A Personal Note to Traditional Episcopalians

My Dearest Friends in Christ,

I know that the past few years have been very disheartening and sad, not only

in the life of the Episcopal Church, but for all traditional worshippers. We have

struggled with the painful realization that the Church we all loved has

chartered a course contrary to Holy Scripture. It has become all too apparent

that the The Episcopal Church (TEC) has decided the wishes of man override

the demands of God. I believe that TEC is acting outside the revealed will of

God as found in the Scriptures and the historic teaching of the church. For

many orthodox conservative Episcopalians this is unacceptable. Neighbors,

friends and families have been torn apart by the Church's current teachings.

Our faith should offer solace and comfort. Instead it is a point of great

consternation.

Many traditional, conservative Episcopalians, who have been the backbone of

the Church throughout its history, have found themselves on the outside

looking in. In many cases their concerns and opinions have never been

sought. Never was a forum held for true, open dialogue. The sad truth is they

have been almost completely ignored. It is the widespread belief in TEC that

conservative parishioners will soon "get over it" and things will eventually

return to business as usual. My dear friends be assured, that it can never be

business as usual. Episcopalians have been forced to make a decision: God's

way or man's way. Jesus Christ is our foundation, and for devout

Episcopalians, our decision is clear. We will not compromise our Christian

beliefs! To insure a home for orthodox Episcopalians we have chartered St.

Andrew's Traditional Anglican Church. St. Andrew's was established for one

reason: To advance the word of God in pure unadulterated form while

adhering to the authentic Anglican expression of our faith. That's it! St.

Andrew's exists to reflect and espouse the spirit of the Gospel--not to

embrace the spirit of a misguided culture.

Many of you have stopped attending church. Now is not the time to turn from

God, but to seek Him. I know many of you individually. We have spoken quite

openly about very personal issues, but my dear friends, nothing is more

important than your salvation through Jesus Christ. One of my deepest

concerns is for those families with children who are now not attending

church. Without Godly influence the moral decline of our society will only

continue. We will fuel the very fire that we are attempting to fight. As parents,

we do our best to raise our children, but without God's intervention and

guidance this task becomes more daunting and challenging.

If you are still tormented and confused over the current situation in the

Episcopal Church I offer to you as an oasis in our cultural desert, the humble

sanctuary of St. Andrew's Church. Here you will find an honest faithfulness to

the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At St. Andrew's we use the revered 1928 Book of

Common Prayer that many of you may recall from your childhood. Our service

is simple, yet dignified, and offered up to the glory of God--not man. We are a

small, but growing church. Our members are loving, faithful and devoted to

their Anglican heritage and, more importantly, to their Christian faith. Yes, this

is a trying, but exciting time. It is a time of rebirth for our faith and our

commitment to God. Truly an opportunity to be born again!

We invite you to visit--no strings attached; no obligation or commitment. Just

a simple friendly offer to all who seek Him through traditional, liturgical

worship to join us each Sunday at 9:30 am. We are located at 8 Highland Street,

South Middleborough, Massachusetts.

In Christ's service,

The Rev. Stephen DelSignore

Pastor, St. Andrew's Traditional Anglican Church