Large Episcopal church withholds ECUSA money The Layman Online Tuesday, October 7, 2003 Christ Church Episcopal in Plano, Texas has decided to withhold about $45,000 in donations to the Episcopal Church, USA to protest the election of a homosexual minister and church approval of same-sex unions. The Dallas Morning News said the Rev. David Roseberry, pastor of the Plano congregation, sent a letter to members of the congregation. The letter said in part: "We want to send a clear and unambiguous signal to the leaders in the Episcopal Church at large that we will not follow the church's teaching regarding human sexuality. This year, Christ Church's contribution to the budget of the Episcopal Church was about $45,000. The vestry voted unanimously to redirect these dollars for the discretionary use of our bishop in supporting many of the Anglican primates who need our help." Christ Church Episcopal is a 4,000-member congregation. The Plano congregation says on its Web site that it is the "most attended Episcopal church in the United States" with about 1,900 worshippers per weekend. The church is host this week to 2,600 Episcopalians who are meeting to determine what actions they will take to protest the ECUSA assembly's recent votes to elect a homosexual bishop and sanction same-sex unions. Denomination officials said they are not tracking the number of churches that have announced they will withhold funds. The annual budget for the Episcopal Church is about $48 million.

Respond to this article

Home · Archives · The Layman · PLC Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links