ECUSA FOLLOWS KUBLER ROSS IN DEATH AND DYING, COMMISSION FLOATS TRIAL BALLOON

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us." I John 2:19

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In her famous book "On Death and Dying" Elizabeth Kubler-Ross identified five stages in the process of dying. First there was Denial and isolation, followed by Anger, then Bargaining, Depression and finally Acceptance.

The Episcopal Church is in varying stages of Kubler-Ross's DABDA acronym.

A number of revisionist bishops are still in denial and isolation - "no, not me, it cannot be true," unwilling to admit that the Robinson consecration is tearing the Episcopal Church apart. This writer was in the Diocese of Connecticut this past week speaking on the ECUSA situation to some 20 orthodox priests and learned that the ultra-liberal bishop there, one Andrew D. Smith told several hundred Episcopal ladies at an ECW luncheon that the Episcopal Church was in a terrible mess and he could not see a way out of it. "He looked awful, haggard," an ECW delegate told Virtuosity. Smith might be making his first tentative step out of denial.

Many more bishops like J. Michael Garrison of the Diocese of Western New York are angry, "why are you (the orthodox parishes) doing this to me by cutting off funds." That angry statement is being repeated around the Episcopal Church in one diocese after another.

Then there are the bargainers. "So you won't pay your fair share, aw come on guys pay up…or else I'll come down on you like a ton of bricks. (Charles E. Bennison, Diocese of Pennsylvania). "You want to leave the ECUSA with your property…in your dreams." (George Wayne Smith, Diocese of Missouri). "If you stay maybe we could work something out. Maybe."

Then there is the fourth stage - depression, and God only knows how many bishops are depressed about the whole situation, both orthodox and revisionist. Each side is feeling the heat from angry parish priests withholding money and making threats to join the AAC or NACDP or possibly leaving for the AMIA or coming under a Global South Primate.

It's a mess all over and depression is running rampant throughout the whole denomination despite all the talk of "graceful conversation" much ballyhooed by the Presiding Bishop.

Revisionist bishops don't want to believe or even acknowledge that their dioceses are in numeric decline, that they are faced with orthodox priests willing to challenge their authority, withhold funds and make waves. Furthermore laity are leaving, and those that stay are not willing to remain silent. They are beginning to speak up forcefully and determinedly against their revisionist bishops; their diocesan policies, theological proclivities and biblical interpretations.

But still the bishops continue to live in denial, with many refusing even to answer letters sent to them by both clergy and laity about the state of the ECUSA, the Robinson consecration and much more.