SOUTHWEST FLORIDA: SARASOTA RECTOR RESIGNS. GOES TO AMIA

SARASOTA (March 9) — Saying the Episcopal Church has “denied Jesus the Christ” for elevating a non-celibate gay priest as the bishop of New Hampshire, the rector of the Church of the Nativity in Sarasota is resigning to form a new congregation under the umbrella of the Anglican Mission in America.

The Rev. Jim Murphy’s last Sunday at Nativity will be March 28… In a letter to his congregation… Murphy said the Archbishop of Rwanda… has agreed to accept him as a priest in good standing… to explore “starting a new Gospel-minded, mission-oriented congregation in this area.”

Bishop John Lipscomb… will grant Murphy an official transfer… to the Province of Rwanda if Archbishop Kolini requests it.

Murphy has been an outspoken critic of the 2003 General Convention… In an open letter… he wrote: “Frank Griswold has arrogantly spurned repeated calls for repentance — he is to be treated as an apostate…”

Bishop Lipscomb… nonetheless is committed to encouraging both sides to keep talking… “We must leave the doors open… Anything less is not of Christ!”

Murphy is the second priest to leave the diocese for the AMiA… The Anglican Mission in America… is a group of about 60 congregations across the U.S., most of which have broken away from ECUSA…

The AMiA was sanctioned by the Anglican provinces of Rwanda and South East Asia… But to date, none of the AMiA’s congregations, priests or bishops are officially recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

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