Some in Tallahassee's Church of the Advent may leave Episcopal diocese

Episcopal Church of the Advent on Piedmont Drive is poised to become the latest Tallahassee church to split from its denomination in the wake of the 2003 ordination of a gay bishop.

The Revs. Robert Coon Jr. and Travis Boline have informed Episcopal Diocese of Florida Bishop S. Johnson Howard they plan to leave the church.

We do not have a date yet," Coon said. "We are kind of building the plane as we fly it."

A representative of the bishop's office in Jacksonville plans to be at Advent on Sunday to deliver a message to the pastor and congregation: Please stay.

"I'm coming to love on them," the Rev. Kurt Dunkle said.

Wednesday, Coon estimated that 70 percent of the parish's roughly 850 members would join him in the move to Anglicanism. They'll probably have to find a new building. Advent's popular day school apparently won't be affected, though.

Wilson Wright, a dissenting member of Advent's governing body, or "vestry," opposes the split.

"The Episcopal Church has had so many bumps in the road and survived, there is no reason for the church to break up over this," Wright said.

Members of St. John's Episcopal Church followed the Rev. Eric Dudley and split from their denomination in October. In 2004, the Rev. Dennis Ackerson and members of the Church of the Holy Spirit also left the Episcopal diocese. Last year six other diocese congregations - known as the Florida Six - also split off, including St. Luke's Community of Life, a small mission in Tallahassee.

The breakaway churches turned to Anglicanism after the Episcopal hierarchy's controversial ordination of a gay New Hampshire man as bishop and what they call the national church's departure from Bible-based teaching.

Advent's announcement surprised diocese officials, even though vestry minutes show the issue had been discussed for months.

"Advent has always been a loyal member of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida," Dunkle said. (Advent accounts for about 2 percent of the diocese's 31,500 members in North Florida.)

Dunkle said many departing rectors overstate their number of followers. He said experience shows at most 75 percent of church members exit in such a split, with the average about 45 percent.

About half of St. John's congregation left to join Dudley at his new St. Peter's Anglican Church on Thomasville Road.

For now, Coon continues to hold services where he has for three years. The buildings and property are owned by the diocese. Coon said he and his supporters plan to make an offer to the bishop for the property but will walk if their request is rejected.

"We would love to stay here," Coon said.

That, however, is unlikely.

"There will always be an Episcopal Church on Piedmont Drive at that location," Dunkle said. If Coon wishes to leave the faith, "he'll have to go rent some space or buy some space just like Father Dudley."

Property has become an issue since several leaders of the Florida Six continue to hold services in diocese-owned churches. The diocese has hired legal counsel, and last week Howard notified the priests they could no longer be Episcopal priests.
Dunkle does not expect similar issues at Advent.

"Father Coon has always been a priest of great integrity, and I am confident if Father Coon leaves he will not intend to steal the property," Dunkle said.

No matter what happens, Coon said, Advent's popular day school will not be affected.

Diocese officials say these splits do not indicate the Episcopal Church is out of touch with its members.

"I think what it shows for the departing members is they are out of touch with our denomination," Dunkle said. "This does not have anything to do with homosexuality, but with how we discuss and how we discern these issues."

But dissenters such as Coon and Dudley say the increasing number of defections speaks volumes.

"I think it should send a very strong message," Dudley said. "That is a very clear, shockingly visible symptom of where that church has come to be."

For Coon, the decision to possibly leave the faith and see his parish split is difficult.

"There has been heartache," Coon said. "I am awake at 4 a.m. most mornings."

Church may leave Episcopal diocese @ Tallahassee Democrat