The latest withdrawal from The Episcopal Church has left the breakaway Colorado Springs parish divided between congregants assured of their split and others who are confused.
A day after a vote to break away from The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Colorado, Grace Church and St Stephen's Parish held its three weekly worship services on Pentecost Sunday with over 500 parishioners who agreed with the vote. Although the congregation was reduced by about 27 percent, the spirit of the breakaway church was anything but sombre.
Parishioners carried the Anglican Communion's Compass Rose flag, replacing the flag of The Episcopal Church, in a procession as the congregation celebrated their continued commitment to the Anglican Communion. The Rev Don Armstrong, rector of the church, met applause from the congregation when he announced the final votes and again after he finished delivering his sermon on Pentecost.
Alan Crippen, spokesman for the church, said he has never heard applause after a sermon at the conservative Grace Church and St Stephen's Parish.
The service marked a time to celebrate "the rebirth of Grace Church", said Armstrong.
"We are released from all that has divided us, embittered us, distracted us, and diminished us," he said in his sermon. "And on this day we are empowered by the Holy Spirit for a new life, a new witness, new community, and new worship."
Meanwhile, parishioners who do not agree with the split held their own worship service at the nearby First Christian Church. Some who are undecided are attending both.
On Saturday, 370 votes were cast out of the 763 congregants who were eligible to vote by canon (church) law. An overwhelming 93 per cent approved the church vestry (governing board) decision to secede from The Episcopal Church and join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America - the conservative offshoot group of the Church of Nigeria.
"We are no longer a part of a corrupt and apostate Episcopal Church," Armstrong told parishioners on Sunday.
