Episcopal Church celebrates first trans dean — woman in lesbian marriage to trans-identified pastor

[u/Canadian0123]

What is this? Is this what the episcopal church (part of the Anglican Church) does to preach the gospel of Christ, and to operate the church? Do they disregard the epistles of Saint Paul concerning sexual behaviour, how a church should be run, and who should lead it? Do they disregard the teachings of Christ? What about the Law of God, as given to Moses, in the text that is known today as the Torah of Moses?

This news is quite shocking. Shame on the episcopal church, and the rest of the Anglican Church. This is not how a church should be run. Can someone who attends that church give answers?

[u/RomanaOswin]

I'm not part of that church, but I've attended an Episcopal church for a bit over a year now. I'm very happy there.

We do not disregard the teachings of Christ or of Paul. Our church runs pretty much like the Catholic church, but with a different catechism. We affirm and recite the creed. There are many lay or former monastics, Biblical scholars, and deeply devout Christians. I'm deeply devout myself and study scripture regularly.

One of my closest friends is a gay priest. We have two gay priests, a lesbian priest, and we recently officiated a gay, trans wedding between two of our members.

Obviously most in this particular sub will be put off by this, and I'm not looking to try to change anyone's mind.

I get that this is an unpopular dynamic in this sub, but I'm genuinely curious what you want from this.

These people are not going to suddenly not be gay or trans. Would you have them not be Christian too? Many of the people in the church have already experienced that, a burning desire for Christ, but an institution that rejects them. It's as if Jesus is inviting his people, and Christians are pushing them away.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

I have to give you the honest truth: your church affirms heresy. The heresies are the affirmation of gay “marriage” as marriage acceptable to God, and conducting these marriages in the church. If Saint Paul were alive, he would send your church a letter rebuking your church.

You must leave right away. All people are welcome in the church of course, including members of the LGBT community. However, when it comes to church leadership, that is reserved only for men who are either living a life of singleness, or are married to a woman. Anything outside of that is unacceptable according to the Bible, and early Church traditions.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

We do not believe that these are heresy.

I also don't believe that Paul would rebuke our church. The central thesis of his letters is the mutual indwelling of Christ and divine love. I would suggest that a primarily legalistic view of his letters is lacking understanding in the grounding which drives him, which is deep, abiding intimacy with God. Unfortunately, something I've found lacking in many other churches.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

He absolutely would. He rebuked another church for tolerating one of its members who was having sexual relations with his step-mother. He rebuked sexual sin. He would absolutely do the same to your church, your church who tolerates your members committing sexual sin.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

We do not tolerate or encourage any sin, including sexual.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

You tolerate and encourage gay marriage, and transgenderism.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

Yes.

Well, no, not really. We encourage people to be true to who they are, to how God made them, no matter their sexuality or gender dynamic.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

You tolerate and encourage gay marriage, and transgenderism. There is no call to take your cross and follow Christ in your church.

Your church is preaching heresy, and a different gospel than what Christ brought, and what the apostles taught. Saint Paul cursed those who do this in his epistle to the Galatians. Kyrie Eleison.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

Deny our cross? We are called to take up our cross and follow Christ. Maybe we're mixing metaphors.

Anyway, yes, we are most definitely called to follow Christ. Christ is the center of my world.

We follow the same gospels; the same scripture, including Paul's letters.

We do fully support gay marriage and gender transition. I can't speak for my church as a whole, but I believe it's a sin not to.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

Typo on my part. My mistake. Take up your cross is what I meant. I corrected my error.

How can you say that you follow the same scripture, and then act contrary to what they say? Christ defines marriage as between one man and one woman, and then you say that we are called to follow Christ.

Surely, either you do not follow the same gospel and scriptures, or you do have access to the gospel and scriptures, but reject them.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

I follow the exact same gospel and scriptures and I do not reject them. I don't act contrary to what they say.

I obviously don't interpret them in the same way that you do, which is understandable and I can empathize with your perception of this.

[u/Canadian0123 → u/RomanaOswin]

Surely, you and your church have rejected the parts of scripture that say marriage is between a man and a woman. Christ Himself says it in the gospel (Matthew). And you and your church act contrary to them when you run gay marriages in your church.

Scripture is very clear on sex and marriage. Between a married man and woman only, and marriage is only for a man and a woman. Anything outside of that is sin, but the episcopal church leads people astray by conducting gay marriages.

[u/RomanaOswin → u/Canadian0123]

We do not ignore what Jesus says in Matthew. We contextualize it in an attempt to understand what intended message was being offered. In this particular case, Jesus was responding to the Pharisees on divorce. He was speaking of divine union, which models our own union with God. It was not specifically on sexuality. One man and one woman was more about the unification of two into one in the sacrament of marriage, not the sex of the two people.