A Statement by
Forward in Faith North America
23 May 2002
The federal appellate court decision that appears to bring under the sway of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington a small, faithful parish is only incidentally a defeat for the parish and its courageous rector, the Rev. Samuel L. Edwards.
Unable to persuade fellow Christians of their own commitment to orthodox Christianity, the ecclesiastical authorities of the diocese fell back on the civil authorities. Doctrine and theology, they reasoned, was beside the point; what mattered was power and control: who was entitled to give the orders and who, accordingly, was obliged to take them. If nothing else, throughout this weary (not to mention expensive) legal struggle, the Diocese of Washington has helped many to understand its priorities: not the spread of the Faith, or the deepening of service and commitment to Jesus Christ; rather, the maintenance and acquisition of secular authority, wielded apparently for its own sake.
The spectacle, however sad, is familiar to countless faithful Episcopalians situated in dioceses where the work of reshaping the Faith, supposedly to suit modern tastes, is daily in progress. Forward in Faith/North America, the largest traditional organization in the Episcopal Church, is honored to speak for thousands of these loyal brothers and sisters.
We salute Fr. Edwards, his able attorney Charles Nalls, and, not least, the steadfast people of Christ Church, Accokeek, who through these bleak times have obeyed St. Paul's constant admonitions to stand fast for the Faith, speaking the Truth in love.
That Truth -- beyond the power of any bishop or judge to corrupt -- will one day make all of us free. So our Lord Jesus Christ pledged. So we now gladly reaffirm, seeking his will amid sorrows and dangers that one day he will transform into peace and joy.
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