Changing the Context

The Episcopal News Service today posted this story about a Northern California parish's ad, designed to "change the context" of media coverage that has focused on the dissidents and debates in the Episcopal Church.

The story begins:

A full-page newspaper advertisement "meant to change the context" of media coverage of the Episcopal Church appears to be meeting its goal, according to the priest who wrote the ad's text.

The ad, titled "Sex, Religion, and the Culture Wars: An Open Letter to the Community," ran on the back page of the local news section of the January 7 issue of the Santa Rosa, California Press Democrat newspaper.

In the ad, under the sub-headline "Too Boring for the Culture Wars," the Rev. Matthew Lawrence, rector of Church of the Incarnation (http://incarnation-sr.org/index.html) in Santa Rosa, wrote that "sometimes the only Christians who receive media attention are those who make the most noise with their extreme views. Granted, they do provide entertainment value – extremists are fascinating. By contrast, most Episcopalians tend toward the boring mainstream."

The ad is due to be posted on Church of the Incarnation's website soon.

Click here to read the full ENS story.

The vast, broad majority of the Episcopal Church is doing well, proclaiming the Gospel, and carrying out the work of Christ. We're proud of Father Lawrence and the people of the Church of the Incarnation for saying so.