The second Wednesday of the month is time for "soaking prayer" at St. Anne's on West Street in Oceanside. For 90 minutes, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the sanctuary is turned into a refuge for an ecumenical audience of two to three dozen people, who bring whatever they need to get themselves comfortable to immerse themselves in quiet, contemplative prayer.

St. Anne's began offering soaking prayer sessions four years ago. Back then, the church was St. Anne's Episcopal. Now, it's St. Anne's Anglican.

That's because in January, St. Anne's became part of a church-based civil war, of sorts, that has seen dozens of Episcopal churches and priests across the nation secede from the U.S. denomination.

Like St. Anne's Anglican and its rector, the Rev. Anthony Baron, these breakaway churches and clergy have aligned themselves elsewhere in the worldwide Anglican Communion with conservative bishops who are friendly to their cause (the Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of this network of autonomous provinces). For example, St. Anne's Anglican is now under the jurisdiction of Bolivia Bishop Frank Lyons, who visited in June to confirm new members, which is one of the duties of a bishop.

Six of the 51 congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego have been affected by this schism. Three, like St. Anne's, continue to occupy the buildings. In the other three cases, the priests resigned, left the churches behind but took much of their congregations with them.

The divisions are both scriptural and cultural, ranging from biblical literalism to sexuality.

"It was really out of obedience (to God)," says Baron of the decision to leave. "There are no conservative or liberal churches. There are only obedient and disobedient churches."

He reports that attendance at St. Anne's Anglican has nearly doubled. Part of the boost is courtesy of the Rev. Joe Rees, who resigned this summer from All Saints' Episcopal Church in Vista, joined the staff at St. Anne's Anglican and brought many parishioners with him.

With more than 10 percent of his congregations affected by the split, San Diego Bishop James Mathes continues to push for reconciliation - for Episcopalians to agree to live with their diversity and let time, and God, heal the rifts.

But truces have been elusive. "This is part and parcel of something much bigger than the Episcopal Church," says Mathes. "It fits into a desire for certitude in a time of uncertainty."

At the epicenter of the fracturing is the election and ordination three years ago of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, as bishop of New Hampshire.

Participants range from Catholic to Greek Orthodox, slowing down together to "hear the whispers of God." This summer's General Convention, a national meeting of bishops and elected delegates held every three years to set church policy, added salt to the wounds when it refused to back down from Robinson's ordination. It also elected the denomination's first female presiding bishop, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of Nevada, who endorsed Robinson's election and is seen by some dissenters as further proof of the liberal U.S. leanings.

"The Episcopal Church is increasingly rejecting the bonds of communion globally and has already varied significantly from the faith and practice of the communion," says the Rev. Lawrence Bausch, rector of Holy Trinity in Ocean Beach. He and the congregation left the Episcopal Church last week.

The Rev. Eric Menees, who resigned from Grace Episcopal Church in San Marcos this month to start an Anglican church, echoes that. "For me, on a personal level, I could no longer in good conscience represent the Episcopal Church, which I believe was leaving biblical truth."

This kind of talk makes the Rev. George Keith, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Chula Vista, sigh with impatience. Every time there's a change, people leave or threaten to leave, he says. "I don't think the church has left anyone. I think the church continues to welcome everyone."

While Episcopalians are dismayed by the rift, "by and large it's not as big an issue as you might imagine," says the Rev. Brent Carey of St. David's in Clairemont. Congregations continue to pursue their ministries. The diocese continues to start new churches. Worship services continue to be held. At St. David's, for example, the church just dedicated a new, $1.2 million multipurpose center. St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral has adopted a children's home in Tijuana called Dorcas House.

Still, at St. Andrew's by-the-Sea in Pacific Beach, the Rev. Rhonda McIntire has begun holding parish chats to give members a chance to discuss issues. "The diversity of opinions is what makes us strong," she says. As for the schism, she adds: "It's not stopping us."

In the San Diego diocese, which stretches from Riverside County to Yuma, Ariz., the unraveling began just in time for Christmas last year. That's when the Rev. Keith Acker of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Alpine stepped down and started an Anglican congregation at a nearby school.

Acker is upbeat about his Anglican church's future. So is the Rev. Arnold Fenton about Christ the King Episcopal, where this summer the church debuted its first female acolyte. "We're trying to join the mainstream," says Fenton, the interim rector. "A girl acolyte seemed to be a sticking point for some of the people who left, but it was fine (with those who stayed)."

Last weekend, Menees, the former Grace Episcopal rector, officiated at the first service of the Anglican Church of the Resurrection, where 200 people gathered at Community Christian Church across town in San Marcos. Most of Grace's staff left with him, including the youth minister and education director.

"We've been showered with blessings," Menees says. "People were very generous financially. It's like, wow, this is amazing."

Meanwhile, at Grace Episcopal, there were about 90 people, and Bill Lieber, the associate priest who has stepped into the breach, reports that new leadership quickly emerged. Bishop Mathes is expected to be there tomorrow. "He's coming to support our church and to preach and celebrate and keep that presence going," says Lieber.

The diocese points out that despite not having buildings, St. Anne's Episcopal Church and St. John's Episcopal Church continue to exist, with elected officers and assigned priests.

Recently, the Oceanside and Fallbrook parishioners have been meeting with All Saints' Episcopal Church in Vista, sharing the pews with those who did not leave with Rees.

"It's working out really, really nicely," says Jane Schuler, office administrator at All Saints'. "What we are trying to do here now is just trying to be a regular Episcopal church because we kind of hadn't been in a lot of ways before."

The joint services are temporary. "We'll be back there strong," says Kim Sorrells, one of the leaders of St. Anne's Episcopal Church of Oceanside. "We'll find a church that meets our needs. We're not gone."

The civil strife also may not be gone. "I think we're in for further schism," predicts Rees, the former All Saints' rector.

Specifics are hard to come by, as clergy point to a letter from Mathes in April warning them they could be removed if they try to remove their congregations from the Episcopal Church. As one priest put it, "It's simply not prudent to talk about it."

At St. Anne's Anglican on Wednesday night, the doors shut out the noise. The music soothed. Those soaking in prayer were oblivious to whatever role they have in church history.

Some participants aren't even members, coming from other Christian traditions to take part in this opportunity for intensive contemplation.

Those who are members say they've noticed little difference in their church home. Virginia Carpenter, a St. Anne's member since 1959, says leaving the Episcopal denomination was not an easy decision to make. "But we knew we were doing the right thing."

Baron, the rector, describes soaking prayer as a time to listen for holy words. "God often speaks in silence, and he often speaks in whispers, and we have to slow down to hear," he says.

But in these divisions, like so many divisions, people are hearing different messages.

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KEEPING COUNT

September 16, 2006

Six priests in San Diego County have left the Episcopal Church since December:

1. Father Keith Acker of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Alpine

What: Resigns in December 2005 and starts Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity under jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of America (note: Blessed Trinity splits again shortly afterward, with some following another Anglican minister).

Status: Christ the King continues to hold services at the church under an interim priest. Blessed Trinity still meets at Alpine Elementary School.

2. Father Anthony Baron and St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Oceanside

What: The congregation votes in January to leave the Episcopal Church, becoming St. Anne's Anglican Church under the bishop of Bolivia.

Status: Continues to meet in its facility. Parishioners who did not break away still compose St. Anne's Episcopal with their own elected officers and priest and worship with All Saints' Episcopal Church in Vista.

3. Father Donald Kroeger and St. John's Episcopal Church in Fallbrook

What: The congregation votes in July to withdraw and affiliate with Anglican diocese in Uganda.

Status: St. John's Anglican Church remains in its facility. Parishioners who did not break away continue to compose St. John's Episcopal with own elected officers and priest and worship with All Saints' in Vista.

4. Father Joe Rees of All Saints' Episcopal Church in Vista

What: Resigns in July and joins staff at St. Anne's Anglican in Oceanside.

Status: Episcopal services continue at All Saints'. Some of Rees' congregation from Vista now worship with St. Anne's Anglican, and he has started holding afternoon services at a consignment shop in Vista.

5. Father Eric Menees of Grace Episcopal Church in San Marcos.

What: Resigns over Labor Day weekend to start the new Anglican Church of the Resurrection, under the jurisdiction of the Anglican bishop of Argentina.

Status: Grace Episcopal continues at its location. Menees' new congregation meets at Community Christian Church in San Marcos.

6. The Lawrence Bausch and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Ocean Beach

What: The congregation votes Sept. 6 to break away and become an Anglican parish under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Argentina.

Status: Holy Trinity continues to meet in its facility as an Anglican congregation.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060916/news_1c16church.html

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