THE PULPIT: Can't Episcopalians all just get along?

For years now, a schism has been tearing at the Episcopal Church, the U.S. arm of the 70-million-member Anglican Communion. Conservative and progressive factions within the U.S. body have been at odds over a variety of issues, including the role of gays and women in the church, how Bible stories should be understood and whether Christianity is an ongoing revelation or a set-in-stone belief system.

The issue hit home in March 2007, when the Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal parish downtown fractured after its leaders voted to join the conservative Convocation of Anglicans in North America, reportedly over the ordination of a gay bishop and other theological issues.

It was a bitter divorce that generated a lot of news, but nowhere in press coverage was there mention of the Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church - because really, there was nothing out of the ordinary to report.

Since 1986, the Chapel of Our Saviour Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs has been operating without fanfare under the leadership of the Rev. Dayle Casey. He says the church's 250 member families hold a variety of theological and social views, yet it has remained a vital and dynamic congregation without the drama surrounding Grace.

"We have our disagreements and discussions, then we say our prayers together," Casey said of the parish.

Casey, who gave his last sermon at the church a week ago, has interesting insight on the schism and what the Episcopal Church can do to remain vital - even though he's unsure it can survive long-term.

The Episcopal church, which several years ago boasted 2.4 million members, continues to lose hundreds of members each year, but Casey, 71, said it could become as cohesive as Our Saviour if its leaders showed greater respect for the various theological views among members. He believes people's egos have driven the schism, and the way to save the national body is through its members' repentance.

"The only way it could possibly stay together is for everyone in the family to see that he or she needs to kneel at the foot of the cross and ask forgiveness," said Casey, who was ordained in 1977 and became priest of the Our Saviour in 1986. "The problem with schism is that it tends to happen when people get very self-righteous about themselves."

Casey, who is conservative, said the Episcopal Church erred in not laying sufficient ground before moving forward to ordain women as priests in the 1970s and consecrating a gay bishop in 2003.

"Years ago we promised to have a serious theological discussion about sexuality," Casey said. "It never happened because we are scared to death of it. But sexuality is a very complicated issue and it's not going to be solved by rhetoric on the two extremes.

"Where would Jesus stand on this?" Casey continued. "I don't know. But what I'm sure of is that he wouldn't be on one side throwing stones at the other."

For more of my interview with Casey, including his view of the property trial over Grace Church, go to my blog, The Pulpit, at gazette.com.
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