Pledges cut to Episcopal diocese

The northern tier of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the country’s largest diocese at 86,527 adherents, is in an ecclesiastical civil war with its Richmond-based bishop, the Rt. Rev. Peter J. Lee.

His largest, richest and most conservative parishes are putting out signals that they may secede from the diocese, beginning with $262,000 in financial pledges withheld from the diocese’s annual $4.7 million budget.

That amount is projected to rise to $355,000 by the end of the year.

At issue is Bishop Lee’s Aug. 5 vote affirming the election of an openly homosexual bishop-elect, V. Gene Robinson, at the denomination’s triennial General Convention in Minneapolis. Bishop Lee also voted for a resolution acknowledging that some bishops were allowing same-sex unions.

Priests are not allowed to perform same-sex unions in the Virginia diocese, which is why Bishop Lee has been accused of violating his own policy.

Hostilities have risen to a new level with some parishes either avoiding Bishop Lee or telling him not to darken their doors for the annual bishop’s visitation known as Confirmation, where converts are received into the faith.

All Saints Episcopal Church in Dale City, which averages 565 worshippers on Sundays, has rescinded an invitation for Bishop Lee to preside at its Nov. 9 confirmation service, requesting that the more conservative Bishop Francis Gray be sent instead.

“Our people,” said a letter signed by parish leaders, “are so distressed by your views that contradict the very teaching of Scripture that your visit this fall would be painful and divisive.”

Although the diocese agreed to send Bishop Gray instead for a Nov. 6 ceremony, parishioners have cut $35,000 out of the church’s annual contribution to the diocese. The church normally contributes 11 percent ($158,000) of its $1.3 million budget to the diocese.

At Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, the second-largest parish in the diocese with a $3.5 million annual budget and 1,700 worshippers at weekend services, church leaders decided to halt confirmation classes altogether rather than risk a confrontation.

“Our youth ministers threatened to quit teaching confirmation [classes] because their parents won’t let Peter Lee physically touch their children,” said the Rev. Herb McMullan, head of outreach ministries. “In their minds, he is apostate.”

Truro typically has 50 to 60 children per fall class.

Bishop Lee is scheduled to visit the Episcopal Church of South Riding in eastern Loudoun County in May, but “few if any people will choose to be confirmed because of the direction the bishop has taken,” said the Rev. Phil Ashey, pastor of the 3-year-old congregation of 80 to 100 people.

“Our hope is the bishop will repent and repudiate his vote,” he said.

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