Bishop Bruno Under Review for Locking Out St. James Congregation
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Episcopal panel reviewing bishop's actions in St. James church sale, closure
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Bishop's pending sale of O.C. church leaves congregation locked out
It was a foolish and unnecessary move by the bishop, one that was shared by Episcopal Church leadership from the top down during the latest Presiding Bishop's administration, a time that saw the national Church spend $20,000,000 of our donated money on lawsuits against congregations who were judged to be disharmonious with the moral view of the House of Bishops. This nonsense changed no one's mind and merely chased away people and donations from the greater church. In a splendid bit of irony, one of the reasons the Diocese of Los Angeles needs this developer's money is that closing churches diminishes the donation revenue stream.
Congregations that were treated with love and patience have stayed active and a part of diocesan life; not everyone can or should evolve on moral issues with the same rhythm as the bishops and other church leaders. Patience, understanding, and love are far better than lawsuits, locks, and moral preening.
Besides, St. James was a rare parish that had a ministry both to the area homeless and its surfing community, neither of which will now be served by the Episcopal Church. Good God, sometimes I just want to say of the Church that I have served since I was a 25-year-old monk, "Let it burn."