Standing Committee and Bishop Persell
Worship and Meet with the Vestry and Pastor George

Thursday Evening, February 1st, 2007, a gathering was held for worship and a meeting with the Standing Committee and Bishop Persell at Church of the Resurrection in West Chicago. This followed our letters to the Bishop and the Standing Committee, asking to begin negotiations to disassociate from the Episcopal Church. The whole sequence of exchanges can be read on our website news page by clicking here.

We shared Evening Prayer together, and Resurrection's Worship Team led the singing. Scripture readings and prayers were shared by all present, and then the Vestry of Resurrection (new and just retiring), along with Pastor George, meet for nearly two hours with the Bishop and members of the Standing Committee. The evening was prayerful, respectful, thoughtful, heartfelt and kind. Questions were asked, truth spoken, and the parting was warm, with handshakes, hugs and some tears. A full report on this meeting is in Pastor George's sermon from the following Sunday, and addresses the entire meeting and all of the key scriptures we followed. It can be heard by clicking here. If you were not in church on Sunday, February 4^th, Pastor George would really like you to listen to this. There are also audio tapes of it available at Resurrection.

Following the meeting, the summary letter below was sent to Mike Perillo, Chair of the Standing Committee, and Bishop Persell:

 

Dear Mr. Perillo and Bp. Persell, 

Please share this with the Standing Committee.  

We again want to thank you both, and the entire Standing Committee, for taking time to come and worship and meet with us. We were honored that you would all make such an effort and show such an openness to hear us out.  

We wish to review briefly what we said. We believe that our differences over the Episcopal Church’s direction are irreconcilable. We believe that the new thing that the church believes the Holy Spirit is leading it to do, and the actions which it believes are prophetic, are not compatible with scripture or the unbroken tradition of the church. We do not believe that we can in good conscience accompany it on this new path. We say this with grief. 

We ask to be released, and desire that you might soon define the terms of such a separation, so that we can present it to our congregation for their vote, and if so voted, move on. 

We believe, through scripture and prayer, that we were led to treat each of you lovingly and respectfully, with no accusation or recrimination. Following 1st Corinthians, chapter 6, we also believe that we are not to defend in the secular courts anything we've acquired or built (which we detailed in our letter to you, and which you saw while you were here), and so we said we would not sue or defend a suit.  

The assigned Lectionary reading for our Evening Prayer together last Thursday ended this way: “Galatians 5:15  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” We have taken this to heart. 

We asked for an accommodation, knowing that your answer can range from "take your property and go with our blessing" to "you may keep nothing at all and you must leave." We will take what you offer, and simply ask for mercy in your decision-making. 

We also said we would make no attacks on any of you, but will pray for you regardless of the outcome and your decisions. This remains true. 

We believe the best outcome would be a mutually kind settlement, that what we agree to in this way in Chicago could be a model of how Christians treat each other even in deep disagreement, and that this could stand as an alternative to the fury which seems to have engulfed the church elsewhere.  

That is our hope and prayer.  

Please do keep all of us in your prayers. 

 

On behalf of the Vestry and the People of Resurrection, 

In Christ, 

George+
_____________________________
Rev Dr George Byron Koch, Pastor .
Church of the Resurrection .
http://www.resurrection.org .