The Mother Church in Pain Gail Heriot

I grew up at Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia.  I was baptized and later confirmed there.  I’ve probably sung every hymn in the hymnal–many of them hundreds of times.  “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God” is still one of my favorites (as my long-suffering neighbors here in San Diego can probably attest).  Yes, I know it’s just a chapel hymn, but grown-ups are allowed to love chapel hymns too.

Truro Church has a long history–from colonial times to the present.  It was at Truro’s rectory that Confederate Col. John Singleton Mosby and his Raiders captured Union General Edwin H. Stroughton in one of the most colorful events of the Civil War.  (Mosby slapped the slumbering Stroughton on the rear, and asked him whether he knew who Mosby was.  “Of course, you simpleton,” Stroughton is sometimes said to have roared. “Have you finally captured him?”  “No, sir,” Mosby drawled, “I believe he’s captured you.”) 

Most mainline Protestant churches–Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Methodist– have been hemorrhaging members over the last few decades, while evangelical churches have grown.  The Episcopal Church (which includes Truro) estimates that it lost nearly 115,000 members just since 2003. Its current membership is about 2.3 million.  Truro has been an exception.  Long after I left, Truro took on a more openly evangelical style, which makes it seem less familiar to me, but which probably has been responsible for much of its growth and prosperity.  By some measures, it is now the fifth largest Episcopal congregation in the nation.  Meanwhile, much of the rest of the Episcopal Church has moved leftward. No one calls the Episcopal Church “the Republican Party at prayer” anymore.

I write all this not because I’m feeling especially nostalgic today, but because this weekend the congregation of Truro will be asked to make a momentous decision–whether to break with the Episcopal Church.  Supporters of the break claim to have the votes. 

If you are guessing that the dispute has something to do with homosexuality, of course you are right.  More specifically, since the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who is openly gay, was made a bishop in 2003, things have become increasingly tense among Episcopalians.  This summer, the election of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, a Robinson ally, to lead the church nationally was the last straw for many of those who are unhappy with the Church’s direction.

What slavery was to 19th century American Protestant churches, gay issues are to the 21st century.  Institutions that have served both God and man for many centuries are being torn apart.  I’ve little doubt that Christianity itself will suffer for it, and it makes me sick to think about it.

But it is not my intention to allocate blame on this issue.  Given what I know, I’ve already said as much as I can on the basic constellation of issues, and frankly I’m not sure what the Episcopal Church should do or what its leaders and members ought to do if the Church fails to do what it should.  All I can offer is the obviously inadequate observation that all of this is a damn shame.

There is, however, one aspect of this issue that I should speak up about before it’s too late.  The Washington Post reports that the plan is for Truro to break ties with the Episcopal Church (which is the American branch of the Anglican Communion) and affiliate itself instead with the Nigerian branch under the leadership of Archbishop Peter J. Akinola.  (My fellow Right Coaster Maimon reminded me last night that as an apostolic church, the Anglican Communion, like the Roman Catholic Church, traces its authority back to Peter through a succession of bishops; hence Truro must affiliate itself with a recognized bishop to remain within the Anglican Communion).

The problem is that, according to the Post, Akinola is on record supporting a new law in Nigeria that will jail anyone who engages in homosexual activity–public or private.  Those who nonetheless favor affiliation with Akinola argue that he did so only the appease the dominant Muslim political forces in Nigeria.  But I don’t see that as much comfort.

There are two possibilities here:  Akinola is giving his true opinion or he feels obliged by circumstances to give an opinion that is not his own.  If it’s the first, it’s a mistake for Truro Church to affiliate itself with him.  I am confident that few, if any, members of Truro Church believe such nonsense, regardless of their view of gay ordination or gay marriage, which are far more difficult and complex questions.  Affliliating themselves with such views will only discredit their orthodox movement.

If it’s the latter (as some of Truro’s leaders evidently contend), things are almost as bad.  Leadership requires strength, and Akinola is not in a position of strength if he is obliged to pretend to support laws that he does not in fact support.  To be sure, this is not necessarily a sign of weakness of character on his part.  Sometimes circumstances are such that even good men must bend with the tide.  But it is a sign of ineligbility to lead.  What’s next if Truro affiliates itself with the Nigerian  Church?  The Muslims aren’t getting any weaker in that part of the world.  What other little compromises will have to come along? 

Exactly what should Truro’s congregation do this weekend?  I certainly don’t know.  But the Akinola option strikes me as a very poor one.  Perhaps now is not the time to act after all. 

Update:  The votes were announced today, December 17th.  Truro and its sister church, the historic Falls Church in … uh … Falls Church, Virginia voted overwhelmingly to split with the Episcopal Church and affiliate themselves with the Nigerian Church.