Episcopal Crisis in California: Episcopal Church splits in the Diocese of El Camino Real

Anglican Leaders Form New Church in San Jose

SAN JOSE, CA, March 24, 2009 – San Jose is now home to the new St. James Anglican Church. All are invited to celebrate the establishment of this community of faith.

Sunday services will include a traditional mass at 9 am, and a contemporary service at 10:45am. St. James will be meeting at the Camden Community Center at 3369 Union Ave, San Jose,CA 95124.

St. James has joined the newly-formed Anglican Church of North America, which unites 700orthodox Anglican congregations, representing roughly 100,000 people in the United States and Canada.

The initial launch team for St. James has been drawn from the former leadership of St.Edward’s Episcopal Church. Fr. Ed McNeill, who led St. Edward’s for 10 years, is St. James Anglican Church’s first pastor. Six of the twelve members of St. Edward’s Vestry have left to help found St. James.

The decision of Fr. McNeill and other church leaders to found St. James Anglican Church marks the end of years of debate within St. Edward’s about supporting the efforts of The Episcopal Church USA. While members of the Episcopal Church have always welcomed a diversity of opinion, recent theological innovations by the national leadership have made it impossible for many orthodox Christians to remain.

The Episcopal Church has increasingly adopted policies which are unacceptable to orthodox Christians, departing from the primacy of Scripture. Church leaders have taken positions that undermine traditional teaching on the Divinity of Christ, Jesus’ resurrection and His role in salvation, Biblical standards on sexuality, and many of the tenets expressed in the Nicene Creed. These changes aligned the church with today’s social trends, and led the church away from its historic mission. The result has been declining attendance, declining ordinations and the departure of many clergy members, strained relationship with the global Anglican Communion, and nationwide lawsuits.

Fr. McNeill said, “We are very happy that the time of divisiveness has passed, and that healing can begin. We will miss our friends who have chosen to remain in the Episcopal Church and are committed to praying for them. We look forward to serving in the Bay Area as Anglican Christians.”

A website has been established at newanglicanchurch.com, to provide a means for community-building among Anglicans in the Bay Area. Those who have left the Episcopal Church, or who have been searching for Orthodox churches in the Bay Area, will have access to news and information, as well as an opportunity to communicate with others.