Breakaway congregations form new Anglican diocese

At least eight conservative congregations in Western Washington — including two that left the Episcopal Church — are forming a new Anglican diocese in the Northwest.

The Cascadia Diocese, as it's being called, is the latest local example of the deep divisions splitting the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion over issues such as Scriptural authority and church teachings. The differences erupted in 2003 when the Episcopal Church confirmed the election of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.

The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch — or province — of the 77-million-strong worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Western Washington congregations are seeking to become part of the Anglican Church in North America — itself a newly formed conservative rival to the more liberal Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada.

The rival province was formed last December by groups that included four U.S. dioceses and a number of parishes that had broken away from the Episcopal Church. This new province intends to seek the approval of leaders in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The formation of the new province made it "clear to everybody it was time to coalesce into regional structures," said the Rev. Duncan Clark, rector of St. Charles Anglican Church in Poulsbo.

St. Charles and St. Stephen's in Oak Harbor are the two local congregations that left the Episcopal Church in 2004, aligning with a conservative bishop in Brazil.

The Rev. Paul Orritt of St. Stephen's said that while being aligned with the Brazilian bishop did make them feel part of a larger church body, "the distance was still formidable. So the opportunity to join together with other parishes in this region ... was very attractive."

Heated court battles over millions of dollars in church property that are being fought in other dioceses most likely won't be happening here — at least for now. St. Charles and St. Stephen's have an agreement with the Episcopal Church's Olympia Diocese, which has about 31,000 members in Western Washington. The agreement, which runs until 2014, allows each parish to continue worshipping in the same buildings they had been all along, with neither the congregations nor diocese claiming ownership.

Olympia Bishop Gregory Rickel said while he was happy people in those congregations are finding a diocese to call home, "it distresses me. I wish we would not have to go this route."

Other congregations involved in the formation of the Cascadia Diocese include several from the Reformed Episcopal Church. The Reformed Episcopal Church, which is not recognized by the Anglican Communion, formed in 1873 when it broke off from what later became the Episcopal Church. It has more than 100 congregations in the U.S. and Canada, its own prayer book and does not ordain women.

The Rev. Kevin Allen, rector of St. Brendan's Anglican Church, a year-old congregation in Bellingham, is coordinating the Cascadia effort.

So far, eight congregations, totaling more than 500 members, have voted to join — all from Western Washington, though organizers are open to including those from Eastern Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, Allen said.

The Cascadia Diocese's application is expected to be ratified at a meeting of the Anglican Church in North America in Texas in June.

Janet I. Tu: 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com