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Dear Bishop Thompson, It is with great regret and sadness that I write this letter of resignation from postulancy. After much prayer and discernment I know that I can no longer aspire to holy orders in the Southern Ohio diocese of the Episcopal church. I wish to resign effective today. I must now discern what I am to do as a layperson, whether to remain in the Anglican Communion, or else explore other catholic alternatives. The reasons behind my resignation are many. My primary reason is the current spiritual and moral state of the Episcopal church. I consider the recent actions of the Episcopal Church to be in conflict with classical Biblical interpretation, as well as in opposition to the current and ancient catholic consensus regarding appropriate Christian practice. The recent consecration of Gene Robinson is just the tip of the iceberg and not really the issue, considering the Episcopal Church has openly non-theistic bishops, blatantly open communion tables, and, a majority of clergy and bishops who cannot affirm the basic tenets of the catholic and Anglican faiths. In my opinion, the most scandalous vote at GC2003 was the voting down of Bp. Ackerman's resolution to affirm classical Anglican beliefs. If we cannot agree on the basics of the Anglican faith, then any unity we have is only a surface unity, and of no substance whatsoever. We in the Episcopal Church have "gone it alone" and acted against the ancient catholic faith, against current cross-cultural Anglican consensus, and against the advice of other branches of Christ's one holy catholic, and Apostolic church. In essence we have acted as a congregational church and deeply grieved our Anglican family, and nobody seems the least bit troubled by it. However, the majority of Christians worldwide and I are very troubled. Being ordained into a regional province that proudly acts contrary to the rest of our Anglican family is disheartening, and is not my idea of a catholic ordination. When I joined the Episcopal Church, I did so to first join the catholic church, and secondly to join the international, historical, and multi-cultural Anglican Communion. I am pleased that you voted against the Robinson's consecration (and for Bp Ackerman's resolution). However the majority of our delegates voted otherwise, and this diocese has yet to oppose the consecration in any official or clear way. Also, I have been pondering that those of us spreading the gospel and catholic faith in the Episcopal church have had to do so in opposition to national church policies. This reality is troubling. I fear that the recent events in the Episcopal church will reverse the positive growth this diocese has experienced. As we all know, the Episcopal Church has declined significantly in the last 30 years, and with every "progressive" action it and other mainlines have taken, they have hemorrhaged more and more members, while churches, liturgical and otherwise, that adhere to traditional biblical and ecclesial doctrines and values are growing rapidly. |
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Unfortunately, the Episcopal church has wedded modernism, and is now one of the few churches desperately clutching modernism while it dies. As the old saying goes, "he who weds the spirit of the current age will be a widower to the next." The Episcopal church is now a widower. One only needs to look at the few number of youth in our pews compared to those in other churches, and the average age of Episcopal clergy (59.7) and ordinands (45) to see these realities. Many younger people are seeking timeless tradition and moral authority in an age when secular culture gives us neither. We are now being forced to look outside the Episcopal Church to fulfill these needs. However, we need not look outside thriving worldwide Anglicanism. When I joined the Episcopal church I knew it was in need of desperate reform to survive into postmodernity, but I now feel such a reform is not possible within the current structures. I believe the Anglican re-alignment will have a much better chance of future survival. Having said this, I do believe your vision for our diocese is a positive one, but unfortunately the actions of the national Church hinder such evangelism.
Thank you for all that you and your staff have done for me in this process. I appreciate all the time you and others have spent with me in this process. I wish you the best in your ministry, and blessed Advent and Christmas seasons.
In Christ,
David Bennett
Sadly, Bishop Herbert Thompson passed away in 2006. He will be remembered as a great Christian man who was deeply spiritual and personally orthodox. His response to this letter was to have a meeting with me, discuss the situation, and pray for my future ministries. I prayed for his ministries as well. He was very sympathetic to my concerns. May light perpetual shine upon him.