In the Diocese of Quincy some things are going on as usual. According to the Quad-City Times, "It now appears that four churches, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Peoria, Ill., the largest in the diocese, will continue to align with the Episcopal Church." (photo of interior of Cathedral to right.)
Episcopal Cafe reports that " According to Episcopal Church
It would appear that the seemingly overwhelming vote to leave and join the Province of the Southern Cone is somewhat exaggerated. In a diocese this small any split will make continuation of the remainder in a viable diocese problematic without considerable help in the recovery process.
The Diocese of Quincy has a unique and interesting history and we ought to pray that the witness of this Episcopal Church community continues and remains vital. statistics Diocese of Quincy membership in 2007 was about 1850." St. Paul's Cathedral in 2007 was about 400 with 200 ASA. The total ASA for the Diocese is about 1000, meaning that one in five Episcopalians in the Diocese of Quincy attended the Cathedral. The Diocese web pages list 24 parishes, meaning that 1 in 6 parishes have elected to date to stay. We await news as to the other parishes that are staying.
God bless them!
ReplyDeleteI'm pleasantly surprised and relieved. I attended St. Paul's Cathedral for two years in the early nineties and fell in live with the community there.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were in convention, I said aloud what a number of us were thinking. We were formally voting for a bishop of Chicago, but it is likely we elected a bishop of Illinois.
ReplyDeleteQuincy with the membership Bp. Akerman did not drive away was marginally viable. What will be left after some wander off in disgust and some discover their Southern Cone roots is likely to be too small to keep the lights on.
Given the tradition of hostility between 'downstate' and Chicago, the best approach would probably be a missionary bishop operating with support from both St. Louis and Chicago. That may require a lot more creative thinking than either diocese's staffs and conventions are used to supplying. But, if the Episcopal Church is to function in that part of Illinois, creative thinking will be needed.
FWIW
jimB