They also resolved that in the light of such a blatant disregard for the pastoral concerns expressed in their Rector's letters to the bishop, the could not- in good conscience- receive communion from Bp. Bennison when he came. In that same letter to the congregation, the vestry offered the congregation the option of attending services other than the one at which the bishop was presiding. Attached to that letter was a series of quotes the bishop has made in some of his articles in the Pennsylvania Episcopalian, as well as a quote from a transcript of Bishop Bennison's firs visit to Good Samaritan. Both of those documents are attached to this E-mail. These same documents were sent via E-mail to the bishop.

The Rector's Warden, Mr. Jeff Moretzsohn, and I met with the bishop on May 27th, to reiterate our concerns about the grief we as a parish shared regarding the bishop's visit, and how the Sunday of his visitation should be organized. Of course he wanted to discuss the vestry's letter and said that such a letter "was not helpful" to dialogue and neither was the series of quotes. I shared with the bishop that I wanted the congregation to understand the magnitude of both the theological and pastoral differences that presently existed between us. I said that no honest dialogue was genuinely possible of all parties did not fully understand each other's positions.

The bishop then shared with us his own continued resolve to make a full, sacramental visit to Good Samaritan at the time scheduled (June 6). He then also said that instead of coming to just one service on a Sunday morning he would preach and celebrate at three services that Sunday morning (7:30, 9:00 & 11:15). The Rector's Warden and I then told the bishop the anger and anguish that his visit to three services would cause the parishioners at Good Samaritan. Many would not come to any of those services. The parish would be profoundly wounded, and the level of pastoral clean up that would be required of the staff after the bishop departed would be enormous.

At that point, I said to the bishop that I did not see how I could come to the communion rail either in the light of his actions. I told him that he would probably need to bring a chaplain to assist him in the distribution of communion. I asked, "In view of what you want to do, how can I come to the communion rail when I am required to be 'in love and charity with my neighbors'?" I stated that to force a communion service on a congregation in the light if all that has happened would make the sacrament a travesty.

I ask you, members of the Standing Committee: how is it pastorally permissible to use the sacrament as a weapon to force a congregation into submission? Isn't using the sacrament as a weapon of control skirting dangerously close to blasphemy?

For both my warden and I, the meeting was excruciating. We left Church House almost numb with grief. It was clear that nothing either my warden or I had said made any difference. He was determined to make a visit to Good Samaritan strictly on his own terms, and he was coming to as many services as he could possibly attend.

I have never had a meeting with any bishop were my entreaties were so entirely ignored and my observations about the parish were so completely disregarded.

Please hold the parish of Good Samaritan in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Gregory O. Brewer

The Rev. Gregory O. Brewer
Church of the Good Samaritan
212 West Lancaster Ave.
Paoli, PA 19301
(610) 644-4040