The Episcopal Diocese Of Los Angeles Betrayal

To anyone who has followed this blog I have written a lot about the intramural wars within The Episcopal Church at the national and at the diocesan level.

A quick summary of events is that for the last 40 plus years, TEC has become much more modernist. By that it takes a total non-literal view of the Holy Bible. It has emphasized social justice as the way to heaven. Even some in authority as bishops have rejected the basics of Christianity. In that time, many parishes have chosen to leave TEC. A large wave occurred in the late 1970s with the ordination of women to the priesthood (and eventually women bishops) and the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The largest wave came in 2003 with the ordination as bishop of New Hampshire one Vicki Gene Robinson. An open homosexual in a relationship with another man. Admittedly that opened the floodgates. The buildup of other issues somewhat paled to this issue. It led to the founding of the Anglican Church in North America in 2009. Out of that is a combination of churches and parishes that left TEC in the interim. Now nearly 1,000 parishes and missions strong and over 112,000 members, it is the greatest exodus of Episcopalians yet.
But churches and dioceses could not leave for greener pastures with the buildings and properties according to the then new TEC presiding bishop, Katherine Jefferts-Schorri. Nope, she made it church-wide policy to litigate all dissenters into either giving up or losing their cases. TEC has won many but has lost some including the diocese of South Carolina.
My local bishop, J. Jon Bruno, followed the national church and scorched-earth the four churches that left and wanted the property. Those churches were All Saints in Long Beach, St. David's in North Hollywood, St. James in Newport Beach and St. Luke's In The Mountains in La Crescenta.
I want to write that I personally like Bishop Bruno. Spoke with him many times. But on this, we could not be further apart.
So when you are trying to seize property, it takes high-powered and knowledgeable lawyers. And they do not do such things pro bono. No, they cost money. A lot of money.
No one has the exact amount but the agreed to estimate is roughly $7,000,000.
When I asked Bishop Bruno why another way to resolve the situation could not be done, I was told that it was a responsibility to those that found the church(es) to keep it (them) in the Episcopal fold. That is what they would have wanted I was told. There was also a fiduciary concern.
Now, did the diocese of Los Angeles have an endless amount of money to litigate? As it turned out, no they did not.
While the California supreme court eventually ruled in favor of the Los Angeles diocese, it did so over the course of nine years and the aforementioned roughly $7,000,000.
So all the property is back but what to do about recouping that money?
Why sell off the most expensive one, St. James Newport Beach, to the tune of up to $15,000,000. Below is what the church looks like.

Understand that one of the reasons we were told it was right and necessary to fight to get the church properties back. That they were rightfully Episcopal churches, nothing else no matter what.
It was part of the TEC to turn around and sell?
This is a betrayal of what was meant to try to get these properties back. In every case across the United States, it is the same. These churches can leave but not with the property because they are part of the local diocese. They are not really separate entities.
Except to sell to recoup money spent getting them back.
And if everyone is happy, why is there a website by members of the current congregation to save St. James? 
They should have known that this would happen.
It is happening everywhere that there is litigation for the lawyers do have to be paid, right? To show that might makes right.
The current PB, Mrs. Jefferts-Schorri, is on her way out at this upcoming general convention to be held later this month in Salt Lake City, Utah. A new PB will be elected. My fervent hope and prayer is that the new PB stops this insanity and leaves it up to local bishops to work out rather than from on high.
In other words, stop the betrayals. 

I Am A Christian And A Mason

One thing that I have had to deal with since being made a Freemason back on September 19, 2009, is not just the ignorance many have with the Craft, but the downright hostility as well.
I have been engaged in a Facebook dialogue with people on the Anglican Church in North America group page regarding the Craft over the past couple of days.
It was an eye opener.
For some inexplicable reason, I am still an Episcopalian but strongly support the new ACNA. I think that God wants me to remain for a reason I do not know yet.
What I did not realize is that there is a strong anti-Masonic tilt in ACNA circles.
Oh, as you read this keep going back to my headline for it is important.
Many of those that commented and dialogue were clergy. Clearly, with all due respect, rather uninformed, about Freemasonry.
See, Masons are thought to be some kind of religion.
We are nothing of a religion, yet recognize that there is a Great Architect of the Universe. To me as a Christian it is God. There are three good reasons we are not a religion as it was explained by a wise longer in the Craft brother.
I call it the ABC of why we are not a religion.

A) Affirmation.
B) Belief of a theology.
C) Conversion.

Let me start with A first. We do not affirm anything relating to a specific religion. Because members are from different religions, as I noted we do note that there is a deity. But we do not affirm a Christian one. Nor a Jewish one. Or an Islamic one. One thing that one must have is a belief in God, as they know and understand it. An atheist can not be made a Mason.
B is very important for a religion needs a theology and we have neither.
And C, conversion, is one of the least things a Mason does. We do not actively seek members. There is a sort of saying as follows:

TB1ASK1

translated it is To Be One, Ask One. For most of us are not secretive that we are Masons.
Secretive?
Ahh, there is something that people get a little freaked out about. And I will admit, we kind of sort of bring it on ourselves.
See when one is raised to the first degree, or Entered Apprentice, passed to the second or Fellowcraft, and raised to the third degree, or Master Mason, it is a ceremony that yes, is done in secret. It is part of the allegory of each degree.
As S. Brent Morris wrote in a good guide for anyone interested The Complete Idiot's Guide To Freemasonry, we are not a secret society, rather a group with secrets.
The other thing is they are the world's WORST kept secrets. One can pretty much find out everything and anything on something called the internets. Now, if you did the work and were to ask me, "Is THAT what you do?!" I would be, well something I have used many times on this blog.
A cricket chirping.
Because one of the aspects of our obligation is not reveal what our ceremonies of this nature are all about.
Again, it is all out there. But I am a cricket chirping as to whether they are or not correct.
Until people suggest that there is something called Satanic Ritual Abuse, or SAR.
I kid you not.
A couple of the people in this endless Facebook thread indicated that there are people who claim to be former Masons and victims of SAR. As I tried to explain, there is NOTHING Satanic in our ceremonies. Nothing at all. I did not get where this SAR occurred but get the idea that they think during our degree ceremonies. Who knows.
There is a lot of anti-Masonic hatred in diverse strains of Christianity.
Roman Catholics are under the illusion that Freemasonry is a religion. And in an effort to keep RC men from staying into the Craft, they formed the Knights Of Columbus. I have no problem with that. It is more why the KOC was formed, not that it was formed.
Apparently, strains of Anglicanism are pretty anti-Masonic, as evidenced in the Facebook thread. Because Anglicanism is the middle ground between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, I think that it the more Catholic strain that harbors such views.
Then fundamentalist Protestants are strongly anti-Masonic.
And lets note that Radical Islamics are very anti-Masonic.
And it is all so misplaced and harmful to all.
I want to emphasize that family and church are first obligations to Masons. As an active member of my church and an active Mason, when the two conflict, church comes first. Ditto for family.
Yet it is as if once one is made a Mason, why that is it. We are part of some blood brotherhood.
The only blood brotherhood I am part of is the community of Christ and HIS blood.
What I have discovered in trying to discuss this with hostile people to Masonry, all reason flies out the window. Blinders are on extend. Defense is king. The people that have hate for Masonry and Masons are very narrow and choose not to learn about the craft.
But all I can tell my fellow Christians is this.
I wrote the headline the way I did because first and foremost, I am a Christian. My total identity is with Christ. One of my favorite hymns is an affirmation of the Trinity, I Bind Myself Unto Thee. Warning about the link is that the organ starts playing once you click on the link. The hymn, written by St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is absolute in what in means to be a Christian. That Jesus Christ is everywhere. And yes, even in a non-sectarian Masonic Lodge.