An Anglican mission

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“Ten years ago, there began a debate about the authority of the word of God,” Bilindabagabo said as he clutched a worn Bible. “What is happening is heresy! In Rwanda we decided we would be grounded by the word of God.”

“Those who are denying the word of God are denying being Anglican,” Bilindabagabo said. “There are faithful Anglicans, and then you have some renegades.”

He encouraged the Baton Rouge congregation to remain faithful to Scripture and not to worry about being a small group. “When you are living for Jesus you don’t look for the majority — you are the majority because you are with Jesus! Ten years from now you will be strong and vibrant and you will know you made the right choice.”

Bilindabagabo predicted that the longer the controversy lingers, the less effective the U.S. Episcopal Church will become, especially when it is suing individual churches over property.

“They are using their wealth to destroy themselves,” Bilindabagabo said. “They will become lifeless, dying clubs they call the Episcopal Church. The church of Jesus Christ is not a club. If a church decides it is going to live in sin, sin will eat it up. Don’t be surprised if we start seeing the churches close one by one.”

Alfred “Neale” Gordon Sr., and his wife Cynthia, both lifelong Episcopalians, served as the choir. For 50 years they had attended Trinity Episcopal, where they were married, and where their five children were baptized and married.

“It was pretty tough, especially leaving Trinity,” Neale Gordon said. “We didn’t leave because of the gay priest (issue), but that was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back. When they have some bishops not believing in the Resurrection or the Virgin Mary, we decided to part company at that point.”

“We could no longer stand with our church,” Cynthia Gordon added. “We moved to St. Margaret’s, but it soon became obvious that it wasn’t enough. When there are bishops who do not accept the Resurrection, I knew they were headed the wrong direction.”

Their son, Neale Gordon Jr., who read one of the Bible lessons, said it saddened him that the American church has drifted from sound theology.

“I don’t believe what they did and I agree with what we did,” Gordon Jr. said. “That was the reason why we didn’t stay with them.”

On the Internet: All Saints Anglican Church, Baton Rouge: http://www.allsaintsanglicanbr.org  Anglican Missions in the Americas: http://www.theamia.org