Schism threat poised in wings

Stage set for battle by Episcopal flock

By Darrell Holland

Religion editor

The stage has been set for a major schism in the Episcopal Church in this nation and early signs indicate the division could be bitterly fought.

Whether a new church will be founded may be decided this week when dissident Episcopalians, including several from Ohio, meet Wednesday through Friday in St. Louis.

The Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, sponsor of the national meeting, has indicated that a new Anglican church will be founded by the some 1,000 persons expected to attend.

The quarrel with the Episcopal Church goes back many years. Generally, the group adheres closely to the church's Anglo-Catholic tradition.

Members reject outright the decision last September by the Episcopal General Convention to ordain women to the priesthood.

But that is not their only complaint. They also believe the church has emphasized social action more than the Gospel. They oppose abortion, unlike the church, and most of them reject the revised Book of Common Prayer in modern English that will come up for final approval in 1979.

They also criticize the church for signs that it is preparing to accept homosexuality, and have attacked a New York City bishop for ordaining an avowed lesbian as a priest.

In effect, the group sponsoring the St. Louis meeting rejects most of the liberal moves made by the 2.9 million-member Episcopal Church in the last generation. The group believes the church has become more of a political and social action organization than the church of Jesus Christ.

Five priests, all rectors in local churches from the Ohio Episcopal Diocese, told The Plain Dealer this week that they will attend the meeting. They also said several laymen from Ohio will attend.

But none of the priests indicated that he totally endorses the group's contention that a break with the church is inevitable, and that, in fact, it has already taken place because the church no longer preaches the true Gospel.

Ohio diocesan priests who will attend are the Rev. Frank C. Irvin of St. James' Church at E. 55th St. and Payne Ave., Cleveland; the Rev. Howard R. Keyse, St. Thomas Church, Berea; the Rev. Richard Turner, St. Andrew's Church, Akron; the Rev. James Ryerson, St. Paul's Church, Conneaut, and the Rev. Larry A. Snyder. Trinity Church, Coshocton.

Only the Coshocton parish has indicated it may consider leaving the diocese and the Episcopal Church.

Based on interviews with the five priests, the Rev. Mr. Snyder seemed the most likely to come out of the St. Louis meeting committed to secession.

All five said they did not believe that women should become priests, arguing that it breaks with the Catholic-Anglican tradition and is a violation of scripture.

Some said they could accept the new Book of Common Prayer, but all rejected what they consider liberal attempts to get the church to approve of homosexuality and to accept gays in the ministry.

Asserting that he was not going to St. Louis with intentions to break away from the church, the Rev. Mr. Turner said, "I hope we are going to find a way to hold the church together."

But he said he is not sure that group members want to listen to persons like himself, who, though they disagree with the church, do not want to create a split.

Perry Lankhuff of Amherst, Va., chairman of the Concerned Churchmen group, said the "congress will be attended by some bishops and clergymen who hope to persuade us to remain in the church."

Lankhuff said, "We object to being called 'schismatics,' because we did not create the problems that have divided the Episcopal Church and given us no recourse but to go our own way as a continuing church.”

Lankhuff said that by permitting women priests, the church had left its true Anglican tradition and that the new church would become the Anglican church in North America.

Sponsors have refused to grant Presiding Bishop John M. Allin of New York City permission to address the meeting and to plead for church unity:

The only church in Ohio now known to be considering joining the 16 churches around the country that already have voted to pull out of the denomination is St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Columbus.

Church members and the Rev. G. Wayne Craig, pastor, refused to permit Bishop John M. Krumm of the Southern Ohio Diocese to conduct services there last Sunday. The Rev. Mr. Craig and several Trinity parishioners will attend the St. Louis meeting.

Almost all those interviewed this week said that the courts probably would have to decide whether the congregation or the diocese owned the building of any congregation that secedes.

The court battle in Columbus could become one of many across the nation.

There also is likely to be a rash of ecclesias-

tical trials and suspensions of priests, such as the Rev. Mr. Craig, for disobeying directives from bishops. Such disobedience is a violation of Eoiscopal law and the church has its own courts to try such cases.