Diocese of Western NY: St. Bartholomew's quits Episcopal Church

Thursday, 9th October 2008
By George Conger

The largest parish of the Diocese of Western New York has quit the Episcopal Church for the Province of the Southern Cone.

Meeting at the diocesan offices in Buffalo on Oct 7, the Rev Arthur W Ward, Jr, rector of the 1,100-member St Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Tonawanda, informed the Rt Rev Michael Garrison that the parish clergy and congregation would vacate the parish properties by early December and form a new congregation affiliated with an overseas province of the Anglican Communion. The defection of St Bartholomew’s represents a significant loss, as it provides approximately ten per cent of the diocese’s communicants and was asked to provide eight per cent of its income.

“People may come and go, but St Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Tonawanda will continue,” Bishop Garrison said after the meeting.

The Diocese of Western New York is “ready and able to carry on with worship, pastoral care and administration. We stand ready to support and work with continuing Episcopalians who have been a part of St Bartholomew’s, as well as those who have felt disenfranchised by the position of its leadership.

Bishop Garrison said he it was his intention to handle the secession “as sensibly and amicably as possible” and would grant letters dimissory for the parish’s six clergy to transfer to the Diocese of Argentina. The rector of St Bartholomew’s has “indicated to me that the time has come for him to seek to continue his priesthood in a different branch of Anglicanism. I respect his right to follow his personal conscience in this matter,” the bishop said. The new congregation has leased a former synagogue, Temple Beth-El and will begin holding services in Advent. the rest

TONAWANDA, NY: Largest Parish in NY Votes to Leave The Episcopal Church