Episcopal parish secedes from Colorado diocese

Jean Torkelson, rocky Mountain News

Published March 26, 2007 at midnight

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As its banned rector watched, the vestry board of one of Colorado’s largest Episcopal parishes, Grace and St. Stephen’s in Colorado Springs, voted this morning to secede from the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado — and the national church, as well.

At the same time, the Rev. Don Armstrong took back control of the 2,000-member parish for the first time since being put under investigation in December by Bishop Rob O’Neill for what the diocese called "misapplied funds."

"I am sitting in my office for the first time in three months," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "Now that I’m no longer a priest under Rob O’Neill’s authority I can say or do what I want.

"I’m going to publicly clear my name by refuting his accusations," he said.

Furthermore, he said, "The national church and the House of Bishops have made it clear there’s no place or tolerance for conservative, orthodox Episcopalians."

The diocese will have a statement later today, said communications director Beckett Stokes.

Nine of the 11-member vestry, the parish's governing board, voted unanimously to secede, said Jon Wroblewski, senior warden and board member. Two members could not be reached, "but I anticipate they would have agreed," Wroblewski said, adding he believes most of the parishioners will back the decision. "I was getting nothing but input from parishioners that they were unhappy," he said.

The parish was accepted Monday morning into a national network of conservative Anglican churches, called the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, (CANA), Wroblewski said. CANA is under the jurisdiction of the Anglican province of Nigeria, one of the 38 provinces of the worldwide church, as is the Episcopal Church USA.

CANA has become a haven for conservative breakaway parishes disturbed over the refusal of the Episcopal Church USA to retreat from its acceptance of openly gay bishops and same-sex blessings.

During a gathering last week in Texas, members of the House of Bishops reaffirmed they would not comply with the more conservative worldwide Anglican Communion and recant their positions.

Armstrong will face his parish for the first time in three months this coming Sunday, he said.

The diocese had prohibited Armstrong from having any contact with his parish of 20 years while it conducted a prolonged investigation of what he calls unfounded charges.

The diocese seized Armstrong’s church records one year ago but its formal, three-month investigation only began in December and was due to conclude this week.

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