The church is a conservative congregation composed mainly of members who split from Christ Episcopal Church this summer because of liberal trends in the denomination. Litchfield, Christ Church's retired pastor, is leading the new church and has declared he is no longer part of the Kentucky diocese.

Controversy has roiled the Anglican Communion -- a worldwide network of churches that includes the Episcopal Church -- since the Episcopal Church approved the ordination of the openly gay V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.

Several other countries' Anglican provinces have declared themselves out of communion with the American church, and some conservative breakaway congregations have announced they were placing themselves under the authority of foreign bishops like Lyons.

A report by a high-ranking Anglican commission last year criticized such practices while also criticizing the American church for its ordination of Robinson.

Gulick recently placed an inhibition on Litchfield, or a directive not to present himself as an Episcopal priest, which he said he would lift if Litchfield would acknowledge his authority in this diocese.

Gulick, who supported Robinson's ordination, told Lyons in his letter that he recognizes Litchfield's right to dissent and that he did everything he could to accommodate Litchfield while he was pastor at Christ Episcopal Church.

For example, he allowed a visiting conservative bishop from Tennessee to conduct confirmations there last year, a task that Gulick would normally do.

Although the Episco- pal Church remains in the Anglican Communion, Litchfield contends that he has remained faithful to the Anglican Communion, while the Episcopal Church and Gulick have not.

Lyons could not be reached, but Litchfield said the Bolivian bishop planned to officially install him as pastor tomorrow. Lyons will also perform baptisms and formally welcome others into the church.

Litchfield said Gulick's opposition "doesn't make any difference to me because I'm no longer under the bishop of Kentucky. I am under the bishop of Bolivia."

END

Church of the Advent Episcopalians try to raise money, attention Dinner, auction planned Friday

By Christopher Hall
Special to The Courier-Journal

LOUISVILLE, KY (10/15/2005)--The Church of the Advent has fallen on hard times in recent years, but the small Episcopal congregation is determined not to go without a fight.

Next weekend the church, with roots in the Highlands dating to its beginnings as a church school in the early 1870s, will have a dinner and auction for two purposes: to raise money for church expenses and ministries and to raise awareness that the church is still active and would welcome new members.

"I hate to see a landmark and a beautiful, beautiful little church go under," said Anne Howell, chairwoman of the planning committee for the event.

"I would like to see this beautiful church flourish again."

The church is on a peninsula between Baxter Avenue and the north end of Cherokee Road, near the main entrance to Cave Hill Cemetery and only a mile or so east of Christ Church Cathedral downtown.

The Church of the Advent has had its share of financial ups and downs in the past couple of decades, said the rector, the Rev. Timothy Raasch. Also, it went for about 2½ years without a permanent rector before his arrival a year ago.

Attendance at Sunday worship has waned to about 60 people, he said. The current sanctuary, finished in 1888, seats about 180, he said.

The church hopes its dinner and auction will help fill more of those seats.

It is still active in the community, Raasch said, supporting Highland Community Ministries and helping with relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"We're alive and well, and we want to keep our ministries alive," Howell said. "... We're not just a little gray church with a red door across from Cave Hill Cemetery that people think has closed."

END