Today, I call upon your prayers and ask you spread this message, as far and wide as possible, and ask to those you send it to, do the same.
At stake tomorrow, is the very Religious Liberty and property of our Church,The Parish Church of St. Helena, part of the Anglican Church of North America. Back in the 1960's we were part of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina became part of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (TEC) and entered into a Trust with them, involving our property. In that trust, was a clause that, should we find the need to remove ourselves from the Episcopal Church, we could do so and retain our property placed in trust. Certain, doctrines were established as common beliefs based firmly upon the Gospel and fundamental Church teachings and laws in this union.
Our leaders, in this disassociation, joined in the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) have remained true to the teachings of Our Lord Jesus, the tenets and disciplines of the Holy Gospel. The Episcopal Church (TEC), has drifted away, following the outright violations and disregard of those very teachings, tenets and disciplines. Since TEC no longer reflect the values we embrace, it was time to activate that clause in the Trust, which we did.
That action resulted in a law suit, demanding we immediately turn our properties, our very Churches, Homes, Graveyards and Retreats to TEC. We have fought a valiant fight and the case went before the SC Supreme Court. One SC Supreme Court Justice with direct and intimate ties with TEC, did not recuse herself, thus the court ruled against us. However, we persevered and got a stay of action and brought the case to the United States Supreme Court, requesting they hear our case.
This fight has become so vicious, that a Bishop of the TEC has taken it to the gutter. She was overheard stating that she would rather she our Church, The Parish Church of St. Helena, established since 1712, turned into a mosque. Pray for us!
We ask for your prayers. We ask that you make this issue go viral. We ask for you love and support. If we fail in this effort, then they will work furiously to suppress our religious liberty and our voices.
If we fall, then precedent set here will allow other religious groups to suppress more conservative members by threat and intimdation of taking their property, and places of worship.
But, in the words of Luke 12:35-40 (ESV)
We Must Be Ready
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
So, while, we may in reality lose all, we must stay true and strong in faith. Your prayers, love and support by spreading this message will go a long way in helping us in Spirit and joy.
Thank you. May God bless and protect you . - Ann Ubelis
This past Thursday, June 7th, SCOTUS heard arguments for placing the case on their docket. Tomorrow, June 11, 2018, they will rule as to if we will have a final day in court. The link to the LIVE podcast, which starts at 9:30am EDT is below.
If the link doesn't work, copy and paste:
http://live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_orders_and_opinions__June_11_2018
