We follow Christ and believe that he’s very clear that all are welcome.

As do we in the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin.  Every person is welcome to come and have their lives transformed by Christ, no matter what their “favorite” sin is.  We just don’t bless sin.  God does love everybody and wants them to come to Him in repentance and humility.  But just because He loves everyone doesn’t mean He approves and condones every action they partake of.  I love my son, but if he were to <insert sin here> then there would be consequences.  In fact, it is because I love him that there would be consequences.  What kind of father would I be if I didn’t?

We strive to ‘love our neighbors as ourselves.’

So you would prefer that others would leave you alone to pursue your life in a manner that is not pleasing to God?  Or to actually celebrate your sinfullness?  Wow.

So, if I place an ad in USA Today, it is news. The last time I placed an ad in our local paper no one reported it.  I am very upset.

Half truths.

We welcome men and women, married or celibate, to be ordained as bishops, priests, and deacons.

Translation: Any of the three combinations between men and women is fine by us.

We affirm that committed relationships are lifelong and monogamous.

Translation: Let’s not get into technicalities as whether married or which genders.

We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person.

Translation: Except,

We affirm that issues such as birth control are matters of personal informed conscience.

A good ad.  Good for those who proclaim Jesus, but don’t agree with other Christians about the culture wars. 

Needs a photo.

Probably less text.

I don’t know, John.  I think the ad is likely to be ineffective.  Those who truly proclaim Jesus can’t affirm the MTV values of ECUSA, while those who don’t, or are indifferent, are as likely as not, in our culture, to be turned off by the mention of His name.  It also seems that, when you have your most senior elected official going around and strongly implying Christianity is a social construct and just one of the assorted equal paths to “the divine,” there may be a truth-in-advertising issue here.

Unlike most of you I’m on TEC’s side, but I have a couple of problems with this ad.

First of all, I think that if you gathered a bunch of advertising people together, they’d all agree that nothing is more effective at capturing the imaginations of viewers than an unadorned list of bullet points.

I know money is tight these days, but come on, people—surely someone at 815 must have a niece or nephew or somebody studying marketing in college, who could devote their lunch hour to coming up with something more compelling than this?

Secondly—“grace after divorce,” “birth control is a matter of personal conscience,” “we ordain women”... this ad is a not particularly subtle jab at the Roman Catholic Church.  “The Episcopal Church welcomes you, unlike certain other churches we could name, if you know what we mean…”  That’s just not necessary.

A pity, because I think one could devise an ad campaign on this general theme that was rather more effective and not based on putting down other churches.

We affirm that issues such as birth control are matters of personal informed conscience.

Which is why TEC supports abortion and has a church leader who has proclaimed abortion a blessing.

Overall, I suppose I am pleased that the Episcopal Church is trying to advertise itself. For so long, we put our faith in the big red doors and the little metal sign with an arrow on the street corner.

However, I know we have the talent to come up with a more attractive ad that snippets that look like a compilation from somebody’s PowerPoint presentation.

If anyone from 815 is reading this, please contact me. I have a hi tech guy who does Graphics and TV productions as a profession who would be happy to design something at no cost.

I’ll just say this:  NO Church should ever have to resort to advertising itslf.  The Catholic Church doesn’t have to do it, but TEC evidently thinks THEY have to.

I wonder why?

Unfortunately, the ad, clearly aimed at Roman Catholics, attempts to convince its readers that the Episcopal Church offers an ecclesial product very similar to, yet more convenient than, Roman Catholicism.

The ad will be rather ineffective because, like the Anglican converts to Roman Catholicism who returned to the CofE, there is real cultural alienation Catholics can feel at an Episcopal church, of which Episcopalians are probably completely unaware.

Above this, there is a certain sense of loyalty most Catholics feel to the Church, if not to all of its doctrines or its moral teachings, at least to the commitment of a global communion and historical communion. Afterall, it is a Church in which one’s own ethnicity and family are often deeply engrained but which also transcends one’s own ethnicity and family. It is precisely the global and historical reach of the Catholic Church that cause most Americans to think of the Catholic Church when they hear the shorthand phrase “the Church.”

And, while most Catholics do not practice all of the Church’s teachings, this quiet dissent costs them nothing. Unless someone is actually divorced, or actually want to be ordained, there is nothing to be gained by giving up the commitment to the global and historical communion of the Catholic Church. That is why those two populations constitute perhaps the majority of converts to the Episcopal Church away from Catholicism.

Ross, I do think the jabs at the Catholic Church are necessary in order to establish an Episcopal identity.  What did you want the ad to say, ” we believe in serial monogamy”, “we believe it’s up to you whether you want to kill your baby in utero”?  The Episcopal Church always defines itself as what’s it’s against.  Fundies on one side and Catholics on the other side. TEC is Goldilocks.

Graphics aren’t going to help.  Come on, man!

I know I have said it before, but I will say it again…..Notice the line about where TEC has churches.  They know what is happening with the Anglican Communion and GAFCON….and they know how strong ACNA is becoming.  The fracture is not so much in the USA as it is global…and they have been talking about where they have churches a lot.  I honestly believe that at some point, they think the AC will divide, with GAFCON (or something similar to it) becoming one group and a revisionist AC group (TEC, Canada, Wales, etc) being the other (probably the one who tries to hold on to the AC logo/Lambeth, etc).  They are positioning TEC to be the leader in that….not the Church of England, etc. and they keep saying over and over where “we have churches.”  Don’t forget…It’s not TECUSA anymore, it’s just TEC.  It may not happen in my lifetime, but all the signs are there….

This reminds me of the old days when you could always tell the size of the evangelism budget for the local Episcopal church by looking at the size of their ad in the yellow pages—because their ad in the yellow pages was their evangelism budget.

I never did understand the “red door” must….would someone please explain?

Wasn’t it that the door was painted red when the mortgage was paid off?

A good ad.  Good for those who proclaim Jesus, but don’t agree with other Christians about the culture wars. 

To me, John, this just says “we are fighting on this side of the culture war”—in fact rather militantly ...

We celebrate our unity in Christ while honoring our differences, always putting the work of love before uniformity of opinion.

We are being sued by TEC in part for our lack of uniformity of opinion.  I guess the lawsuit must be a “work of love”.

Glad to hear they welcome all. Just ignore that awkward bit about
Jesus not being very welcoming to the money-changers in the temple.
And don’t worry about ignoring any other bits of scripture which you
find awkward or inconvenient as you affirm your chosen lifestyle.

RE: “An advertisement focusing on the welcoming nature of the Episcopal Church that ran in the Nov. 20 edition of USA Today is being made available to dioceses and congregations for local media use.”

Tee hee.

Just today I was speaking with a layperson in my diocese about the TEC brand just being so completely awful that it was necessary to somehow not talk about it when planting new churches here. 

The USA Today ad just drives that poisoned brand home to readers even more—“come join us—we’re Cyanide Tylenol—you’ll love us.”

AND it cost a lot of money.

Perfect.

The red door was symbolic of entering the Body of Christ through the Blood of Christ, as it was explained to me by my advisor on my Masters at Clemson University, in my Adult Catechism classes in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina under the Rev. Mr. John Barr, and in my subsequent parish and diocesan travels: Diocese of SW Virginia, the Diocese of West Texas, the Diocese of Texas, and the Diocese of Missouri.  So I think that a pretty standard episcopal explanation.

I am open to the possibility that is incorrect, of course.

21.  This is how it was explained to me also.  Funny thing, I’ve had friends in other denominations who were just scandalized by the red door because they associate it with red light districts.  I have had the privelege of explaining and seeing the light go on in their faces.
Frances Scott

I was told, though I forget where or when, that it was about paying off the mortgage. But there were other things that were theological. Did you ever hear this one? We bow to the altar but genuflect to the Blessed Sacrament because this follows the custom of the British House of Lords where they bow to the Throne but when the King/Queen is on the Throne they bend the knee.

Personally I prefer bowing at all times—that’s Sarum. We should do our ethnic thing. “An Englishman Italianate is a devil incarnate,” as they say: none of this ferrin genuflection and birettas—academic caps from Italian universities—sez I. “I am an Anglican. I am PE. Neither high church, nor low church, but Protestant, Episcopal and free…” Complete—to the tune of “God Bless America.”