Long Island Congregation Leaves Episcopal Church
Episcopal News Service. February 9, 1995 [95024A]
(ENS) The clergy, staff and congregation of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Malverne, New York, one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Long Island, announced January 29 that they were leaving the Episcopal Church in order to associate with the Charismatic Episcopal Church of North America (CEC). The CEC, which is not part of the Anglican Communion, was founded three years ago by evangelical and pentecostal Christians unhappy with what they saw as liberal trends in the Episcopal Church. The 970-member church, which is to be called Church of the Intercessor, has long followed a "charismatic" style of worship under the direction of the rector, the Rev. Craig W. Bates. There was no prior indication from Bates that the congregation was considering such a move, said Suzette L. Cayless, editor of the diocesan newspaper. "The first time the bishop heard about it was when he received a phone call from a reporter," she said. The diocesan chancellor is researching what legal issues around property are raised by the congregation's action, she said.