A couple of news from the episcopal church

These came across my news feed the other day....

https://anglicanmainstream.org/alarm-bells-as-episcopal-church-decline-accelerates/
"Alarm bells as Episcopal Church decline accelerates"

https://anglicanmainstream.org/diocese-of-niagara-church-blesses-a-rainbow-crosswalk/
"Diocese of Niagara church blesses a rainbow crosswalk"

 

The number to watch in those reports is average Sunday attendance. The numbers will probably be truly appalling when the rest of the year is added in. I know many old folks have still not returned to church. And the once a month types are probably going to be Christmas and Easter going forward. I suspect some churches will begin counting online attendance to blunt the force of the annual statistics.

The OAC Canadian leader is based in the geographical territory of Diocese of Niagara. They still have a lot of churches. I'd be curious to know how many have people in them. His efforts to get some momentum going have been severely hampered by the ongoing restrictions within Ontario.

 

I wonder if they will get some spill over from the Methodist split. In my town both UMC churches will go conservative. The liberals, if they stay in church, will have to go somehwere

 

I also wonder whatever happened about the grand intercommunion between the Episcopal church and the liberal presbyterians

And yeah, now that the methodists will have a largely liberal American church, will they all united into one grand fortress of heterodoxy?... the last ally they'd need will be the US Roman Catholic bishops, to complete the trifecta

 

I think the TEC and the Liberal Lutherans do have an intercommunion agreement

 

If by “Liberal Lutherans” you are referring to the ELCA, you are correct. It would not surprise me if we merged 10 or 15 years down the road. There haven’t been any rumors recently to that effect, that I’m aware of; I’m just saying it wouldn’t surprise me if it eventually happened. We also have a good relationship with the UCC but it’s not at the same level as our relationship with the ELCA.

 

Yes that is them. I can't remember all the Lutheran letters. ELCA-liberal lutherans, LMS-conservative lutherans, and the Wisconsin's which are really really conservative.

 

Theologically, sure. Liturgically, not so much. You’re more likely to find a hum-and-strum praise and worship style ‘Mass’ in an LCMS church than in the ELCA these days. And they both have a problem with falling attendance and membership.

 

Yes I only am dealing the their theology.

 

Got it. The intercommunion agreement includes the co-consecration of bishops, i.e., it's not merely an agreement regarding mutual open communion.