December 15, 2003
An open letter to Richard Godbold,
the Vestry, and the congregation of
St. Pauls Episcopal Church,
Evansville, Indiana.
Dear Friends,
When I married Dennis in 1999 I became an Episcopalian to be with my husband. You all welcomed me and made me a part of your church family. I thank you for that. I embraced the church and became a caring and active part of the church. I love each and every one of you.
However, I now believe that the time for parting is at hand. I believe in the Bible as the Word of the Lord: All ot the Bible not just the parts that are comfortable for me. I know I have sinned. I have repented. I know that as a human I will continue to sin, but I am not given free license to sin without repentence and striving to sin no more. Gods love is for us all. He gives it freely. But like any parent he expects us to obey him.
It would be easy to act, in light of this new humanistic approach to Holy Scripture, by hunkering down in my comfort level until the smoke blows over and then go my merry way as before because, After all, it doesnt really affect me. But the truth is that I DO NOT believe in following any direction other than that of Holy Scripture. I DO believe in the validity of Holy Scripture as taught for 2000 years. I do NOT believe in the feel good humanistic approach to the Bible that is now being proported by false teachers.
I have taken two of the scriptures that might better explain what I believe:
Matthew 7:13-27
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Watch for false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing, but instantly they are ferocious wolves. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
I do not preach to you, nor do I judge you - that is not my place: Nor is it your place to judge me. I only state my belief. I mourn the loss of my choir and church family who have become so extremely important to me, but I must follow the faith of my father and the fathers before him all the way back to the Apostles.
Dennis and I have a framed version of the following prominently displayed in our living room, and I believe it says it all:
Joshua 24:15
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Please move my membership to St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Mt. Carmel, Illinois, Diocese of Springfield, The Right Reverend Peter H. Beckwith, Bishop.
In Christ,
Nancy V. Noon
Cc: The Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith
Tenth Bishop of Springfield
Springfield, IL
The Very Rev. Brant V. Hazlett, Rector
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church,
Mt. Carmel, IL
Cate Waynick
Bishop of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN