition, are always unsettling. This great parish, the largest and most important in the Diocese of Alabama, is now in the midst of rather sudden and unaccustomed turmoil. This is why I think 14,500 hits have been made on this blog in the past 30 days. Since May 1, most of my postings on this modest blog have been about the Advent. I also get emails almost every day from people connected to the parish asking questions and sharing information. Meanwhile, I have acquired several well-placed and well-informed sources of reliable information in the Advent. I have come to think of my blog as a sort of office water cooler. I welcome it. I am a good and caring listener. Listening is always the best starting place.

As for what has happened at the Advent, here is what I see putting bits and pieces together from my sources. Bear in mind that I speak only for myself. I am not connected to the Advent. I  must emphasize that I do not in any way speak for the officers of the Advent.

---for the past quarter-century, the three deans of the Advent (Zahl, Limehouse, Pearson) developed an every growing evangelical tendency in the parish. This pulled liturgy and corporate worship more to a "low church" or protestant direction while becoming increasingly critical of the national church for its social and theological trends.

---the Advent did not break away from the diocese because the schismatic movement failed to develop strongly enough in the parish and the bishops of Alabama remained solidly loyal to the national church and its laws (i.e. the Dennis Canon). The leaders of the Advent knew they could not leave the Episcopal Church and take the property with them.

---Andrew Pearson, dean from 2014 to 2021 greatly advanced the evangelical changes in the parish. A clergyman was hired from a Presbyterian denomination and put in charge of worship. In 2018, Pearson introduced an extremely low church "Our Liturgy" to replace the authorized liturgies of the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. This, other changes in corporate worship, and perhaps other issues that remain unknown in the public, reached a point of critical mass between Pearson and the lay leadership early this year.

---Several issues (I am still trying to verify these), brought a crisis in March and April of this year between Pearson and the vestry. These issues could not be resolved. They resulted in a mutual agreement that Pearson would resign as dean.

---I have been informed there are rumors going around that Pearson was badly treated and fired. According to my sources, he was not fired. He left on agreement with the vestry. I do not know of any evidence he was mistreated. Everything visible on his last Sunday showed him leaving with good feelings. 

---Pearson's departure left in doubt the changes he had made, most importantly the continuation of Our Liturgy. The forces in the leadership who want Pearson's changes to continue are lobbying the vestry to keep them. According to reliable reports, they have presented a 30-minute video to the vestry arguing to keep Our Liturgy instead of returning to the Book of Common Prayer.

---The attitude among the clergy and lay leadership now seems to be to pull back from Pearson's changes and return more toward the mainstream of the Episcopal Church while keeping an evangelical identity. The Episcopal Church is, always has been, a big tent ranging from very evangelical (revival camp meeting) to profoundly Anglo-Catholic (smells and bells). These and all the expressions in between can be found in Birmingham, as is typical in most big cities.

---Moving to mainstream means removing or revising changes Pearson made in corporate worship, liturgy, and attitude to the Episcopal Church. This is the problem at hand among the leadership.

---Bishop Glenda Curry has encouraged a new feeling of cooperation between parish and diocese. There is a growing liaison between clerical and lay leadership and the bishop.

---The interim dean, Craig Smalley is well-regarded in the parish and apparently enthusiastic about restoring a more Episcopalian identity. A search committee is being set up to find a new permanent dean. One may expect this search to go on for some time. This is a very important and demanding post that calls for a person with long and appropriate experience at leading a large cathedral parish that has been somewhat in turmoil for awhile. Finding the best candidate will not be easy or quick.

---On the day after his last day as dean, Andrew Pearson sent a letter to some members of the Advent inviting them to follow him to form a new church. That day he applied for release and removal from the ordained ministry of the Episcopal Church and was received as a priest in the Anglican Church in North America, the anti-Episcopal Church. Some members of the Advent have said they will follow Pearson out, but that number now appears to be rather small. Only time will tell how many people will actually leave the Advent to join Pearson. There are already a half-dozen non-Episcopal "Anglican" congregations in the Birmingham area. At this point, it does not seem that there will be a stampede following Pearson out of the Advent.

---The overall challenge now at the Advent is to find its exact identity. We know it wants to be an evangelical church. What "evangelical" means, however, can be rather broad and varying. The mission, liturgy, corporate worship, and programs will have to be defined clearly. This is what the leadership is now struggling with. This will not be easy, following 25 years of increasing movement from the mainstream.

---All of my sources agree that the general feeling in the parish now is to remain an Episcopal church.

---The Advent has a large and active clerical and lay leadership. For whatever reasons, they agreed to turn away from a strong advocate of a departure from Episcopal norms. They are seeking their way back toward the mainstream.

---the vestry is working with the bishop to arrive at a mutual agreement defining the identity and posture of the parish vis à vis the diocese.

This is the way I see things now at the Advent. As I said, others may have different views, and I welcome them. I hope all of this helps people get a better understanding of what is happening in the Advent and be a bit more encouraged that matters there are getting better. 

____________________________________

Regardless of the problems going on all around us, and they seem to be more than usual these days, we need to keep our bearings. It is springtime, a most glorious season around us. I am reveling in the wonderful beauty of the day. The roses are blooming in my garden:

From the central lawn, looking at the larger part of my garden in today's early morning sun.

Red Knock Out Roses and white shrub rose "Magic Blanket."

Queen Anne's Lace, my favorite wildflower grows in abundance in the drainage ditch at the back of my garden. I always think of them as big snowflakes. Some people consider these as weeds. A weed is an unwanted plant. These are not weeds to me.

Two of my favorite public gardens are in the Birmingham area. The Birmingham Botanical Gardens has a big and beautiful rose garden. The Aldridge Garden in Hoover has a great collection of hydrangeas, now in bloom.

As always, this is the time that was given to us. We were not given a choice. It is our mission to be God's people in the world and we must keep that mission. Peace.

 

BISHOP DELIVERS EPISCOPALIAN RELIGION

TO THE ADVENT

The Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham, Alabama, is having an identity crisis. After a quarter of a century of increasing movement to the evangelical edge of Anglicanism (some might say beyond the edge), the trend reached its crescendo in 2018 when the dean, Andrew Pearson introduced "Our Liturgy," a substitute liturgy for Morning Prayer and Holy Communion. Find it on the Advent website . This was to take the place of The Book of Common Prayer for the corporate worship at the Advent. "Our Liturgy" is distinctly evangelical, drawing largely from the spirit of Calvinism. 

So, the basic question at the Advent now is whether to keep Pearson's highly evangelical "Our Liturgy" or return solely to the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. In other words, should the Advent define itself as a Calvinist church or as an Anglican one? Calvinism is more vertically oriented while Anglicanism is more horizontally oriented. Another way of looking at this is to ask whether the Advent should move to express itself now more as vertical or horizontal religion. The last three deans moved the Advent far into the vertical realm. Should it stay there or backtrack toward a more horizontal posture? This is the dilemma facing the good people of the Advent today.

Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in the heart of downtown Birmingham.

For the past seventy or so years, the Episcopal Church has worked hard to express itself as horizontal religion. Along the way, it made tremendous gains in the struggle for equality for and inclusion of social groups excluded or marginalized in the life of the church, particularly African Americans, women, and homosexuals. Episcopalian advocates of vertical religion objected to this, some even going so far as to break away from the Episcopal Church and form new "Anglican" churches. There are over sixty individual "Anglican" denominations now in the United States. In the southeastern U.S., most of the leadership and laity of the Diocese of South Carolina left the diocese and the Episcopal Church and formed their own "Anglican" diocese in protest of horizontal religion.

Yesterday, 23 May 2021, the bishop of Alabama, Glenda Curry, visited the Advent for Confirmation at both the 9:15 and 11:15 services. I watched both on YouTube where they are still available. The tenor of the two services was quite different. The 9:15 had a hootenanny band with "praise" music (fingernails on chalkboard to my ears). There was a large congregation but I did not hear much singing from the pews. There was a large Confirmation class of youngsters, and perhaps in the interest of time there was no Eucharist. The 11:15 service was Confirmation/reception (amazing number of receptions) and not so large congregation. It was the traditional organ/vested choir with hymns from the Hymnal.

Bishop Glenda Curry presiding over 11:15 Confirmation, 23 May.

I expect everyone was keen to hear what the bishop would have to say since this was the first Sunday after the former dean's controversial departure. What I heard was a typical Episcopalian and rather good homily of horizontal religion. Pentecost Sunday provided an opportune moment for this. Curry declared that at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to the people so that God could work through His people: "He chooses to do his work through ordinary people." Moreover, Jesus expects his love to be "blazing in our hearts." Finally, she asked the congregation, "How will God come to you, so you will know Him?" She assured them, the Holy Spirit will always lead. For that moment anyway, the Advent was truly an Episcopal church.

Symbols matter, especially in religion. Of all the irregular things at the Advent these days, I think the one that bothers me the most is the darkness of the chancel lamp, visible hanging near the organ. It is supposed to be kept lit to symbolize the Real Presence of the consecrated Host housed in the Ambry (wall box). No light means no Presence. I am waiting for the day when the light burns again in the Advent. I have a hunch it is not far off. 

THE "ANGLICAN" CHURCHES 

OF BIRMINGHAM AL

After Andrew Pearson, the former dean, left the Episcopal Cathedral Church of the Advent, in Birmingham, Alabama, this week, invited his "friends" of the Advent to follow him out, and joined the Anglican Church in North America, I became curious about the non-Episcopal Church so-called "Anglican" churches in Birmingham. Just how strong is the ACNA in the area?

The first problem is in definition. "Birmingham" can refer to two things, the City of Birmingham and the metro area. The City is the core of a large, 50-mile wide urban region in central Alabama. The city limits hold about 200,000 people but the metro area contains well over a million people. 

The core city is surrounded by inner suburbs and outer suburbs, and nowadays exurbs linked by numerous interstate highways. For this matter, I will consider the city and the inner and outer suburbs.

The other problem is in defining "Anglican." For simplicity sake, we will consider the churches that call themselves "Anglican" whatever one wants to thinks about their right to the title (we will return to this).

Searching on Google, I found eight "Anglican" churches in the metro area. None of them was in the City of Birmingham. Five of the eight appear to be functioning congregations, the other three appear dubious. The Five:

1-St. Peter's Anglican Church. See their website . 3207 Montevallo Road, Mountain Brook, AL (an inner suburb).

Diocese of the South, Anglican Church in North America, Bishop Foley Beach. 

From website, appears to be highly evangelical, claiming "Biblical Teaching and Preaching" and defining "Outreach" as witnessing. 

The clergy are called "pastors": Bryan White, "Senior Pastor." CJ Ausmus, "Assistant Pastor for Families and Youth." 

The property was assessed in 2019 at $3.5m. It is a prominent spot on Montevallo Rd. a main artery of upscale Mt. Brook. Former home of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have passed by this place countless times going to and from the Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. As I recall, the "Anglicans" moved in here after the Bishop Gene Robinson incident of 2003 (Episcopal Church affirmed a non-celibate gay man as a bishop).

Apparently, St. Peter's is the largest and most important of the "Anglican" congregations of the area. Their last Sunday service (23 May) is on YouTube. There appeared to be around 50 people in the congregation.

Perhaps readers who know more about this church could fill us in on its origins and membership. 

2-Christ the King Anglican Church. See their website .

2250 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Hoover, AL.

As St. Peter's, in the Diocese of the South, Anglican Church in North America, Bishop Foley Beach.

Appears to be a bit more "liturgical" than St. Peter's. Calls clergy "Father." Rector: Fr. Michael Novotny; Curate, Fr. Daniel Logan; Fr. Ben Williams, Minister of Parish Life and Youth. 

Glaring error on website: "Christ the King Anglican Church is part of the global Anglican Communion." (will return to this)

3-Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd See their website .

101 Tony Holmes Drive, Pelham AL.

Pelham is an outer suburb south of the city.

This church is sort of in ACNA. It lists itself as part of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy, in ACNA, but under Bishop Derek LS Jones (who is also a bishop in the Anglican Church of Nigeria).

The Rector is the Rev. Andrew Brasher.

Appears to be quite evangelical, proclaiming "Biblical Faith" and "Evangelical Preaching." 

4-St. Bede's Anglican Church. See their website .

2350 Grants Mill Road, Irondale AL.

Founded in 1977 as a "1928 Prayer Book" church, in the reaction against the "new liturgy" of the late 60's-early 70's (now the TEC Book of Common Prayer). Uses only the 1928 BCP and the 1940 Hymnal. 

Claims to be the oldest "Anglican" church in Alabama.

Part of the Diocese of the Holy Cross, an independent entity, not part of the ACNA.

Vicar: Kyle Clark. Bishop: Paul Hewett, at cathedral of the Epiphany, in Columbia SC.

5-St. John's Anglican Church. See their website .

221 Kings Home Drive, Chelsea AL.

Chelsea is an outer suburb.

Part of the Reformed Episcopal Church, Diocese of the Central States. The REC is part of the Anglican Church in North America. This is the only REC church in Alabama.

Rector: Fr. Jon S. Houser. Bishop: Peter Manto.

Uses only the 1928 BCP.

I found three more "Anglican" churches listed but could find no details about them leaving their existence questionable.

6-St. Joseph's Anglican Church

7310 Cavern Road, Trussville AL (a northern suburb)

Rector: Rev. Edward Robinson

The ACNA website lists this as a church of the Diocese of the Living Word, under Bishop Julian Dobbs. However, the diocesan website does not list this church.

7-St. Matthew's Anglican Church. See website .

2565 Rocky Ridge Road, Vestavia AL.

The website gives no information about this church except to list a clergyman, Roger Salter. Apparently shares space in Grace Covenant Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist Convention church.

8-Christ Anglican Church

1953 Old Montgomery Highway, Hoover AL

Meets in Riverchase United Methodist Church. Service, Sunday at 4 p.m. No other info available.

Lists its membership in the Anglican Church in America. According to the Wikipedia article, the ACA is an "anglo-catholic" group of 65 congregations, 5,200 members, founded in 1991. Not part of the ACNA.

In sum, there are perhaps eight "Anglican" churches in the Birmingham area with numerous identities. Of the eight, five are affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America which is actually a widely varying (quarrelsome) union of churches bonded by social conservatism. White patriarchy excludes non-celibate gays from equality and inclusion in the church and keeps women in places of inferiority. As far as one can tell, all eight congregations are solid patriarchies. I could fine no instance of a woman in leadership.

The five ACNA churches are actually four different parts of ACNA. The ACNA "Diocese of the South" lists St. Peter's and Christ the King. The diocese of the Armed Forces has Good Shepherd. The Diocese of the Living Word has St. Jospeh's. St. John's is in the Reformed Episcopal Church. This means there are four bishops with jurisdiction in the ACNA churches of the Birmingham area.

There are two, possibly three, "Anglican" churches that are not part of the ACNA. St. Bede's, the oldest, is in the Diocese of the Holy Cross. DHC is an independent entity, not in ACNA. Christ Anglican Church is in the Anglican Church in America, likewise not in ACNA. St. Matthew's affiliation is unknown. This means there is a possible total of seven "Anglican" bishops with jurisdiction in the Birmingham metro area. 

Now, back to the term "Anglican." This is a word that these churches have incorporated in their titles by self-designation. The dictionary definition of "Anglican" is one who is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. In fact, the only Anglican denomination in the United States is the Episcopal Church. It alone is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop has said repeatedly he is not in communion with the so-called Anglican Church in North America. He is certainly not in communion with the other splinter groups under various "Anglican" titles.

So, when Christ the King Anglican Church puts on its website it is part of the Anglican Communion they are wrong and they know it. This kind of dishonesty is unworthy of a Christian church. They could say something like "part of the worldwide family of churches in the Anglican tradition." This is closer to the truth. So, for instance, when Andrew Pearson left the Episcopal Church, he also left the Anglican Communion.

In his letter of last Monday, Andrew Pearson made it clear he intends to set up a new "Anglican" church in the Birmingham area. He invited some communicants of the Advent to join him. Since he joined the ACNA, we know it will be another ACNA congregation, presumably the third in the Diocese of the South. If so, this would make the ninth "Anglican" church in the metro area. Starting from scratch will be difficult. A new church would mean either land and new construction or moving into a vacated structure (as St. Peter's did). Either way, it will be expensive and challenging. 

One may disagree with Andrew Pearson and his views of religion, but I think we must wish him and his followers well on their journey of faith. We may choose different paths, but are not we all heading for the same destination?