Letter to the L.A. Times

No lack of faith in Episcopal Church
February 2, 2007
Re "Episcopal unit may quit U.S. church," Jan. 28

Bishop John-David Schofield of the San Joaquin Diocese claims that the Episcopal Church no longer believes the Bible, and others who agree with him claim that the Episcopal Church has abandoned the traditional Christian faith. Schofield is wrong about this. Each Sunday, Episcopalians say together out loud, "Thanks be to God" when the Scripture is read and declared to be "the word of the Lord."

Each Sunday, Episcopalians recite the Nicene Creed of their own free will, and at the conclusion of the Eucharistic prayer, which recounts the history of salvation that climaxes in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Episcopalians say "Amen."

What Episcopalians do not do is say these things while crossing their fingers behind their backs. In the Episcopal Church, the Christian faith is alive and well.

FATHER ROBERT J. GAESTEL
Rector, Church of the Angels
Pasadena

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Good for you, Bob Gaestel. And check this out ... an L.A. Times "For the Record":
A story in Sunday's California section about San Joaquin Episcopal Diocese Bishop John-David Schofield quoted him as saying there are about 780,000 Episcopalians in the United States. Officials of the Episcopal Church in New York say the church has about 2.3 million members.