http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/01/29/worshipers_vacate_episcopal_church/
By Charles A. Radin, Globe Staff | January 29, 2007
ATTLEBORO -- In a service overflowing with tears, hugs, and evocations of historic persecution of Christians, members of All Saints Anglican Church of Attleboro held their last service yesterday in their North Main Street building and bowed to orders from the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts that they vacate the premises.
"I never meant us to be at this time and place," said the Rev. Lance Giuffrida , his voice cracking as he addressed about 160 worship ers who filled the sanctuary nearly to capacity. "I didn't do anything differently than when you called me" to the church's pulpit in 2001.
Since then, however, differences between traditionalists and liberalizers in Episcopal Church of the USA have deepened and hardened, underscored by their disagreement on homosexuality and gay marriage, according to adherents of both trends.
"I could not sit in the councils of the church in Massachusetts," Giuffrida said, breaking into tears. "I could not represent Jesus Christ in those councils."
As the minister spoke, congregants -- first one by one, then by the dozen -- rose from the pews and gathered closely around him on the altar, each laying hands on the shoulders of others, until virtually the entire group of worshippers stood as a single body.
Many congregants also cried as they expressed their acceptance of the fact that the building in which they worshiped belonged not to them but to the Diocese of Massachusetts, and that they were leaving it for a new home in a place to be determined.
"I can only promise you that . . . you will own the next church," Giuffrida concluded, to shouts of "amen " and "hallelujah " from his congregants.
The emotional service was a local example of a schism that is shaking the Episcopal Church throughout the country.
Congregations that do not accept the national church's theology regarding homosexuality, the literal truth of the Bible, and the role of Christ in personal salvation are rejecting Episcopal leadership in favor of affiliation with other branches of the worldwide Anglican Communion -- most of them in Africa. In response, Episcopal officials are declaring those congregations have abandoned the church and demanding they turn over their buildings and other assets.
In mid-January, Episcopal leaders in Virginia declared 11 congregations there, including some historic churches, to have abandoned Episcopalianism. The congregations were instructed to surrender their assets. Similar actions are underway in numerous other states, and in some cases legal battles over church property have begun.
As part of their rejection of new Episcopal teachings, the traditionalists in Attleboro changed the name on the sign in front of their church from All Saints Episcopal to All Saints Anglican and, in September, they voted to join the Anglican Mission in America and place themselves under the supervision of Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of the Anglican Province of Rwanda .
The Anglican parishioners said from the beginning they would not dispute ownership of the church building or other property, but they said yesterday they were disappointed that the Diocese of Massachusetts would not negotiate a sale or rental of the Attleboro church building. "We had been led to believe that was possible, and we had no reason to believe otherwise until we received a letter last Tuesday giving us eight days to get out ," Giuffrida said .
He called on all parishioners to turn in keys to church facilities during a reception yesterday after services, at which they signed up for membership in the newly incorporated All Saints Anglican Church of Attleboro. Church officials said that they would turn over the keys and all assets today, and that they also hope to sign an agreement today with Fisher College in North Attleborough to rent space until a permanent home for the congregation can be found.
The Rev. Gregory Jacobs , staff officer for urban ministry development for the diocese, said church officials had sent the letter Jan. 16 rejecting all possibilities of sale or lease and ordering the congregation out of the church building.
"We said their actions constitute an abandonment of the communion , and we asked that they return to us the property and the assets," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said the diocese plans to continue conducting Episcopal services in the church and will assist members who do not follow the majority into a new congregation in regrouping. He said that he and the Rev. Barbara C. Harris , a retired bishop, will be present next Sunday and that a new priest will be assigned to the church as soon as possible.
About half of the 350 to 400 people affiliated with All Saints have said they will be part of the Anglican congregation, Giuffrida said, while about 50 have indicated they will participate in a revived Episcopal congregation, in the building of the old church, according to diocesan spokeswoman Maria Plati .
Several of those who will try to revive the Episcopal congregation faulted Giuffrida for the split in the church. "It became more literal, conservative, and evangelical," said Ellen Parker , an Attleboro Historical Commission activist who grew up in the church. "I was not comfortable with that."
However, Keith Brousseau , whose family has been in the church for four generations, said that Giuffrida did not change the theology of the Attleboro congregation, and that current disputes regarding gender only made longstanding differences among Episcopal ian s about whether to read the Bible literally more public.
"This is about Scripture, about how it should guide the church," said Brousseau, who will be part of the Anglican congregation with his wife, Patricia, and four children. "It is about saying that Jesus is the way."
"The only way," added Patricia Brousseau.
Charles A. Radin can be reached at radin@globe.com.
