A Reader Responds to "Trouble"

Trouble, posted on September 2 re: what I believe is the unthinking response to both the illegal immigrant and Syrian refugee crises on the part of some Anglicans in ACNA and elsewhere.  My reader writes:

Wow. I'm glad I'm not the only one disturbed that ACNA is taking the stance it is. I was starting to wonder if I was the only one, and crazy.

I need help. I need a church parish that isn't pushing "charity" to illegal immigrants. It's not just happening at the top in ACNA. It's happening at the bottom. Last month, I had to endure a guest speaker at our parish that pooh-poohed anyone who called someone an "illegal" (because that's considered mean now). He runs a "charity" organization that reaches out to illegal immigrant communities in our area. I have no problem with preaching the Gospel to these people and calling them to repentance. Sadly, the repentance seemed to be missing from his message. He gave us the heart-warming story of reaching out to an illegal immigrant gang member, where he repeatedly bailed the gang member out of jail. Eventually, said gang member ended up being deported, even though the guest speaker obviously was bummed about it. This was supposed to warm our hearts and teach us not to give up on people. All I got out of it was cheap grace. Not only that, but he told us another "heart-warming" story about his holding a Bible study for gang members at a diner. The gang members ended up getting into a violent altercation with another rival gang in the parking lot. The diner called the police. What does the guest speaker do? He helps his gang get into the car and becomes the get-away driver. Everyone in the audience was laughing but me. I don't understand how any of that was funny.

The worst part is, he admitted his organization lobbies for "immigration reform"--and we all know what that really means.

I ended up emailing my pastor a very long email about this stating my reasons why I feel it's cheap grace, as well as including my own sob story on how illegal immigration and cheap grace has adversely affected both me and members of my family. Because if I don't counter the endless stream of sob stories with my own, I'll be labeled as heartless and cruel. How can I possibly use cold, hard statistics against little Pablo sleeping on a kitchen tile in a tenement? Unfortunately, my tactic seems to have backfired on me. My pastor implied in his response that my past hurts are causing me to read into the guest speaker's sermon more than was there. He also said he had a bunch of his theologian buddies review the sermon audio, and he said none of them felt it conveyed cheap grace. He is either naive or a liar, because he doesn't seem to believe that this organization is lobbying for amnesty, thinking that "immigration reform" could mean anything. He wants to meet with me in person to discuss this further, but I don't think he wants to change his mind. He is out to change mine. Given that our church is now partnering with this organization for a Christmas toy drive to give toys to the children of these illegal immigrants in our area, I think he knows very well what this organization is about. I lean toward him being a liar, as much as it pains me to assume that. I don't want to believe that about my pastor. I feel like a horrible person for even thinking it, but surely nobody can be that naive?

Given that my Pastor is using a "greater numbers" tactic (gathering his theologian buddies to make me feel outnumbered--as if I don't already feel outnumbered knowing full well I'm the only one protesting that guest speaker's sermon), I decided to call up one of my own theologian/Greek-Hebrew scholar buddies to see if I was just delusional and hypersensitive. My friend didn't have time to listen to the guest speaker, but it turns out he knew well the organization the guest speaker represented. He told me they believe government should pay for our charity via our taxes. He advised me to shake the dust off my feet and get out of this church. Naturally, I asked him where else is there to go? He lives a bit far away, and he recommended a certain denomination of Presbyterians in the area, but it turns out the nearest one has women elders. (Obviously, his own church, farther away, doesn't, since he doesn't believe in that either.) I'm a woman, and I'm uncomfortable with women elders. I'd also like to stay Anglican. I was essentially Baptist/Calvary Chapel until I began to read Philip Schaff. I really like Anglicanism in theory. I'm desperate to find Anglicanism in practice. Finding a parish that cracks open the Book of Common Prayer would be nice, too. I'm very new to Anglicanism, and so far my ACNA church has never even cracked the BCP open.

I live in Orange County, CA. Can you please help me? There must be somewhere I can go, even if it isn't Anglican, that isn't involved with blatant Scripture twisting and corruption. And yet, I know all the supposedly conservative, Bible-believing denominations seem to be doing this same sort of thing at one level or another, and especially where I live. I am so frustrated. And I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am at ACNA. Yes, taking GOVERNMENT money for Syrian refugees via World Relief is corruption. There are strings attached, and I bet one of those strings is zero proselytizing. I am aghast that we would compromise the Church's mission set forth by Jesus.

Please help. I no longer feel welcome at my church, and I want a church where I am comfortable putting money into the collection plate, knowing that it won't be spent on enabling illegal immigrants to continue breaking laws.

Thank you for your blog. I learn a lot here that I'm not learning in my parish. You seem so sensible and Biblical. I wish I could have a pastor like you. And sorry for the long post. I just need a shoulder to cry on. I feel so alone facing this at my parish. I am so relieved that I am not alone in thinking something is seriously wrong.

Thank you, reader, for your kind comments about this blog and about me.  I am a deacon and therefore not a pastor, my moniker notwithstanding.  I do sympathize with your sense of desperation about all this.  We seem to be in the minority, but take heart for two reasons: 1) majority opinion is never the arbiter of truth.  You have the facts on your side, so it doesn't matter that you're in the minority; and 2) while you and I may be in the minority, my sense is that it isn't by much.  Many Anglican lay folk and a goodly number of traditional Anglican clergy are on our side.  It's just a matter of seeking them out and finding them.  You found me.

As I see it, there are three problems with Anglicans who are on the pro-illegal immigrant and pro-Syrian Muslim refugee bandwagon.  The first problem relates to the desire of many clergy (of all conservative denominations) to be seen as  "nice", "relevant" and interested from evangelistic motives to reach out to these people - as if there aren't "untold millions" of American citizens who need both our material support and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   The second problem is the neo-Anglicans, who purport to be conservative, are only half to three-quarters so it seems to me.  Theirs is a form of theological and political neoconservatism that isn't truly rooted in our historic Anglican patrimony on these matters.  I have even found among those who belong to ACNA unabashed Pelagians, feminists, and supporters of gay marriage.  ACNA may not officially support such things, but currently it truly is engaged in a "cat-herding" project, and the semi-liberal mentality is there in both laity and clergy.  And then, thirdly, I think there is a consequent inability or unwillingness (or both) to listen to the critiques of our immigration and refugee policies from the authentic Right.  They're just stopping their ears, because it's too painful to listen to reason.  So be of good cheer.  You may currently feel alone, but you're not, and what's more, you're making sense and they are not.   Remember the story of Winston Churchill, "a Cassandra who turned out to be right."

Like me, the trad Anglican trad conservative journalist Peter Hitchens decries this disconnect between our historic political, cultural and theological worldview and our dalliance with political and cultural liberalism.  And he minces no words on support for the Syrian refugees and by logical extension illegal immigrants from Latin America:

Every one of the posturing notables simpering "refugees welcome" should be asked if he or she will take a refugee family into his our her home for an indefinite period, and pay for their food, medical treatment and education.

If so, they mean it.  If not, they are merely demanding that others pay and make rool so that they can experience a self righteous glow.

Sort of sounds like the folks you encountered at church, does it not?

So, I do sympathize with your dilemma.  I will contact you offline regarding an option for you there in Orange County.  In the meantime, I think you'll find this NRO article by David French useful.

Comments

[Chris]

And I do hope you referred her to St Matts.

[Embryo Parson]

That's the plan.