The World is watching…  And the World has noticed.  (At least here in California.)

As much as we are concerned about the confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty in the future of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), at this moment events are moving faster in the Episcopal Church and their local churches that are realigning with other Anglican Provinces.  The California Supreme Court cases, while they will have an impact on Presbyterians, were about Episcopal Churches here in Southern California.  The bishop is offering reconciliation but the churches are looking ahead to the cases being heard in trial court.  And there are more church cases waiting in the wings (e.g. St. John’s, St. Luke’s).  The Presiding Bishop’s office has brought on new high-power legal talent. Meanwhile a SoCal megachurch has offered to have displaced Anglican churches nest on their property.

At a higher level, while the PC(USA) has some unhappy presbyteries, the Episcopal Church has four diocese that have realigned with other provinces and are looking at a new North American province.  Here in California the Episcopal hierarchy has set up a new San Joaquin diocese along side the realigned one and is trying to figure out how the new court decision might help them there.  And in Fort Worth the Presiding Bishop herself will be stopping by in a couple of weeks to lead a special meeting to bring the diocese back into the fold. 

So, in the midst of all this discord what is the good news?  The Modesto Bee has noticed that while the Presbyterians and the Episcopalians have similar problems, the way they are handling them is different.  In an article titled “Presbyterian Splits Lack Episcopalian Litigiousness” they compare how the the two denomination are handling church departures and observe “[M]any of the Presbyterian churches have been allowed to leave “with
grace” and their property, as opposed to the Episcopalian parishes and
dioceses that have been sued across the country.”  It is nice to see that the “gracious witness resolution” passed by the 218th General Assembly may be bearing fruit, not just in the life of the church but as a witness to the world.  As one of the points of the resolution says:

Gracious Witness: It is our belief that Scripture and the Holy Spirit require a gracious witness from us rather than a harsh legalism