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| Bishop Robinson, an alcoholic, divorced his first wife and made his boyfriend his second wife. He is now divorced from #2, but still a drunk. |
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| Robinson tore apart The Episcopal Church apart - not as the first gay bishop - but as the first openly gay bishop. |
NEW HAVEN, CT: Diocese of Connecticut Bishop Faces Multiple Parish Closures | Virtueonline – The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism: More at the link.
Diocesan History of Ecclesiastical Violence
But the diocese has a history of hatred of orthodox parishes that were once the theological and financial backbone and mainstay of the diocese.
During the reign of Bishop Andrew Smith, six parishes that became known as "The Connecticut Six", sought to leave the diocese following the consecration of Gene Robinson, an openly non-celibate, homosexual bishop. It tore the diocese apart, involving, at one point, even the Archbishop of Canterbury. The diocese became embroiled in lawsuits which slowly emptied their coffers.
Bishop Smith "pruned""The Connecticut Six", the most prosperous and orthodox parishes, as they were called. He cut off their spiritual life and financial supply line to the diocese. At that time (2005), "TheConnecticut Six" put out a statement accusing Bishop Smith of abandonment of orthodox Anglican faith and order, and continued harassment of faithful clergy and congregations in Connecticut.
The orthodox priests wrote to the diocese saying that the core of their disagreements with Bishop Smith involved the most basic issues of theology and Christian teaching. Since Andrew Smith became diocesan bishop in October 1999, he has expressed theology that exhibits a marked departure from Scripture truth and Anglican teaching. By word and action he has challenged essentials of faith including the nature of revelation, the person and work of Jesus, the authority of Scripture, and human sexuality. In June 2003, he ordained two non-celibate homosexuals to the diaconate. At General Convention 2003, he voted to confirm the election of V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire; voted for approval of the blessing of same-sex unions; and voted against a resolution upholding the authority of Scripture. Despite the protest of numerous clergy and lay people of Connecticut, and in the face of warnings by the Primates, Bishop Smith and his two suffragan bishops participated in the consecration of Gene Robinson in November 2003.
They blatantly accused Smith of fostering policies which effectively excluded from ordination all who followed traditional, catholic teaching on human sexuality and attempted to force congregations to conform to his unbiblical theology during the process of clergy succession.
By the time Douglas took over as the 15th Episcopal Bishop, in April 2010, the diocese was in free fall. Two orthodox parishes still remained "faithful" to the diocese - St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, a large, nationally recognized evangelical charismatic parish led by the Rev. Christopher P. Leighton (now retired), and Bishop Seabury in Groton, the largest parish in actual attendance in the diocese and the 300th largest in TEC (out of 7,500 parishes), led by the Rev. Ron Gauss, a Jewish convert to Christianity.
A long bitter legal battle ensued over Seabury and the bishop prevailed, but the cost has been enormous to the diocese in lost souls, no income, and a great priest deposed. The large parish property that once held hundreds, now lies fallow. The historic Bishop Groton church is no more.
The chickens have come home to roost for Bishop Douglas.
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