Further Meltdown in the Diocese of Georgia: News Release from St. John’s, Moultrie
[Received via email]
LOCAL CONCREGATION LEAVES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Father Will McQueen announced today that he and members of his congregation at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Moultrie are leaving their denomination and planting a new Anglican church in Moultrie.
In a statement to his congregation on Sunday, July 29, Fr. McQueen stated that he can no longer remain in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia due to serious theological differences with the diocese and national Episcopal Church. He invited all who are willing to make a stand for the historic Christian faith to join him in stepping out in faith to form a new church, St. Mark’s Anglican Church. “It had reached a point for me personally where I believed that my adherence to the traditional, historic, catholic faith in a number of matters had been so compromised that I could not stay in the Episcopal Church. Though it is painful to leave the denomination in which I was baptized, confirmed, married, and ordained, I have no reservations about leaving. I firmly believe that God has been preparing me for this very day for a long time,” said Fr. McQueen.
Membership in the national Episcopal Church has been declining over the past decade as the organization has taken stands on cultural issues which contradict Biblical teaching and the traditional faith and practice of the majority of Christian denominations, including the worldwide Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a member. In severing ties with the Episcopal Church, former members of St. John’s join other former Episcopal parishes who have established new churches in an effort to remain faithful to the teachings of the Bible and traditional Christianity.
Because the church at 609 S. Main Street, which St. John’s has occupied for almost ninety years, belongs to the diocese, the congregation will have to relinquish the building along with their ties to the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. Trinity Baptist Church has graciously offered the use of its chapel to the congregation, and the new St. Mark’s Anglican Church will hold its inaugural service on Sunday, August 5, at 9:00 a.m., in the chapel at Trinity. “We are so grateful to the congregation of Trinity who have allowed us to borrow such a beautiful space to gather and worship,” said Fr. McQueen.
St. Mark’s Moultrie will join the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Founded in 2009, the ACNA consists of around 100,000 members and 500 congregations all over the United States.
For more information on St. Mark’s, contact Fr. Will McQueen via email at fathermcqueen@windstream.net or by phone at 229-977-1810. According to Fr. McQueen, “If you are looking for a church home that is traditional in her beliefs and worship, if you are looking for Biblical preaching and teaching, if you are wondering about Anglicanism, if you are looking for a place to experience the love of Jesus Christ, then we hope that you will join us at St. Mark’s Anglican Church.”
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8 comments
All is well, I see. And all is very well!
[1] Posted by A Senior Priest on 7-31-2012 at 07:59 PM · [top]
Well, Bishop Benhase doesn’t have to worry with those “crackers” anymore! He can move on to finding ringers and money to support the building until he can sell it to float the diocesan budget a while longer! I’m sure that’s a relief to his mind and cocktail parties at 815, if he can afford to go.
[2] Posted by dwstroudmd+ on 7-31-2012 at 08:01 PM · [top]
See, this is just more of the necessary “pruning” of the deadwood TEC has been engaging in for the past decade or so. In a few years, we’ll be pruning the rotting stump.
[3] Posted by Jeffersonian on 7-31-2012 at 08:16 PM · [top]
Trinity Baptist joins a long list of Christian churches from other denominations who have stepped in to help faithful episcopal congregations in difficult circumstances. Thanks be to God for them.
[4] Posted by MichaelA on 7-31-2012 at 10:30 PM · [top]
#4
Yes indeed. We could not be more grateful for the willingness of Trinity Baptist to assist us in this move. I thank God that we will be able to begin services immediately thanks to their openness help us in this time of need. Please pray for them and St. Mark’s as we begin this new journey of faith. To God be the praise and glory!
Fr. Will McQueen
St. Mark’s Anglican
[5] Posted by Cranmerian on 7-31-2012 at 10:48 PM · [top]
All eyes will be on the bishop to see how gracefully he handles this departure.
He needs to make his position on implementing SSBs clear…now. No more listening process.
[6] Posted by Ralph on 8-1-2012 at 06:03 AM · [top]
The Bishop is doing a good job of ridding the Diocese of orthodox congregations and clergy. He has lost Calvary, Americus and now, St. John’s. Sad, really. Both of these priests and congregations fought the good fight within TEC for a long time until the situation became untenable for them. I am thankful for their faithfulness.
I pray that the remaining orthodox in the Dio of GA would see this as a wake-up call. It is not un-Christian to be informed, make alliances with like-minded folks, and to withhold their money from the Diocese and TEC. Their reaction to the Bishop’s response to SS blessings, however he responds, will be a good opportunity to take a visible stand and make a powerful witness.
Continued prayers for St. Mark’s, Moultrie and St. John’s, Americus.
[7] Posted by Maria Lytle on 8-1-2012 at 10:43 AM · [top]
This is like a tale of two parishes in Moultrie. St John was founded in 1912 and has been a 1928 Prayer Book staunch opponent of the TEC LGBT agenda. In 2010 it had a ASA of only 25 but still manage to habe Plate & Pledge of $100K. It should have left TEC earlier. Then there is St Margaret which was founded in 1991 and is a 1979 Prayeer Book parish with strong ties to the TEC LGBT agenda. In 2010 it had an ASA of 30 and Plate & Pledge of only $54K. It will gain nothing with the loss of St John. There were two and soon will be none. Statmann
[8] Posted by Statmann on 8-1-2012 at 06:35 PM · [top]
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