'Acceptance' and Communion for unbaptized splits another US Episcopal congregation

Starting Sunday, members of St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Somerset will have two options for church services.

The Rev. Mark Zimmerman announced he is leaving the church to start the Somerset Anglican Fellowship, which will still be governed under the Anglican Communion.
St. Francis released a statement Friday stating: “As in most religious communities, there are current issues in the Episcopal Church that are being faced, discussed, and acted upon on an international, national, state, diocesan and local level. Time and space constraints limit a full explanation/discussion of the actual issues in this forum. Suffice it to say there have been two primary groups at St. Francis who now desire to follow separate paths along a fork in the road.”

Zimmerman said the two groups both needed some space to grow.

“We felt we needed some space and they needed some space so they can discuss and plan their future and we could plan and discuss our future,” he said.

Zimmerman said the issues that are dividing the Episcopal community lie in biblical authority.

“There are those who still use traditional language and images, but the meanings have strongly shifted,” he said. “I think the biggest difference is some see God as a God who accepts us and transforms us. The (national) church is exclusively a church of acceptance.”

One example of the national church’s openness is administering communion to people who are not baptized, Zimmerman said.

“They want to have an open communion where anybody can receive communion regardless if they have been baptized,” he said.

Zimmerman stressed that his problems are not with the St. Francis church, but the national church.

“I wish them the best of luck in their journey,” he said. Read more
No comments will be posted without a full name and location, see the policy.