Split In Episcopal Church Could Come Today
By Rick Brewer
Record Staff Writer
December 08, 2007

Clerical and lay officials from nearly 50 Episcopal churches throughout the Central Valley, including St. John's and St. Anne's in Stockton, might vote today to split from the Episcopal Church USA and align their churches with more-conservative members of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

Deacons, priests and several lay people of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin - which includes 47 churches from San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south and the Nevada border in the east - will cast ballots in Fresno over whether to disassociate with the ECUSA because of its liberal theological bent, and issues such as blessing same-sex unions and ordaining openly homosexual priests and bishops.

"Frankly, we as Christians have to come to some conclusion if the Bible is the inspired word of God or if it's just a bunch of campfire stories," said the Rev. Van McCalister, spokesman for the San Joaquin Diocese. "Most of us believe it to be the word of God." the rest

Episcopalians vote today on split from US