A Constant Parish, Now Called to Leave?

They stayed as other churches left.

They stayed through the ordination of a gay bishop, and the lengthy arguments that tested long-standing beliefs and frayed friendships. All the while, the congregation of the tiny church in rural Loudoun County kept the word "Episcopal" on the Sunday bulletins because members believed it was God's will.

But last week, as their denomination inched closer to ordaining more gay bishops and blessing same-sex unions, parishioners at the Church of Our Redeemer were left to wonder: How much longer could they remain Episcopalians?

It is a dilemma facing theologically conservative churches across the country as the denomination grows increasingly accepting toward homosexuality, pushing some parishes away from the Episcopal faith and leaving others, such as Our Redeemer, on the fence.

"It's not something you consider lightly, leaving. It would be painful and affect a lot of relationships," said church member Michael Hollinger, 37. "But at the same time, the decisions they're making in the larger church are getting harder and harder to accept."

At the heart of that struggle is Our Redeemer's priest, the Rev. John Thomas Sheehan, 66, who spent last week studying the resolutions recently passed at his denomination's national convention, parsing each sentence for meaning and intent. He has talked to fellow clergymen and asked God for guidance through the uncertainty.

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