A couple of days ago, I mentioned the formation of Episcopal Majority, a newly-formed progressive pressure group within our Church. They’ve been joined by another group, Wake Up, which is organizing in the Diocese of New York.
EM has this to say about itself:
“The Episcopal Majority is a grassroots organization committed to the values and vitality of The Episcopal Church and working to neutralize the negative influence of the American Anglican Council (AAC), the Anglican Communion Network (ACN), and related groups. The impetus for our group began in Columbus, Ohio, during the recent General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Initially, we were a group of former university chaplains, but our membership has grown to include many people and organizations from different places (both theologically and geographically). We welcome their participation.
“We have felt for some time that there needed to be an organized response to the well-financed and well-organized groups whose words and actions have been largely destructive. Many others, clergy and lay alike, are looking for ways to counteract the damage done and to build a coalition representing the majority of The Episcopal Church.”
EM is holding a major meeting here in Washington on the weekend that the new Presiding Bishop is installed. You can read more about it here. You can also sign the group’s statement of purpose by using the comments function at its Web site.
Wake Up describes itself thusly:
“WAKE UP is a coalition of concerned Episcopalians who seek a Full Inclusion Church.
“We came into being during the summer of 2006, following the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. While pleased at the election of Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop, we experienced the passage of Resolution B-033 as a betrayal of the Church’s professed acceptance of lesbian and gay Christians as full members of the Body of Christ. We also view with alarm the attempts of some, both within and outside the Episcopal Church, to move us in a direction of exclusion, intolerance, and dogmatic ‘purity codes’ that have never been part of the Anglican heritage.
“Our primary purpose is to TAKE ACTION to STOP THE APPEASEMENT of theological bullies, and protect the Anglican heritage of inclusion and openness that has been passed down to us.
“We value the unity of the Anglican Communion, but not at the price of appeasement and injustice.
“While we enjoy the hospitality of an inclusive parish in New York City, we are an independent and loosely-structured group that invites other individuals, vestries, parishes, organizations, and groups to sign on in solidarity with our Statement of Purpose.”
You can have a look at its Web site and sign its statement of purpose if you are of a mind.