The controversies in the Episcopal Church boiled over at one Charlotte congregation on Feb. 22. Liberal North Carolina Bishop Michael Curry, who voted to consecrate homosexual bishop Gene Robinson, spoke at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church as part of his normal pastoral visits to his parishes. But before the service, one of St. Margaret's members stood along the road in front of the church with a sign that read "Bishop Curry Is A Heretic." And just before Bishop Curry rose to deliver the sermon, another member stood to confront the bishop for his liberal theology. St. Margaret's pastor, Filmore Strunk, said Bishop Curry listened politely, and then proceeded to deliver his sermon.

It’s no real surprise that St. Margaret’s would be the site for such a confrontation. Late last year, Strunk penned a five-page letter to Bishop Curry calling on Curry to “repent” of his “support of the ordination of Canon Eugene Robinson,” calling the matter of “gravest concern” and saying that Curry’s “leadership of this diocese and the broader church is sorely hindered by your acceptance of beliefs contrary to the Word of God, and by teaching these beliefs to your flock.” The letter was signed by Strunk and eleven other clergy from the diocese – though Strunk was the only Charlotte pastor on the list.

The letter was followed by a meeting between Strunk and Bishop Curry, among others, on Nov. 25. Strunk said the 2 Ũ-hour meeting was “cordial, frank, and candid” – and didn’t change anyone’s mind. Strunk said Bishop Curry was “unwilling to engage the points” of the letter they sent. Bishop Curry would not speak to “The Charlotte World” about the meeting, but his spokesperson sent a 10-page document Curry wrote last summer that explains the bishop’s reading of biblical passages related to homosexuality. The bishop’s conclusion: “I know faithful Christians and loyal members of our church who are gay and lesbian. I am convinced that welcoming, embracing and affirming all of God’s children who seek to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, is not a compromise with our culture.”

Strunk believes that this issue is finally coming to a head, even for those who -- like him -- have wanted to remain in the Episcopal Church. “I believe that within three years, you will have two Anglican bodies on this continent,” Strunk said. Even so, Strunk doesn’t apologize for hanging in with the ECUSA for as long as he has. “My Lord Jesus went to the temple with the very people who would crucify him within the week,” Strunk said.

The good news for Strunk and others of his theological stripe is that he may not have to endure a crucifixion. The bad news is that he's a bit late with his prediction. The ECUSA's "war of attrition" has already motivated the creation of at least a dozen so-called “continuing church” movements in America. The Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) is one that is in full communion with other Anglican bishops worldwide. Though only about four years old, the AMIA has more than 200 parishes and more than 20,000 communicants. Charlotte is home to two AMIA congregations, and there are about a dozen in the Carolinas.

But whether St. Margaret’s goes or stays, they have become the latest example of how the “war of attrition” against theological conservatives within the Episcopal Church continues -- and the parish provides another opportunity for conservatives to ponder whether it is possible to drink cool, clear water from a boiling and acrid well.